Who/what is Faith Communities Today?

Faith Communities Today is an interfaith research coalition that conducts and produces surveys, studies and published reports on congregational life in the United States.

Learn more:

Why are you conducting this survey?

Congregations are the cornerstone of faith development, religious expression and American volunteerism. Yet the challenges of congregational vitality within our changing world are often not well understood by those entrusted to lead. Nor are the contributions of congregations to civic life fully appreciated by the media and broader public. That is why we began studying and supporting congregational life in 2000 and have continued our national surveys of American congregations every five years since.

Is the survey affiliated with a particular religious tradition or denomination?

Our members represent a wide spectrum of American religious bodies and faith traditions, including Baha’i, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Latter-day Saint, Muslim, Non-denominational, Protestant (both mainline and evangelical), and Roman Catholic. View a list of current and past FACT partners.

Will my response be confidential?

Your response is confidential and will not be used for marketing purposes. Reports are always aggregated, and never single out a particular congregation.

Who should respond?

The survey can be completed by the clergy leader, an associate, a staff member or a well-informed lay leader. It should take about 20 minutes to complete.

Why was I selected?

Your congregation has been randomly chosen to represent the 350,000 faith communities in the United States. We would greatly appreciate if you would complete the survey and share your wisdom.

How can I participate?

If you received an invitation from us or your denomination, please follow the instructions on the email or paper survey material you received.

How do I receive a copy of the report(s)?

When completing the survey, check “yes” to the question “Would you like to receive a copy (PDF) of the National Summary Report?” and include your email address. Or, you may sign up for our email list to receive notification of report releases, along with other helpful information and resources for faith leaders.

What is the deadline to participate in the survey?

If possible, please respond by March 2020.

How will the data be used?

Examples of past survey reports:

Examples of topical publications using survey data:

View more on our publications page.