NASHVILLE (BP) — When traveling to church, most people have company, but a significant number say they make the trip alone.
A new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 1 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (19 percent) say they typically travel to church alone.
Most travel to church with their spouse (54 percent), while close to a third say their child or children ride with them (31 percent).
Fewer say they typically travel to church with another family member besides their parent or grandparent (18 percent) or a friend or acquaintance (11 percent).
A small percentage say they travel with a grandchild (4 percent) or someone from their church who lacks transportation (3 percent).
“Many weeks, it’s hard enough for attendees to get themselves to church, so it’s not surprising few are stopping to pick up a neighbor,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.
“The reality is, if every Christian driving or riding to church this week used the extra vehicle seats around them to bring other people, churches would likely not be able to contain the crowds.”
Men (64 percent) are more likely than women (46 percent) to say they travel to church with their spouse, which indicates wives are more likely to go to church without their husbands than vice versa.
Women (36 percent) are also more likely than men (24 percent) to say their children travel with them to church.
African American churchgoers are the least likely to say they travel to church with their spouse (31 percent) but are more likely than white churchgoers to say they go to church with their children (40 percent to 24 percent).
African Americans (16 percent) are also twice as likely as white churchgoers (8 percent) to say they travel to church with a friend.
Younger churchgoers (22 percent) are the most likely to say they typically go to church with a friend.
Protestant churchgoers 50 and older (23 percent) are more likely than those 18 to 34 (13 percent) to say they attend church alone.
Source: Baptist Press
All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source