(ChurchLeaders) Speaking on NPR’s “Here & Now,” Barna president David Kinnaman said that based on trends both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, American churches will look significantly different after the pandemic—and a fifth of them could close.
“In the long run, I think we’ll look back at this pandemic as a fundamental change to the way Americans…attend church,” said Kinnaman. “You know, obviously, there’ll be a lot more online attendance than ever before, even after all churches reopen. I think the digital church is here to stay. And I think it’s also going to really change the way people think about their donation relationship with local churches.”