Fewer did so six to 11 times (13%), 12 to 17 times (6%), or 18 times or more (9%). Around 1 in 3 (32%) say they did three to five times.

Of those who watched a livestream of their church service instead of attending in person, 2 in 5 (40%) say they did so once or twice. In a related survey conducted last year, half of Protestant churchgoers (50%) say they watched a livestream in place of in-person church attendance at least once in the past year. “However, instead of only a few churches in each city broadcasting their service, online and streaming are economical enough for churches of all types to take advantage of the medium.”

“As new technologies have emerged, churches have placed their primary weekly worship service online in much the same way they did with radio and television,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. As churches scramble to make decisions on how to move forward, new research finds many congregations are not prepared to shift their services online.Ī study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research conducted last fall found 41% of pastors say they don’t put any portion of their church service online for people to view.Īround half (52%) say they post the sermon online after the service is over, while 22% say they livestream the entire service and 10% say they livestream only the sermon. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for groups during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak recommended no gatherings of more than 50 people for eight weeks.

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