Pushpay releases State of Church Technology Report, uncovering digitalization trends among faith-based institutions
By Shanda Boyett
Have you ever wondered how the church down the street is using technology? Or how they plan to approach church needs with technology in the future?
Well, now you can get a sneak peek.
Pushpay just released the 2021 State of Church Technology Report which compiles feedback from almost 2000 church technology decision makers from across the country and faith spectrum. This comprehensive study captures the priorities, concerns, and near-term expectations of the people most responsible for meeting their church’s needs with technology.
It paints a complex picture of how churches are approaching technology. For example, when asked how they would describe themselves when it comes to the adoption and use of technology, more than half said they were progressive, while 46% described themselves as reactionary or resistant.
That’s not a surprise. Church technology can be overwhelming and confusing.
“We know technology already plays an essential role for many faith-based institutions today as leaders seek to engage with their community and expand their ministry footprint,” said Pushpay CEO Molly Matthews. “The findings from the report will not only equip churches with insights to support their digital strategy but will also help our team as we continue to develop leading technology solutions to address some of the biggest pain points of the Church.”
Key Finding #1: Technology is Essential to the Church’s Mission
Every statistic points toward the idea that church leaders have fully embraced technology,
especially in the wake of the pandemic. Only 1% of respondents think that tech solutions are not important to their church’s mission.
But once you dig into the details of the report, it’s clear that church leaders see their digital futures evolving over time. According to this survey, the tech tools today are not the tools of tomorrow.
Key Finding #2: Time is the Most Important Consideration when Adopting New Tech
This question was presented several different ways, and each time, a pattern emerged: time.
Time is the primary concern when adopting new church tech solutions. It even beats cost by a significant margin.
While that revelation is significant enough in and of itself, cross-referencing that data with our other statistics leads to surprising results.
Key Finding #3: Security Is — And Isn’t — Important
No one is flippant about digital security anymore. And neither are church leaders — to an extent.
We asked, “How important is security and data protection when considering technology purchases for your church?” Then we asked, “To what degree has security and data protection concerns prevented your church from upgrading tools/becoming more digital?”
Similar questions, but they led to radically different — and very telling — answers.
To discover more key findings and results from the survey, including current adoption, hesitations, barriers to embracing new technology and forecasts on what is strategically important for churches as they develop strategies for the future of ministry, get the free report.
