wfn.org | Lutheran Name Recognition Increases over Five Years, Study Shows

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 26, 2001

LUTHERAN NAME RECOGNITION INCREASES OVER FIVE YEARS, STUDY SHOWS
01-176-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Between 1996 and 2001, recognition of the
Lutheran church name increased from 25 percent to 30 percent in a random
sample of the U.S. population, according to results of a study
commissioned by the Department for Communication of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     The Lutheran church was the only significant religious
denomination that increased in name recognition during the five-year
period, the study said.  Most respondents made no distinction between
the ELCA and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), the study said.
     The ELCA Identity Project, a multimedia advertising campaign aimed
at raising awareness for the Lutheran church and specifically the ELCA,
was a key factor in the name recognition increase, the study showed.
Substantial funds for the Identity Project were provided by Aid
Association for Lutherans (AAL), a fraternal benefits organization based
in Appleton, Wis., and the ELCA Church Council.  The funds were used to
create advertisements and provide matching grants to synods and
congregations, enabling them to place the advertisements with local
media organizations.
     The study was done by Parkwood Associates, Allentown, Pa., said
Kristi S. Bangert, Identity Project manager and director for internal
church communication and marketing, ELCA Department for Communication.
It included responses of 1,000 people -- chosen at random -- who were
interviewed in a national telephone survey in February, Bangert said.
     Parkwood also did an identical benchmark study in 1996, enabling
comparisons with this year's findings, Bangert said.
     "The ELCA commissioned this research to help us measure public
awareness of the Lutheran church and any change in the level of
awareness since 1996," Bangert said. "These statistics are important to
us because raising public awareness of the Lutheran church was the first
goal of the Identity Project."
     This year's study included several related findings:
     + 18- to 24-year-olds tended to mention mainline denominations
less frequently than other age groups, but between 1996 and 2001, the
percentage who identified the Lutheran Church rose from 16 percent to 24
percent, respectively.
     + When "unaided" and "aided" responses were combined, there was
significantly greater awareness of the ELCA and LCMS.  Unaided responses
were those that identified the Lutheran Church without prompting; aided
responses were those that recognized the name when presented with a list
of churches.  The combined figure rose from 28 percent in 1996 to 64
percent in 2001 for the ELCA.  The LCMS figure rose from 6 percent
recognition in 1996 to 31 percent in 2001.
     "The increase from 25 percent to 30 percent in 'unaided' awareness
of the Lutheran Church represents more than 14 million people who now
know the name 'Lutheran'," said the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director, ELCA
Department for Communication. "That's remarkable and was one of the
major goals of the Identity Project."
  "We could not have done this project without the financial support
of AAL and the funds provided by the ELCA Church Council from ELCA
reserves," he continued.  The ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop and
many churchwide units also supported the project, Shafer said.
  In addition, 80 congregations that used the Identity Project
materials mentioned attendance increases in their AAL grant reports,
Shafer said.  Worship attendance increases in those congregations ranged
from 3 percent to 78 percent, he said.
  The Identity Project used broadcast and print advertisements to
reach new audiences with information about the ELCA.  A companion Web
site, in English, is at http://www.sharingfaith.org.  Messages were
designed for different audiences depending on age, Bangert said.
  The Department for Communication also produced Spanish-language
radio and television Identity Project spots, which aired nationally. A
"seekers" Web site in Spanish, http://www.compartiendolafe.org was
created.
  At least 55 of the ELCA's 65 synods were involved in the Identity
Project, and at least 720 matching grants were provided to synods and
congregations, Bangert said.   More than 4,000 of the ELCA's 11,000
congregations were involved in the Identity Project.  The project
concluded Dec. 31, 2000, she said.
  AAL provided $1.75 million for matching grants for synods and
congregations that were involved in the Identity Project, Bangert said.
In addition, the ELCA Church Council provided nearly $3.5 million to
fund the project, including a commitment of $2 million in 1999 from ELCA
reserve funds.  Some of the $2 million was designated for the
Spanish-language materials, Bangert said.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html