Congregants Embrace Online Worship in Record Numbers Amid Coronavirus

LENOIR CITY, Tenn., March 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ChurchStreaming.tv and easyTithe, Ministry Brands companies, reported an unprecedented surge in congregant online worship and tithing as in-person church attendance levels decrease. easyTithe saw a 99% increase in online giving and ChurchStreaming.tv saw a quadrupling of its streaming usage over the same period in 2019. The surge reflects churches harnessing technology to reach their most vulnerable members and provide continuity, while aligning with social distancing measures.

"More than ever, church communities need to unite in spirit to worship, find hope and comfort," said Daniel Simmons, Managing Director, Ministry Brands. "Churches are protecting their most vulnerable congregants through social distancing, while embracing platforms that keep communities connected and forwarding their missions."   

Additional key findings for mid-March from Ministry Brands platforms include:

• 189% increase in individuals contributing gifts online.
• Thousands of U.S. churches registering zero attendance for Sunday services.
• Mass texting for churches jumping more than 1,000% on the ChurchCast platform.
• Digital streaming via ChurchStreaming.tv increased by 400%.

Ministry Brands recorded a sizeable increase of 99% more online contributions than the same time period last year, with many giving via major debit or credit cards such as Visa and others. With most churches now using some form of online giving, and at least 30% or more of their members already utilizing these platforms, Ministry Brands expects to see significant growth in congregants moving to online giving this year due to the impact of COVID-19.

Churches Poised to Embrace New Technology Ahead of Easter 2020

Year-over-year, Easter remains the highest attended day of church, as well as one of the most significant days for charitable donations. As this critical time to connect with newcomers and congregants approaches, many new faith-based communities of all sizes are preparing to venture into uncharted territory as they hold their Easter Sunday services virtually. Small churches, defined as 200 congregants or less, often have a larger proportion of older congregants. According to Pew Research, more than 50% of weekly churchgoers are comprised of Baby Boomers and older generations.

"With Easter Sunday 2020 approaching, we're seeing churches with 200 congregants and under rapidly adopt new platforms for worship," added Simmons. "It's exciting to see the inherent resiliency of churches, always driven by their mission, and recognizing the power that technology has to reach, connect and serve their congregants and communities."

Ministry Brands provides online giving software to more than 30,000 churches, parishes and ministries in the U.S. and provides streaming services for more than 3,000 churches. The increases discussed reflect the combined growth across all religious and faith-based organizations that use Ministry Brands' platforms.

About Ministry Brands

Serving more than 80,000 customers, Ministry Brands is the leading provider of SaaS platforms for churches, parachurch ministries and other faith-based organizations in the United States and Canada. Under the leadership of a kingdom-driven management team, the company seeks to equip the 21st-century church with technology that empowers pastors, church executives, technology professionals and administrators to proactively carry out their Biblical mission with excellence, reverence, and efficiency. Ministry Brands' suite of solutions includes church management, giving, accounting, mobile applications, website development, background checks, content, streaming, and messaging. Learn more about our brands at ministrybrands.com.

Media Contact

David Rogers

Ministry Brands

david.rogers@ministrybrands.com

(512) 709-1817

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congregants-embrace-online-worship-in-record-numbers-amid-coronavirus-301030220.html

SOURCE Ministry Brands