From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
'FACT' Survey Results Reveal Much about U.S. Faith Communities
From
news@ELCA.ORG
Date
21 Mar 2001 14:59:04
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 21, 2001
'FACT' SURVEY RESULTS REVEAL MUCH ABOUT U.S. FAITH COMMUNITIES
01-62-JB
NEW YORK (ELCA) -- In a report from the largest survey of
congregations ever conducted in the United States, researchers said
the great majority of faith communities are "vital and alive." Half
of the faith communities see themselves as growing in numbers,
especially those "using or blending" contemporary forms of worship
and those located in newer suburbs, and faith groups are contributing
significantly to their communities through social and spiritual
ministries.
These results were among several findings reported by
researchers with the Hartford Institute for Religious Research at
Hartford (Conn.) Seminary. Project co-directors were Carl S. Dudley,
professor of church and community, and David A. Roozen, professor of
religion and society. Their report, "Faith Communities Today"
(FACT), was presented at a March 13 news conference here at Holy
Trinity Cathedral.
The survey included questions on worship, spiritual growth,
history, leadership, being inviting and inclusive, community
outreach, and managing and leading. Survey funding was provided by
Lilly Endowment Inc., Indianapolis, and the faith groups. The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was one of 41
denominations and faith groups contributing data.
Dudley and Roozen said the survey revealed some "disturbing"
information. Many congregations are committed to undertake social
welfare programs, but lack the infrastructure, they said.
Congregations must change, but that change can lead to conflict.
They also said congregations "that enact their faith without explicit
expectations for members experience less vitality and more conflict."
"The timing of this study is excellent," Dudley said.
"Nationally there is an unprecedented interest in the roles of
religious groups."
The survey sample included 14,301 congregations. The 41
denominations and faith groups contributing data represent about 90
percent of the worshipers in the United States.
"This report is not an end product but rather a resource that
can be used to strengthen congregations," Dudley said. "Overall this
survey provides a very upbeat window on the faith communities in the
United States."
A key finding in the data is that more than half the
congregations in the United States have less than 100 regularly
participating adults, Roozen said.
"It is not that small or large is better or worse -- sizeable
majorities of both large and small congregations report high levels
of vitality and inspiring worship," he said. "But they do work
differently. Small congregations, for instance, are less
programmatic than larger congregations but more intimate."
Many other findings
Dudley and Roozen reported several additional findings from the
data:
+ Three sources of religious renewal and vitality are: 1)
development of indigenously American religious movements, most with
Protestant roots, 2) immigration, and 3) contemporary worship,
defined differently across the faith groups. Contemporary worship,
measured in the survey by means of electronic instruments used in
worship, is "positively related" to measures of vitality, including
membership growth in Protestant congregations, Roozen said.
+ Protestant congregations that seek to change their style of
worship will likely experience conflict, Roozen said. "Adaptive
congregations" are able to deal with conflict.
+ Congregational cohesion comes from three sources, Dudley
said. They are denominational heritage, a clearly defined vision and
high standards for personal morality and community justice.
+ Beyond worship and nurture, the vast majority of
congregations are contributing to their communities by providing
emergency cash, food, clothing, shelter and crisis counseling, Dudley
said. Often these ministries involve multiple congregations of
different denominations.
+ Such outreach ministries are often located in remote or
impoverished communities where such services may be limited, Dudley
said. This may be a factor for faith-based programs applying for so-
called "charitable choice funding," he said.
+ Religious leaders have difficulty dealing with congregational
conflict, Dudley said. The researchers urged seminaries "to consider
ways to help religious leaders deal with conflict constructively
within denominational polities."
+ Smaller congregations, often in rural areas, tend to buy
denominational materials more often than larger congregations -- a
fact important to denominational publishers.
The FACT results are available on the Web. Dudley and Roozen
encouraged congregations to use FACT's interactive pages to do their
own analysis and compare results with other faith groups.
ELCA findings
The FACT report includes responses from ELCA congregations. In
the ELCA, 832 congregations responded out of 1,000 that were randomly
selected. Most of the 832 "key informants" were pastors, said Dr.
Kenneth Inskeep, director of the ELCA Department for Research and
Evaluation. Among the results, most ELCA congregations report that
Scripture is "absolutely foundational" as a source of authority for
congregational worship and teaching, while God's love and care is
likely to be part of a sermon.
"We have already been able to learn a lot about the factors
that lead to membership growth in ELCA congregations," Inskeep said.
"We believe that this project will enhance our knowledge
significantly, because it gives us the ability to do denominational
comparisons."
Details of the all project findings are at
http://fact.hartsem.edu on the Web. Complete ELCA findings from the
project are at http://www.elca.org/re/ on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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