Over the years, Pew Research conducted online surveys of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults about religious beliefs, practices, and experiences. For the first time, respondents were asked about participation in online worship services.
The poll was drawn from 10,211 randomly selected U.S. adults between July 13 and July 19, 2020. According to a poll, there tends to be a wide variation among religious adherents in the type of personal comfort they experience during online services and viewing.
Nine out of ten online worship participants say that they are satisfied with online worship services. However, a majority of religious adherents say they are returning to in-person worship once the virus has passed.
The Pew Research Center did not find any significant difference in the level of physical worship participation between the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic. Regardless of a specific denomination, online worship services appear to be widely understood as a religious activity.
When asked about the websites and television programs on which their religious services are watched, most religious adherents who are currently viewing the church services online and in their homes answered that they are extremely or somewhat satisfied.
About two-thirds of churchgoers said they were relatively confident about meeting their spiritual needs online. Among those who watched services online, more than half said they were very satisfied (54%), and another 37% said they were relatively satisfied.
On the other hand, a small but growing minority of online worship participants reported that they aren't happy with their online services. Just 5% of the respondents said they are attending in-person services less often after the pandemic. This compares with more than 9-in-10 of those who are generally satisfied or very satisfied with their online services and willing to attend in-person services after the coronavirus pandemic is over.
