A boom in religious construction is underway across the country, according to NetFax (May 10), the newsletter of Leadership Network.
Last year, $6.4 billion was spent on new religious construction including churches, synagogues, mosques, other religious buildings and additions to existing structures. According to the Census Bureau, this represents a 64% increase between 1994 and 1998.
Early indications reveal the boom is continuing in 1999. Two key factors in the boom include the growth and expansion of existing churches over the past decade, especially in the Southern, Midwest and West Coast regions; and a renewed interest in church planting and the resulting construction of new church buildings.
A third factor is the increasing religious plurality of the nation as more and more “non- traditional” religious groups seek to secure their own worship, teaching and community facilities.