wfn.org | Telephoning churches often proves fruitless, research shows

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Aug. 24, 2000 News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.     10-71B{381}

By United Methodist News Service

During a typical week, telephone callers have trouble getting through to a
human being at Protestant churches, a new survey shows.  

"When we make it difficult for people to get our attention, we send a
negative message about the heart of the church while also training them to
look elsewhere during their times of need," said George Barna, president of
the Ventura, Calif.,-based Barna Research Group.

The company's findings include:

·	In researchers' attempts to reach nearly 4,000 churches during
business hours, a human being was accessible on the first attempt at only
one-third of the Protestant churches called.
·	Despite as many as 12 call attempts per church, 40 percent of the
churches never provided access to a human being.
·	The types of churches that were most difficult to reach were
African-American churches and charismatic/Pentecostal churches.
·	Although answering machines cost as little as $19, 44 percent of the
churches that never answered their telephone did not have an answering
machine.

Overall, denominations that attract the largest numbers of people also had
above-average rates of churches where someone answered the phone. United
Methodists had a response rate of 73 percent, one of the highest. Other
groups included Southern Baptist (66 percent); Evangelical Lutheran (74
percent); Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (70 percent); Lutheran Church, Missouri
Synod (65 percent); Episcopal (83 percent) and Assembly of God (62 percent).

Sheilah Kyburz, president of the Professional Association of United
Methodist Church Secretaries, said telephones are frequent topics of
conversation among members of that organization. 

"Financially, it is not possible for all churches to have someone there at
the phone all the time, but there are tools which churches can use, such as
call forwarding and answering machines," she said. Kyburz is secretary to
the bishop of the church's Minnesota Area. Regardless of the technology, she
said the key is making efficient use of it. "Even an answering machine can
be detrimental if it is not used appropriately."     

To read the full report regarding telephone access survey, visit the Barna
site at  http://www.barna.org on the World Wide Web. The Barna Research
Group Ltd. is an independent marketing research company, and it provided the
funding for the study. Since 1984, it has been studying cultural trends
related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.

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United Methodist News Service
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