Religious Organizations Industry Profile

Religious organizations in the US and Canada include more than 330,000 establishments with about 160 million members, according to the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. Large churches include Catholic, Southern Baptist, United Methodist, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Sizes of individual congregations vary greatly.

Religious organizations count billions of followers worldwide. The largest groups include Christian (33 percent of world population), Muslim (21 percent), and Hindu (13 percent), according to the CIA World Factbook. Among Christians, Catholics are the most numerous, accounting for 17 percent of world population.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by consumers' desire for spiritual growth, guidance, inspiration, and by demographics -- older Americans are more likely to attend church than younger ones. The profitability of a church depends primarily on the congregation's ability to attract members who can provide financial support. Large congregations have advantages in their ability to offer more programs and activities. Small congregations can compete effectively by maintaining stronger connections with members. About one-quarter of Americans say they attend services once a week or more, according to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Religious congregations are similar to charitable organizations, in that they solicit money in various ways to fund charitable and educational programs, often called missions or ministries. These programs most often benefit congregation members or members of the community in which the church is located. Some churches may also ...