Roughly four-in-ten Black, Hispanic congregants think their house of worship should now be closed because of the coronavirus outbreak Based on U.S. adults who typically attend religious services at least monthly or attended in person in the last month What do you think the current operating status of your congregation SHOULD be? What is the current operating status of your congregation?
The higher levels of caution that Black and Hispanic adults have with respect to COVID-19 also are apparent when it comes to opinions about how – or if – houses of worship should be operating right now. Black and Hispanic attenders are far more likely than white attenders to say that their own congregation should be closed for in-person services: About four-in-ten Black (42%) and Hispanic attenders (37%) say this, compared with 21% of white attenders.
It is not that most white attenders think their congregations should be open without restrictions; just 15% say their houses of worship should currently be open to the public as normal, just as they were before the pandemic. But among white attenders, a majority (63%) think their congregation should be open for in-person religious services with modifications in place due to the coronavirus outbreak – such as social distancing, mask requirements or limited attendance. Fewer Black (44%) and Hispanic (51%) attenders say this is the right option for their congregations.
Opinions about what houses of worship should be doing during the coronavirus outbreak seem to reflect what respondents’ congregations actually are doing. White worshippers are much more likely than their Black and Hispanic counterparts to report that their congregations are holding in-person services with precautions in place. Roughly two-thirds of white attenders (65%) say their congregation is open in this way, compared with fewer Black (37%) and Hispanic (41%) worshippers. Meanwhile, about four-in-ten Black and Hispanic attenders say the congregation they attend most often is currently closed for in-person worship, compared with one-quarter of white attenders who say this.
Roughly four-in-ten Black, Hispanic congregants  | think their house of worship should now be closed  | because of the coronavirus outbreak  | Based on U.S. adults who typically attend religious services at  | least monthly or attended in person in the last month  | What do you think the current operating status of your congregation  | SHOULD be?  | Open with  | Open as normal, just  | Closed  | modifications  | like before outbreak  | Total  | 28%  | 57%  | 13%  | White  | 21  | 63  | 15  | Black  | 42  | 44  | 10  | Hispanic  | 37  | 51  | 10  | What is the current operating status of your congregation?  | Open as normal, just Not  | Open with  | Closed  | modifications  | like before outbreak sure  | Total  | 6% 7 %  | 31%  | 55  | White  | 25  | 65  | 5  | Black  | 42  | 37  | 14  | Hispanic  | 41  | 41  | 12  | the White and Black adults include those who report being only Jone race and ware  | not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. No answer responses not shown. See  | topline for full question wording.  | Source: Survey conducted July 13 19, 2020, among U. S. adults  | "Americans Oppose Religious Exemptions From Coronavirus Related Restrictions  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 