2026 Empower & Equip Survey Results of Churches of Christ in Rural Areas and Small Towns

The Empower and Equip Initiative launched a survey in November 2025 to learn more about churches in rural areas and small towns. Surveys were completed by an elder, minister, deacon, or knowledgeable member. We are interested in how Churches of Christ currently navigate their ministries and programs for congregational health, their degree of engagement and collaboration among the local communities, and the leadership support for those congregations. 

Using data from a 2024 Church Research Council (CRC) survey—the largest ever conducted on Churches of Christ—this report analyzed responses from 2,029 congregations across 47 states. The sample was nearly evenly split between participants from rural and small-town areas and those from urban and suburban communities. The analysis revealed that notable structural and cultural differences emerged between the two groups.