Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations
Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project is a five-year research project funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. This expansive initiative focuses on researching, collecting, and disseminating data about the possible changes and long-term implications the pandemic may have on religious life across the United States. Our project is gathering both broad, nationally representative surveys and detailed ethnographic case studies of how religious congregations are changing and adapting in the wake of COVID-19. Congregational and denominational leaders, religious scholars, and the general public will have free access to a growing repository of curated resources, practical tools, and guidance drawn from our research and that of our cross-denominational partners. View the project website.
The Pastoral Innovation Network of New England (PINNE)
Under the leadership of Allison Norton and Scott Thumma, the PINNE initiative creates a cross-denominational innovation hub where 20 creative, early-career clergy interact with experienced coaches to highlight effective approaches to ministry in the New England region. In ten gatherings over two years, pastor participants will problem-solve, identify resources, grow professionally, maximize their creative and innovative potential, and move toward their visions for ministry revitalization. This network enhances participants’ customized and contextualized efforts toward innovation through coaching, conversations around pastoral challenges, the voluntary undertaking of a project of congregational change, and opportunities to mentor one another. PINNE thus facilitates adaptive engagement with New England’s unique ministry challenges, and seeks to improve ministry across New England by disseminating the learnings to clergy and denominations in the region.
Faith Communities Today
Under the leadership of Allison Norton and Molly James, the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership brought together more than 40 participants from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Baháʼí, and Orthodox Church organizations to develop cooperative congregational survey research in conjunction with the census in 2000 and then in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2023. By developing common procedures, comparable instruments, and coordinated schedules, it will become possible to share data on all forms of congregational life throughout the United States. The resulting national data enables pastors, church leaders, and scholars to make unprecedented comparisons among congregations and denominations. To learn more, visit Faith Communities Today.
Church inventory and consulting services
Hartford Institute has a long history of expertise in theoretically informed practical research on congregations and denominations. The institute’s faculty and staff applied this knowledge to the design of several survey instruments for local congregations. These instruments can assist congregations in understanding their unique culture, shaping their programmatic agenda, and conducting pastoral searches. Learn more about our church surveys or contact the Institute’s office.
Continuing national megachurch research
Hartford Institute faculty member Scott Thumma and Warren Bird of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability collaborate in the study of megachurches across the country. They have undertaken national surveys of megachurches in 2000, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Additionally, they investigated the attitudes and interests of nearly 50,000 attendees of two dozen megachurches from 2007 to 2008. This research aims to provide more accurate information about these large churches and track changes in these innovative congregations. To learn more, view the megachurch research and search the megachurch database.
New England Religion Discussion Society (NERDS)
NERDS is an informal gathering of scholars from various religious studies disciplines. The group meets twice a year at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University to discuss participants’ working papers or current projects. If you would like to suggest a meeting in Southern New England, contact Sheryl Wiggins at swiggins@hartsem.edu or call 860-509-9542.