Black Churches Hardest Hit By The Pandemic, But Did More To Promote Vaccines
Unsplash photo
NEW YORK — The pandemic impacted communities of color across the United States differently compared to white ones. The same is true when it came to Black churches when compared to other Christian houses of worship, a new study has found.
In fact, church communities with predominantly Black congregations suffered the most in terms of attendance and donations.
At the same time, they did more to promote COVID-19 testing and vaccinations throughout the pandemic, according to a 26-page report issued Thursday by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, part of a five-year Lilly Endowment-funded project tracking the lasting impact of the pandemic on U.S churches.
READ: 5 Catholic Storylines To Watch For In 2024
The latest report reveals how COVID-19 had a different impact on majority Black, white and multiracial congregations across the United States.
The survey found drops in attendance, finances and clergy well-being were especially pronounced for Black congregations. While 65% of white congregations said their finances stayed the same or improved since 2018, only 50% of Black churches could say the same.
“All three racial categories saw a decline in average attendance from pre-pandemic to spring 2023. Multiracial congregations experienced the highest decline (pre-pandemic 80 attendees to 37 by fall 2021),” the report said. “However, overall, they had a higher average level of attendance for all four time periods (80 people pre-pandemic to 85 in spring 2023).”
The report added: “Ebb and flow of attendance showed similar levels among majority-white congregations. However, majorityBlack congregations experienced the least decline, from 60 (pre-pandemic) to 45 (fall 2021). Majority-Black congregations combined in-person and virtual attendance had a lower median but remained the most stable over all four periods.”
The report also showed a concerning 15% increase in Black clergy considering leaving the ministry after weathering the strains of the pandemic.
Responding to the virus
But Black churches also showed a commitment to pandemic response efforts — a staggering 99% of them encouraged vaccinations compared to only 53% of white church leaders.
Pastors also opened their buildings, turning them into testing and vaccination sites at more than double the rate of mostly-white congregations.
In fact, many pastors — especially in large cities such as New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago — used the power of the pulpit to encourage Black residents, including seniors and mothers with small children, that the coronavirus vaccines were safe and easy to find. Despite significant racial disparities in the vaccination rate, the gap may have been even larger if not for the work of Black churches throughout the pandemic.
“As the vaccine rolled out in spring/summer 2021, respondents were asked if their religious leader encouraged people to get vaccinated during their sermons and from the pulpit. Nearly all (99%) of pastors of majority-Black congregations encouraged their congregations to get vaccinated, almost double the percentage of pastors of majority-white (53%) or multiracial congregations (49%),” the report said.
Researchers said the results might be due to several reasons, including Black pastors having “historically been leaders in civic engagement, especially regarding health” and that “local health officials may have worked to increase partnerships with Black clergy leaders to participate in COVID-19 relief efforts.”
Black Americans are more religious than the American public as a whole, and roughly 60 percent of Black churchgoers attend a majority Black church, according to a 2020 study by the Pew Research Center.
But the reach of Black churches may be limited, especially with younger people. Only 30 percent of Black Americans under 40 attend services, according to the Pew study, and data compiled by New York City showed that younger Black people were less likely than older generations to be vaccinated.
At the same time, Black churches were also more likely to use their facilities to serve as COVID-19 testing sites and/or administer vaccinations. The report found that 15% of Black churches took part in such efforts compared to just 4% of white congregations.
In a July 2022 report, the National Library of Science said, “The church has played an integral role in the Black community, supporting individuals’ spiritual needs and providing a safe space to discuss general concerns. Historically, Black churches have been at the forefront in advocating for social justice and played a pivotal role in advancing the Civil Rights Movement. Its transformative power lies in its leaders. Black pastors have the trust and respect in Black communities needed to facilitate changes in community health behaviors.”
Donations continue to drop
This past September, the same researchers found a few encouraging signs that a post-pandemic rebound is taking place among many U.S. churches, but challenges remain.
For example, technology allowed churches to stream services, but most favor in-person worship. At the same time, there is a sense of discontent among members of the clergy.
This latest report also found that many congregations “have struggled financially throughout the pandemic for myriad reasons: Issues with renting out their facilities, closure of religious schools and other obstacles related to systemic injustices.”
In the summer of 2021, the report said there had been “an increase in donations from congregants across all three racial groups. However, by fall 2021 fewer congregations saw an increase in donations, particularly with majority-Black congregations at a 33% decrease.”
Pastors consider leaving
Another negative outcome of this latest survey revealed that Black clergy “went from 95% who ‘never’ considered leaving their congregation in summer 2021 to 64% in spring 2023.”
This increase, the report added, was “double that of multiracial and majority-white clergy.”
This trend isn’t new and it pre-dates the pandemic. In May 2022, the Brookings Institute highlighted a trend in church closures. They examined New York City church closing between 2013 and 2019.
“We found that the highest rates of church closures per general population were in the areas with the highest percentage of Black people,” the report said. “Several of these areas (ZIP codes) are where the churches that participated in the NY State COVID-19 testing program were located. … The maps reveal that a greater rate of church closings were in the areas with the highest COVID-19 positivity test rate.”
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.