Churchgoers' views on ministry to the incarcerated
Percent of American Protestant churchgoers who agree, 2024 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Formerly incarcerated people can contribute to understanding the gospel (94%). Lowest: Churches have a responsibility to care for the incarcerated (66%).
- Formerly incarcerated people can contribute to understanding the gospel: 94%
- Formerly incarcerated people can be leaders in the broader Christian community: 89%
- Prison ministry contributes positively to public safety: 86%
Source: Lifeway Research, Few Churchgoers Actively Engaged With Prison Ministry · Online survey of 1,006 American Protestant churchgoers, January 8-12, 2024. Article published 2024-05-16.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Formerly incarcerated people can contribute to understanding the gospel (94%). Lowest: Churches have a responsibility to care for the incarcerated (66%). Formerly incarcerated people can contribute to understanding the gospel: 94%. Formerly incarcerated people can be leaders in the broader Christian community: 89%. Prison ministry contributes positively to public safety: 86%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2024. Source: Lifeway Research, Few Churchgoers Actively Engaged With Prison Ministry (https://research.lifeway.com/2024/05/16/few-churchgoers-actively-engaged-with-prison-ministry/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. 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. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.