As religious practice declines, religious charities scramble for resources

Overall, religious attendance is down in America, where nearly 1 in 4 adults (24 percent) now identify as a religious “none,” according to Public Religion Research Institute. Around 6 in 10 Americans (58 percent) still believe that houses of worship contribute a “great deal” or “some” to solving social problems, but that figure has dropped 17 percentage points over the last 15 years, Pew Research Center reported.

Moving forward, faith groups and religiously affiliated charities will work to keep these trends from dulling their impact, the interfaith panelists said. They highlighted the value of interreligious cooperation, noting that each group’s outreach projects grow stronger when outside volunteers get involved.

“We love to bring people from different backgrounds and religions together,” said Zeynep Kariparduc, a Muslim woman who spoke on the panel with Kelsch. She serves as outreach and event coordinator for the Emerald Hills Institute.