A new Duke University study finds the willingness of religious congregations to welcome gays as members and place them in leadership positions has increased significantly in the past few years, Duke Today reports:

Data from the newest wave of the National Congregations Study show that from 2006 to 2012, the number of congregations accepting gay and lesbian members increased from 37.4 percent to 48 percent.

In that same six-year time frame, the number of congregations open to gays and lesbians in volunteer leadership roles rose from about 18 percent to 26.4 percent.

These and other study findings on racial diversity, informality in worship, congregation membership and related issues mirror ongoing shifts in the broader American culture, said Mark Chaves, a Duke professor of sociology, religious studies, and divinity.

However, the survey also found that Catholic acceptance for gays has decreased slightly since 2006, with Chaves telling The Huffington Post he believed the decrease may be correlated to an "increased salience" of homosexuality in the Catholic Church as evidenced by the recent firings of gay teachers in parochial schools and Catholic organizations.

Check out a video of Chaves explaining the survey's many findings, AFTER THE JUMP…