Church Volunteer Statistics 2027: Latest 2026 Data and Trends

How many churchgoers serve, and why do so many say they want to but do not? The latest sourced figures on volunteering from Lifeway Research, Barna Group and Springtide Research Institute. Each survey measures serving differently, so every figure names its publisher and year. Every figure links to its original study. Updated October 2026.

Volunteers statistics at a glance

Statistic	Figure	Year	Source
Congregation members volunteering regularly, up from 15% in 2021 (45% pre-pandemic; Lifeway Research, 2023)	35%	2023	Lifeway Research
Protestant churchgoers who volunteered for a charity in the previous year, 66% did not (Lifeway Research, 2023)	30%	2023	Lifeway Research
U.S. adults who give time in a typical week to serving at a church (Barna Group, 2011)	19%	2011	Barna Group
Adults who volunteered to help a church / a non-profit in the last week (Barna Group, 2007)	22% / 23%	2007	Barna Group
Americans who volunteered at least once in a year, all organizations (survey released 2016, via Lifeway Research)	24.9%	2016	Lifeway Research
Volunteers whose main organization is religious (survey released 2016, via Lifeway Research)	33.1%	2016	Lifeway Research
Pastors who say developing leaders and volunteers is an issue to address (Lifeway Research, 2022)	77%	2022	Lifeway Research
Pastors who say training current leaders and volunteers is a challenge (Lifeway Research, 2025)	68%	2025	Lifeway Research
Young people ages 13 to 25 who volunteered in the past year (Springtide, 2025)	66%	2025	Springtide Research Institute
Volunteered in the past year: very religious vs. non-religious young people (Springtide, 2025)	77% / 53%	2025	Springtide Research Institute
Young people who volunteer because they enjoy it, the top reason (Springtide, 2025)	46%	2025	Springtide Research Institute
Protestant churchgoers who intentionally serve people outside church with tangible needs (Lifeway Research, 2025)	64%	2025	Lifeway Research

How many churchgoers volunteer?

Churchgoers who volunteered for a charity in the previous year 66% have not, 30% have, 4% not sure (2023) · Lifeway Research, 2023
Adults who volunteer at a church in a typical week 19% · Barna Group, 2011
Religious and volunteer activities of U.S. adults in the last week 22% helped a church, 23% a non-profit (2007) · Barna Group, 2007
Americans who volunteered at least once in the year 24.9% · Lifeway Research, 2016
Main organization people volunteered for Religious 33.1%, educational or youth 25.2%, social or community 14.6% · Lifeway Research, 2016

Volunteer recovery and the leadership gap

Congregation members who volunteer regularly 45% pre-pandemic, 15% in 2021, 20% in 2022, 35% in 2023 · Lifeway Research, 2023
Pastors who say developing leaders and volunteers is an issue to address 77% · Lifeway Research, 2022
Pastors who say training current leaders and volunteers is a challenge 68% · Lifeway Research, 2025
Churchgoers who volunteered for a charity in the previous year 66% have not, 30% have, 4% not sure (2023) · Lifeway Research, 2023

Who volunteers: young people, education and ethnicity

Young people who volunteered at least once in the past year 66% · Springtide Research Institute, 2025
Young people who volunteered in the past year, by religious identity Very religious 77%, affiliated 71%, unaffiliated 54%, non-religious 53% · Springtide Research Institute, 2025
Aim to serve their church through their professional skillset Millennials 82%, Gen X 80%, Boomers 80% · Barna Group, 2024
Volunteering rate by education level Bachelor's degree or higher 38.8%, no high school diploma 8.1% · Lifeway Research, 2016
Volunteering rate by race and ethnicity White 26.4%, Black 19.3%, Asian 17.9%, Hispanic 15.5% · Lifeway Research, 2016

Why people serve

Most common reasons young people volunteer 46% enjoy it, 42% feels good to help, 31% resume, 31% friends, 24% school required · Springtide Research Institute, 2025
Young volunteers who say volunteering strengthened their spiritual or religious values 56% · Springtide Research Institute, 2025
Strongly agree every person should volunteer regularly 38% · Barna Group, 2021
Say it is okay for regular volunteers not to give financially 65% · Barna Group, 2021
Churchgoers who agree with each statement about serving and caring 80% care for strangers, 68% use spiritual gifts, 64% serve outside church · Lifeway Research, 2025

Serving the community

Churchgoers who intentionally serve people outside their church with tangible needs 60% (2012), 62% (2019), 64% (2025) · Lifeway Research, 2025
Churchgoers who want to serve their community hoping to share the gospel 86% · Lifeway Research, 2023
Church attendees whose leaders encourage them to serve in the community 84% · Lifeway Research, 2023
Women churchgoers helped to serve their community by women's ministry 32% · Lifeway Research, 2024

Background checks and volunteer safety

Southern Baptist congregations that use background checks, by worship attendance 94% over 250, 82% 100 to 249, 61% 50 to 99, 35% under 50 · Lifeway Research, 2024
Southern Baptist churches conducting background checks on volunteers and staff 95% at 250 or more, 82% at 100 to 249, 61% at 50 to 99 · Lifeway Research, 2024
Pastors who say training current leaders and volunteers is a challenge 68% · Lifeway Research, 2025

Looking ahead to 2027: what the latest data points to

No 2027 statistics have been published yet. Here is what the newest readings suggest. We update this page as new research arrives.

Volunteering is rebuilding but not back. Lifeway Research found 35% of congregation members volunteering regularly in 2023, up from 15% in 2021 and still below the 45% reported before the pandemic. See the data.
Wanting to serve is not the same as serving. 30% of Protestant churchgoers said they had volunteered for a charity in the previous year and 66% had not (Lifeway Research, 2023), while 64% say they intentionally serve people outside their church with tangible needs (Lifeway Research, 2025). These are different questions and should not be compared as one rate. See the data.
Young people volunteer, and religion tracks with it. 66% of U.S. young people ages 13 to 25 volunteered in the past year, including 77% of very religious young people and 53% of non-religious young people (Springtide Research Institute, 2025). See the data.

Volunteers statistics: common questions

What percentage of churchgoers volunteer?

It depends on the survey. Lifeway Research found 35% of congregation members volunteering regularly in 2023, up from 15% in 2021 and below 45% before the pandemic. A separate Lifeway Research survey in 2023 found 30% of Protestant churchgoers volunteered for a charity in the previous year. Barna Group found 19% of U.S. adults serve at a church in a typical week (2011).

Is there a church volunteer shortage?

Pastors say leadership and volunteers are a need. 77% of pastors told Lifeway Research that developing leaders and volunteers is an issue to address (2022), and 68% said training current leaders and volunteers is a challenge (2025). Regular volunteering was 35% in 2023 against 45% before the pandemic (Lifeway Research).

Why do people volunteer?

Springtide Research Institute asked young people ages 13 to 25 in 2025. The top reasons were enjoying it (46%), feeling good about helping others (42%), building a resume (31%) and spending time with friends (31%), and 24% said school required it.

How many young people volunteer?

Springtide Research Institute found 66% of U.S. young people ages 13 to 25 volunteered at least once in the past year (2025). The rate was 77% among very religious young people and 53% among non-religious young people, and 56% of young volunteers said it strengthened their spiritual or religious values.

Do churches run background checks on volunteers?

Lifeway Research reported in 2024 that among Southern Baptist congregations, 94% of those with more than 250 in worship use background checks, compared with 35% of those with fewer than 50. This covers one denomination only, so it does not describe all U.S. churches.

Open all 1,870 statistics, free

Full charts, CSV and PNG downloads, citations, branded share images, boards and board briefs with a free account.

Create your free account

About this data

Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Different studies define the same topic differently, so figures from different sources are not directly comparable; each is labeled with its publisher and year.