Faith Communities Today is a series of ongoing research surveys and practical reports about congregational life, conducted and published by the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership, a multi-faith group of religious researchers and faith leaders.

The research partnership includes members from 25+ different faith groups, working in conjunction with Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University. Our first national benchmark study was issued in 2000. Subsequent reports include national studies in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2015. Our latest research conducted in 2020 received responses from 15,278 congregations representing at least 80 denominations across 4 faith traditions.

Membership in the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership is open to religious organizations and denominational agencies that share an interest in:

  1. Producing and promoting research based resources for congregational development.
  2. Creating and disseminating helpful tools and resources, produced as a result of the research findings, that can assist congregational lay leadership in their ministries.
  3. Disseminating information to the media and educating the general public about the role of congregational life in American society.

Learn more about the benefits of membership.

Steering Committee and Officers

  • Chair: Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
  • Co-Chair: Molly James (The Episcopal Church)
  • Treasurer: Alexei Krindatch (Orthodox Christian Churches)
  • Secretary: Jon Wiggins (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University)
  • Communications Committee Chair: Petr Cincala (Seventh-day Adventist Church)
  • Membership Committee Chair: Molly James (The Episcopal Church)
  • Research Committee Chair: Erica Dollhopf (United Church of Christ)
  • Strategic Planning Committee Chair: Mike McMullen (Bahá’í National Center)
  • Ryan Curnutt (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod)
  • Colleen Darraugh (Metropolitan Community Churches)
  • Teresa Faust (United Methodist Communications)
  • Rich Houseal (Church of the Nazarene)
  • Aaron Spiegel (Synagogue Studies Institute)