wfn.org | Beliefs, Caring Attitude, Good Sermons Draw Church Members

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12-November-1998 
98346 
 
    Beliefs, Caring Attitude, Good Sermons 
    Draw Church Members 
 
    by Religion News Service 
 
WASHINGTON--American churchgoers cite three significant factors in their 
choice of a church -- its beliefs and doctrine, how much people in the 
congregation care about each other, and the quality of sermons, according 
to a recent poll by the Barna Research Group. 
 
    Most churchgoers listed those factors as "extremely important," the 
Ventura, Calif.-based research organization reported. 
 
    About 45 percent of adult churchgoers also said three other factors 
were "extremely important" - friendliness to visitors, involvement in 
helping the poor and the quality of children's programs. 
 
    The results were based on a random telephone survey of 1,015 adults in 
July.  The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage 
points. 
 
    The study found marked differences among churchgoers of different 
denominational backgrounds.  For instance, according to the survey, 
Catholics were less concerned than Protestants about theology and doctrine, 
quality of sermons, how much congregants cared about one another, 
friendliness toward visitors and the quality of adult Christian education. 
 
    Catholics were more concerned than Protestants about the convenience of 
service times, the length of sermons and the denominational affiliation of 
the church (specifically, whether it is Catholic or not). 
 
    People attending mainline Protestant churches - such as Episcopal, 
United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran, United Methodist and 
Presbyterian Church (USA) - ranked three factors to be of much lower 
importance than did other adults.  Those factors were convenience of 
service times, helping the disadvantaged and how far the church is located 
from their home. 
 
    Adults attending evangelical and other non-mainline Protestant churches 
placed a higher priority than others on factors such as theological beliefs 
and doctrines of the church, friendliness to visitors, helping the 
disadvantaged, quality of sermons and adult Sunday school, and how much 
congregants cared about one another. 
 
    George Barna, president of the research firm that conducted the study, 
said the distinctions detailed in the survey could be misleading. 
 
    "The most fundamental differences are those between Protestants and 
Catholics regarding doctrine and practice," Barna said.  "Apart from that, 
however, the big story is that people are people.  They want substance from 
their church, they want to make a difference in the world through their 
church and they need to feel connected to God and to other God-loving 
people as a result of their church experience." 
 
    Barna added that "people will put up with a lot" to have their primary 
spiritual needs satisfied. 
 
    "If a church does not satisfy these particular needs, people will feel 
spiritually unfulfilled and restless and probably search elsewhere for a 
church home," he said. 

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