The economic downturn is having little effect on attendance at houses of worship around O'ahu, though some are reporting a drop in contributions.

It's not like 9/11, when churches saw droves of people seeking comfort against the emotional storm. Then, 20 percent to 30 percent increases in attendance weren't uncommon, said the Rev. Dan Chun, senior pastor at First Presbyterian. His church sustained the increase, but others didn't, he recalled.

"We kept them because we shifted our lecture series to what people were going through, sermons of comfort and faith," he said.

But this year, as churches across the country draw the same or slightly more attendees after the economic upheaval, a national study in the December edition of Christianity Today reported that more than one out of four Protestants are not donating any money to the church. The study, Passing the Plate (Oxford University Press), found that evangelicals tend to give more than their brethren — though only 27 percent tithe at the full 10 percent, and 36 report giving less than 2 percent.

Here in Hawai'i, however, the Rev. Marc Alexander, vicar general of the Diocese of Honolulu, said not only have pews been packed in his recent travels to Moloka'i, but a giving campaign tied to the Roman Catholic strategic plan unveiled last February has exceeded expectations.

During the downturn, churches who were part of the pilot program for the diocese's capital campaign "hit home runs," said Alexander.

Why might attendance be up?

"During times of need, people start to assess their priorities," he said. "When times are comfortable, maybe they don't pay as much attention. During a crisis, we pay more attention to our families, etc. Our relationship with God can be taken for granted, but during tough times, maybe not."

One place of worship that is suffering from a decline in contributions is Temple Emanu-El, where its members are feeling the pinch of fewer pennies.

"We're seeing people being discretionary in their giving," said Rabbi Peter Schaktman. "There are definitely budget concerns."

However, membership seems to be holding steady there, he added — and others report the same.

"We've been blessed that attendance has maintained itself and recently, increased," said John Tilton, administrator for New Hope Christian Fellowship who measures attendance at between 9,000 to 10,000 among its five O'ahu locations. "I wouldn't want to assume (that it's tied to the downturn)."

At first glance, First Presbyterian's numbers do look as if they're on the rise for January. In comparing last January with this month, the church saw a 3.2 percent increase between 2008 and 2009, Chun said. However, the raw data revealed that the numbers showed about the same if not even a hair smaller for the entire slide of the economic downturn beginning in October, compared with the period a year earlier.

"It's not much change," Chun said.

Why is it not like 9/11?

"Then, the fear was immediate, impending doom, that we'd be attacked again and death would be instant. Today, we're facing perhaps a 'slower, painful' death," Chun said.

Calvary Chapel's pastor, Bill Stonebraker, said attendance there, too, is on the upswing: "It's not really a downturn at all. We've always had steady growth, solid attendance. ... We're not like stock market, not up and down. I know that in the Mainland, I've heard stories that giving has been cut, forcing staff changes. For us, that's steady as well."