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The American Baha’i Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Corinne True Center for Baha’i History

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May 5, 2024

Dr. Mike McMullen

University of Houston-Clear Lake

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US Religious Landscape

  • Faith Communities Today began in 2000 at Hartford Seminary
  • Largest, longest-running longitudinal research project studying American religious congregations
  • Largest interfaith research consortium in American religious research
  • Data collected in 2000, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2023
  • Includes samples of 320,000 churches, 3,700 synagogues, 2,800 mosques, and 900 Baha’i LSAs and other religious organizations

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US Baha’i Community

  • 170,000 adherents
  • 70% of community are converts; 30% are Persian immigrants and descendants
  • 93% of Baha’i communities meet in each other’s homes
  • 52% of Baha’i communities are “multiethnic” or “multiracial”
  • 1/3 of Baha’is are non-white

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FACT 2023 Baha’i Data Collection

  • Collected Jan-Feb 2023
  • N=161
  • Response Rate: 161/300=53.7%
  • Data collected using email sent to all Local Spiritual Assembly secretaries with a Qualtrics link
  • 2 reminder emails sent 2 weeks apart

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In-Person Worship 2023

  • Estimate total average attendance of in-person worship (19-Day Feasts): 13.8 ave.
  • Estimate total average attendance of in-person worship (19-Day Feasts) in 2018: 17.8 ave.

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Online/Virtual Worship 2023

  • Does your community hold online/virtual worship (livestreamed or recorded)
    • Yes--84%
    • No--16%

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    • If Yes, what is your total average attendance? 10.7 ave.

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Online/Virtual Worship 2023

  • Did you offer online/virtual worship in 2019 or before?
    • Yes—6.1%
    • No—93.9%

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Online/Virtual Worship 2023

  • Will you still be offering online/virtual worship options in 5 years?
    • Yes—55.6%
    • No—4.8%
    • Unsure—39.5%

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Platforms Used for Online/Virtual Worship

  • 77.0% Video Conferencing (i.e., Zoom)
  • 3.1% Social Media (i.e., Facebook)
  • 2.5% Video Hosting Platform (i.e., YouTube)
  • 0.6% Audio Platform (i.e., podcast, radio)
  • 0.0% Television

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Participants

  • How many persons in 2023 (including children) regularly participate (once a month or more) in worship or other religious activity in your community? 27.4 ave.

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Participants

  • Of all regularly participating adults (age 18 and over), what percent would you estimate?
    • Are female—56.6%
    • Are new to this community since 2020—9.4%
    • Volunteer regularly in the community—38.9%

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Mission and Identity

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Programs

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Programs

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During the Pandemic

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During the Pandemic

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Technology

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Technology

  • If your community uses online giving, approximately what percentage of your regular monthly giving is received through online giving?
    • 81.% ave.
  • Approximately what percentage of your participants donate online?
    • 65.6%

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Technology

  • Does your community have a web presence? (choose all that apply)
  • 25.0%--Yes, with our own web address
  • 16.9%--Yes, on Facebook
  • 20.6%--Yes, on the web and Facebook
  • 37.5%--No

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Technology

  • Has your use of technology changed since the pandemic?
    • 2.8%--Not at all
    • 6.9%--A little
    • 18.1%--Some
    • 41.0%--Quite a bit
    • 31.3%--A lot

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Finances

  • What was the total amount of money your community received from all sources in your most recent fiscal year?
    • $17,450 ave
    • $11,921 median

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Finances

How would you describe your community’s financial health today and in 2018?

Today In 2018

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Conflict

  • Since the start of 2020, has your community experienced any disagreements or conflicts? (check all that apply)
    • 50.9%--No
    • 30.4%--Yes, but it was not serious
    • 6.8%--Yes, and some people left
    • 0.6%--Yes, and some withheld donations
    • 0.0%--Yes, and staff left

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Conflict

  • How would you describe the level of dissent/conflict within the community regarding COVID response?
    • 57.0%--No conflict
    • 26.8%--Very mild conflict
    • 11.3%--Mild conflict
    • 4.2%--Moderate conflict
    • 0.7%--Somewhat severe conflict
    • 0.0%--Severe conflict
    • 0.0%--Very severe conflict

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Conflict

How would you rate the level of tension in your community surrounding social and political issues (excluding COVID) now compared to 2018?

Today In 2018

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Future Outlook

  • What is your current outlook on this community’s future?
  • 0.0%--Very negative
  • 1.4%--Somewhat negative
  • 7.0%--Neither positive nor negative
  • 33.1%--Somewhat positive
  • 58.5%--Very positive

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Bottom Line Trends Post-Pandemic

  • Worship attendance is down slightly
  • Overall $ giving is down slightly
  • Use of technology and virtual meetings are up significantly
  • Volunteering is up a moderate amount
  • Adult and childhood education is up a moderate amount

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Thank you!

For more information, contact:

Dr. Mike McMullen

Department of Sociology

University of Houston-Clear Lake and Baha’i National Center

2700 Bay Area Boulevard

Houston, TX 77058

(281) 283-3435 phone

(832) 964-5253 cell

(281) 283-3406 fax

mcmullen@uhcl.edu or mike.mcmullen1@gmail.com

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