Wisconsin Episcopal Leaders Report Growth as Congregations See Renewed Interest in Faith

Across the country, interest in religion appears to be rising. A recent report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that church attendance nationwide increased for the first time in 25 years. A recent Gallup survey found that 42 percent of young men say religion is “very important to them,” up nearly 15 percent from two years earlier. Researchers note, however, that the current growth in attendance is not enough to reverse years of declines in congregations across the country.

WPR spoke with Episcopal church leaders and a researcher who said they are seeing a renewed connection to faith in their congregations.

In April, Mother Amy Heimerl expected to hold the last service at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Antigo, where a Wednesday service would end on Easter after roughly 135 years in the community. The congregation had dwindled to six people, not enough to keep the service going. After a vote to close took place, a nearby ministry contacted Heimerl about finding a building where the congregation could meet. Members attended services in Antigo, and the congregation grew from six to 12.

“I joke and I say we’re the fastest growing church in the diaspora,” she said.

Heimerl also leads a church in Merrill that has grown as well, from 28 members in 2024 to 37 in 2025. She said many of the new members are young families with children. The church will perform four baptisms in June, something it has not done in five years. Heimerl attributes the increase in members to a yearning for hope.

“People are realizing and recognizing that the way we’re doing life right now isn’t necessarily getting the results that we thought we could get,” she said. “There’s much more to life than just what we can see.”

The Rev. Chris Corbin, rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Oshkosh, has read headlines about declining church attendance for years, but he wanted to look more closely. His own congregation has doubled, from roughly 40 members in 2021 to 80 today. He wanted to learn what growing churches were doing well.

Starting in 2025, Corbin sent a survey to 5,700 Episcopal congregations across the nation. The survey includes 144 questions and is directed to churches that had at least 15 members from 2011 to 2024. As of the report, he had received 1,150 responses. He found that most churches offering gatherings such as a book study or an adult forum between services were generally doing better. He also said churches with multiple points of contact for new and exploring members tended to keep those members longer.

Corbin said that when someone visits a congregation, they should feel welcome and seen, a practice of hospitality (Matthew 25:35).

“It’s investing,” Corbin said. “And beyond just showing up on Sunday.”

Source: Read the original report