America’s Megachurches Draw 10M Weekly Worshipers as 67% Report Attendance Gains

July 1, 2026

A new report, released by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, shows America’s megachurches have rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic, with many reporting higher attendance, increased giving and greater confidence about the future.

Christianity Daily reports that the findings come from a report titled “Megachurch Resurgence: How Big-Attendance Churches Rebounded After the Pandemic” which was conducted by by researchers Warren Bird and Scott Thumma.

The research is part of the Hartford Institute’s ongoing 25-year study of America’s largest churches and is based on a survey conducted between Aug. 20 and Nov. 13, 2025, of 589 Protestant congregations averaging at least 900 weekly attendees, including 331 megachurches.

Researchers found that the United States has about 1,850 megachurches, drawing an estimated 10 million worshipers on a typical weekend.

The study also found that 67% of megachurches now report attendance above pre-pandemic levels, while 84% say their congregations are stronger than they were before COVID-19.

According to Christianity Daily, 86% of respondents described their churches as thriving and expressed optimism about the years ahead.

Researchers also reported that many megachurches have recovered in key areas such as attendance, giving and racial and ethnic diversity since the pandemic disruptions began in 2020.

Thumma, a retired professor of sociology of religion at Hartford International University and former director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, told the Christian Post, “During the pandemic there was considerable speculation that large churches had permanently lost momentum.”

Thumma added, “The story emerging from this research is not simply one of recovery. It is a story of adaptation. These churches have navigated extraordinary disruption and, in many cases, used it as an opportunity to rethink ministry, invest in people, and strengthen their mission.”

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