The pandemic put paid to many in-person social events, such as concerts, theaters, clubs, churches, etc. While many shifted to doing things online, when the pandemic looked like it was easing last summer and these organizations looked to go back to in-person events, they found that many people resisted coming back, either because they feared getting infected or because they found that doing things online was more convenient for them. But this has had a negative financial impact on the organizations.
That is definitely the case for my local bridge club, which is the only social organization to which I belong. It generates revenue to pay the rent and other expenses by charging a table fee for each participant. When the pandemic hit, online bridge tournaments exploded but while those too charge a fee, those provide little or no revenue for the local clubs. When the pandemic seemed to be easing, some people returned to play face-to-face but nowhere near the numbers before and this has resulted in a financial hit for the club.
The same thing is true for many other organizations, including churches.
When Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston resumed in-person services late last year, after a seven-month halt due to COVID-19, there were Sundays when only three worshippers showed up, according to the pastor, Meredith Mills.
Since then, attendance has inched back up, but it’s still only about half the pre-pandemic turnout of 160 or 170, Mills estimates.
“It’s frustrating,” she said. “People just seem to want to leave home less these days.”
Some houses of worship are faring better than Mills’ church, some worse. Polls by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows how dramatically church attendance fell during the worst of the pandemic last year, even as many say they are now returning to regular service attendance.
Among mainline Protestants, just 1% said in a May 2020 poll that they were attending in-person services at least once a week. In the new poll, 14% say they’re doing so now, compared to 16% who say they did in 2019.
There is something nice about getting together with people. Even I, someone who is quite comfortable being alone, find the in-person bridge games to be much more fun than the online ones, worth getting dressed and going out for. With the rise in omicron cases, I have stopped doing so but have only rarely played in tournaments online. Online tournaments can provide one with the intellectual challenge of bridge but does not meet the social aspects, which has always been an important part of its appeal. I expect that those for whom the intellectual aspect is sufficient will never go back to face-to-face games.
I suspect the same thing is true for church attendance. Talking to people before and after the service was always a big part of the experience and online services just does not satisfy it. So I expect that attendance will rise slowly. What the churches might lose are those people who attended out of habit or a vague sense of obligation because they thought that it was sinful not to do so. Now that the habit has been broken, they may decide to not start again.
I expect those things that people attend because of genuine desire to do them and for which there is no online substitute (such as concerts and the theater and clubs) will eventually come back to normal attendance but those that they did out of habit (such as church) or for which there is an adequate online alternative (church, bridge, films, seminars and the like) may never get back to the former numbers.
I don’t know. While I’m not religious myself, my feeling is that there are a couple reasons people go to church.
First, as you say, the social aspect. But I don’t really know how prevalent that is. I know, as a child, I occasionally went to church with another family when staying overnight at a friend’s house. My impression of the social aspect of church for the adults was that it was short, i.e. a few words spoken to various other congregants, only some of them close friends. We would show up 10-20 minutes before the service, and leave within 20 minutes after the service. Not really enough time for much socializing, the real friends of their parents would come over for cards, picnics, barbeques, and to watch sports games. Maybe my memories are incorrect, or maybe the families who took me to church were not interested in socializing, or maybe even my presence was used as an excuse to leave without socializing.
Second, which you touch on, is the social status side of it. People are concerned with being seen as attending church. People who do not attend are not viewed as being good members of the community. I think this attitude has been dying out for some time, instead of two churches in a small town and everyone knows which one everyone else goes to (and looks askance at the single, unmarried, male, free-thinker, who doesn’t attend), today it seems to be enough for people to know that a person attends some sort of religious ceremony regularly. We don’t get this question much in the north, but I understand that in the southern states, it is still considered a polite question to ask, “What church do you belong to?”. Which brings the baggage of a minor stigma if you reply, “None, I have no religion.”. I think this attitude is dying away, but I don’t think it’s dead yet.
Right now there is a socially acceptable excuse for not attending church. Maybe after two years of people deciding that they won’t go to church and realizing that there isn’t a huge social cost to pay, some of them won’t go back. But, I suspect that as soon as the excuse become untenable more people will return. Not because they necessarily like to socialize, or even because they feel guilty about staying away, but because in any family it will take only one person who really desires to attend church to cajole the entire family into attending. If Grandma says three hours of your Sunday morning needs to be spent in church, and that keeps Grandma from pestering you the rest of the week, you will attend.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if the decline in church attendance is temporary, and will rebound to the close to the same trendline we have been seeing in the decline in church attendance for the last few decades. But I could be wrong, and there may be significant drop which remains. I guess we’ll see what happens.
I suspect a lot of people are nervous about the flip flopping that has gone on with Covid restrictions. They are going to wait a while before getting involved with in person events. After that there are a lot of factors involved. I expect a lot of in person events to recover eventually but it will take a long time.
Churches are one that might not. Churches have been losing people slowly for quite a while and Covid gave a lot of people who went only for social, status, habit or tradition reasons an excuse to bail. They are not going to be looking to go back.
In person? Sure. Sometimes, with some people, for a while. Occasionally.
The moment I could stop going to church, I did. Can’t say that was the worst thing about it, but it sure was not the best. In fact, I can’t think of any good aspect of church-going, other than complying with familial and social expectations so as not to suffer negative reactions.
Personally, I find obligatory social chitchat and phatic utterances tedious and unpleasant.
I mean, I can do it — and I do do it because the alternative is worse. But I don’t like it.
Obviously, I’m not typical, but I think it’s important to note that the OP is about generalisations, and certainly not universal. And I’m pretty sure I am not unique.
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Posting comments on the internet, however, is kinda fun.
Go figure.
I think it’s the smell.
In meatspace you hafta smell them.
On the internets you smell only yourself.
A robust social network -- including regular in person interactions -- is one of the most important factors in living a long healthy life. Japan, which currently has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world, is no longer focusing on increasing life expectancy but rather attempting to add to years of healthy living. The country wants its large elderly population to live more of their lives free from the disabilities attendant to old age. One such attempt is encouraging elders to attend meetings of groups that offer small loans. People who attend such meetings get help from other members not only with loans, but help with chores and social problems. Members notice who misses a meeting. And who looks sick. Looking after each other helps members live healthier longer.
Here is the West, church, bridge group, the condo board and other such in-person activities function much the same way as the Japanese small loan groups. Getting back to in-person activities is important for health.
That said, I have not returned to the meetings and groups I used to attend. It’s different now…I’m different now.
Heidi,
Mmm. So is a monkish lifestyle.
Maybe so.
But, when it’s an imposition then doing it brings no joy, rather the contrary.
I mean, sure — I could live like a monk, be abstemious, exercise consistently and whatnot. And I’d be more likely to get a decade or two more, and probably healthier at that.
At the cost of my lifestyle and life enjoyment, of course. I’d be too busy being monkish.
That’s quite good. Mind you, were I to partake, it would be for the benefit of help with chores, and for sure it would have to be a rather pressing need to overcome the mandatory social drudgery that would entail.
#6 John
I think I just heard a million hypothetical people let loose a cry of regret at the thought that they will now no longer meet you. Or… heave a sigh of relief. Not sure.
Holms, I think you’ve missed my point.
In-person events have their place (utility) and even sometimes are enjoyable (the rare exception).
Those who argue that they’re enjoyable in themselves I think presume that all others must be, like them, gregarious. That is not the case. For some of us, it’s a trade-off.
That’s my point.
(Like the hugging thing — it was so very nice that it has become deprecated)
Positive news: Erin Jackson just won a gold medal. Hers is quite a story.
John, are you telling me you aren’t gregarious??/?2?3?2?!!!31
Dummy.
You need to get in on the infrastructure spending. Tell them you need funds to rebuild a bridge (club).