a1450 Castle Perseverance (1969) l. 1216 Chyrche-goynge þou forsake.

1541 M. Coverdale tr. H. Bullinger Christen State Matrimonye f. xlviii^v The church goyng & weddyng shulde not be differred.

1591 H. Barrow Plaine Refut. Giffardes Bk. 146 The Parrish Clarck he is..to help him at his Sacraments Marriages, Church-goings, Visitations, Dirges, Rogations at all assayes.

1621 W. Slatyer Hist. Great Britanie ix. v. 235 Altars with burnt-offrings shine, At his safe Church going.

1641 Naunton's Fragmenta Regalia (new ed.) 17 The Catholiques..were commanded by the Popes expresse letters, to appear, and forbear Church going.

1700 B. Jenks Submission Righteousness of God 27 Church-going, and Praying..have no Sufficiency, to Absolve the Guilty.

1790 F. Greville Reflection Postscr. 177 It came into my head to go through the four Gospels, in order to judge of them for and from myself, after regular church-going through life.

1820 T. Hodgskin Trav. N. Germany II. xiii. 417 Church-going is not a matter of necessity in Germany, and, in truth, few people go to church.

1860 E. B. Pusey Minor Prophets 40 ‘Charity is better than Church-going’..should..mean such Church-going as is severed from Charity.

1902 Homiletic Rev. May 470/2 It would no longer be a selfish and self-centered life on Sunday, with five or six church-goings more or less.

1954 P. Larkin Let. 29 Apr. in Sel. Lett. (1992) 226 Home was a queer mixture of hell & a rest cure, with a bit of gardening & church-going along with the big meals.

1993 Tablet 18 Sept. 1185/3 There has been a general decline in Sunday churchgoing.

1781 W. Cowper Verses by A. Selkirk 29 The sound of the church-going bell.

1844 A. W. Kinglake Eothen xvii. 274 The church-going bells..calling the prim congregation..to morning prayer.

1915 Kindergarten-Primary Mag. Jan. 144/2 It is sweet on a summer's morning..to hear the music of the churchgoing bells.

1995 TASS (Nexis) 24 Mar. The biggest bell, the 660-kilogram church-going bell, is adorned with the image of the icon of Alexander Nevsky and Russia's emblem.

1632 ‘T. T.’ Whetstone of Reproofe 31 Diuerse of his maiesties subiects, who euen at this day goe to your Churches, whom neuerthelesse you your selues hould for none of yours: but therefore doe commonly terme them Church going Papists.

1754 R. Gardiner Hist. Pudica 9 A plain good Country Housewife, and an honest Church-going Woman.

1795 S. J. Pratt Gleanings through Wales III. 231 The most church going people in this country are the worst domestics.

1812 R. H. in Examiner 22 Nov. 747/2 A religious, churchgoing, professor.

1846 Ladies' Repository Mar. 88/2 From that hour all entreaties to attend church, or mingle in church-going circles, were met with a condition.

1885 Times (Weekly ed.) 16 Oct. 15/2 A house-going clergy would make a church-going people.

1921 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 478 Roughly estimated, there are in this country fifty million persons who are of church-going families.

1972 P. O'Brian Post Captain vii. 167 The pavements were full of uniforms..church-going officers' wives in pretty mantuas.

2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 May c17/1 A..churchgoing Baptist who meditates and quotes from Hindu texts.

1785 G. A. Bellamy Apol. Life II. 85 Honest John Bull was much grieved to see his church-going wig treated with so much indignity.

1835 Q. Rev. Apr. 172/2 Her church-going dress consists of velvet, silk, and lace.

1933 Record-Argus (Greenville, Pa.) 27 May 4/6 Your traveling suit probably will be your shopping and church-going suit later.

2008 D. Sharp Mama does Time xviii. 119 Mama had her churchgoing hat on the counter, looking for missing pansies.