Will Easter Resurrect Pandemic Church Attendance? Depends on Your Tradition.

More than half of evangelicals will be back in person, but most Catholics and black and mainline Protestants are still waiting to return.

hen churches first shut down for the pandemic, many Christians hoped they would be back together within weeks for Easter. A year later, the holiday will be the first time more than half of evangelicals in the US plan to return to worship in person, according to a Pew Research Center report out Monday.

Even though most churches have reopened, the proclamation that “He is risen indeed” will be quieter than normal years, with sparser holiday crowds (and mask requirements muffling their voices). Among all American Christians, 39 percent say they plan to celebrate Resurrection Sunday in person, compared to 62 percent during a typical year.

Evangelical Protestants are more likely than any other Christian group to say they’ll be in church on Easter this year (52%). For many congregations, last year’s socially distant drive-up worship will be replaced by traditional sunrise services and egg hunts.

Easter is typically one of the most-attended weekends on the church calendar, and this year pastors anticipate that many Christians will want to get back to the familiar celebrations within their communities of faith. Read More

Last week I listened to a podcast advising churches on how to prepare for Easter this year. They were talking about how for evangelicals Easter is the service that usually has the highest attendance of the year because for evangelicals Easter is like a church homecoming. The Easter services would be packed, especially since many people would have had one or two of the COVID 19 vaccine shots. What bothered me was that one of the people giving advice pastors a church in Florida, a state which has very loose restrictions and is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The podcast also did not take into consideration the advice that CDC is giving Americans. When it comes to protecting themselves and others, the CDC is advising Americans to wear face masks, to social distance, and to avoid crowds and poorly-ventilated spaces, which includes packed church sanctuaries. The CDC has also issued guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. These guidelines include avoiding medium-sized and large gatherings. While some states are experiencing a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases, others are not. They are experiencing an uptick in cases. Easter is not a time to behave in a way that is not careful or sensible.