From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
COMMUNICATION A KEY FACTOR IN RELIGIOUS GIVING,
From
PCUSA_NEWS@ecunet.org
Date
05 May 1996 07:32:35
30-Jan-95
95019 COMMUNICATION A KEY FACTOR IN RELIGIOUS GIVING,
RESEARCHERS SAY
by Jerry L. Van Marter
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Communication between church leaders and
congregation members is an important factor in how much money
people give to their church, according to a recent study of 11,000
Christians in the United States.
The most comprehensive study ever of religious giving,
conducted by the private Search Institute, found that members who
believe they have good communication with congregational and
denominational leaders give more to their church.
The study looked at factors in religious giving in five
denominations: Asssemblies of God, Southern Baptist Convention,
Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The institute found that Assemblies of God members are the
highest givers, with average individual contributions of $628 per
year. They are followed by Presbyterians, $611; Baptists, $550;
Lutherans, $415; and Catholics, $160.
Theological beliefs are also strongly linked to religious
giving, the researchers found. Orthodox and evangelical beliefs
are "clearly associated with higher giving levels," the institute
concluded. And Protestant members who believe the primary duty of
Christians is to help others commit their lives to Jesus Christ
also give more.
Especially influential, the institute claimed, is
denominational emphasis on tithing: giving 10 percent of one's
income to the church. According to the institute's report,
Assemblies of God churches are almost unanimous in teaching that
tithing is obligatory.
The two-year study was led by Michael Donahue of the
Minneapolis-based Search Institute; Dean Hoge of The Catholic
University of America's Life Cycle Institute in Washington, D.C.;
Charles Zech of Villanova University in Philadelphia; and Patrick
McNamara of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
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For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, KY 40202
phone 502-569-5504 fax 502-569-8073
E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org Web page: http://www.pcusa.org
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