Beyond the Ordinary

What are the consequences of clergy turnover? (Part 2)

By Cynthia Woolever

Sometimes pastors leave a congregation because of conflict. What is the conflict about? One out of three pastors whose church had experienced conflict in the past two years reported leadership style as a source of conflict. But other disagreements erupt into conflict around church finances, changes in worship services, or renovating or building new facilities. Our national study of congregations included churches and parishes that participated in 2001 and again in 2008, giving us the perfect opportunity to look at conflict and clergy turnover.[i]  

One in four congregations reported church conflict that led to a pastor’s departure. None of the congregations with the same key pastoral leader in 2008 as in 2001 reported a leader departure related to conflict. However, 26% of churches with different pastors in 2008 said the church had experienced a conflict that led a pastor or minister to leave in the past five years. (We did not ask additional questions about the nature of the conflict.[ii])

One in ten pastoral leaders serving their congregation since 2001 report conflict that led to a church split. We also asked church leaders if the congregation had experienced a major conflict that led to a church split. In churches with the same pastor in 2008 as in 2001, 11% reported a church split in the past five years because of conflict. None of the churches with a new pastor reported a similar event.

Congregations with a different pastor in 2008 experience minor conflict more often than churches that retained the same pastor. Conflict is much rarer in congregations with the same pastor in 2008 as in 2001. Two out of three pastors who arrived in their congregation sometime since 2001 reported some minor conflict. New leadership always means change and some adjustment for members. However, we also discovered that fewer pastors who were new in 2008 reported some form of major conflict (only 24% did) compared to pastors who had been in the same congregation since 2001 (35% reported major conflict).¹

Conflict is part of church life. People of faith will always disagree. The question is: How can we prevent those disagreements from growing into major fights. These results confirm that when conflict is not resolved there is the potential for members or the pastor to leave. Departures rarely solve the underlying issues. Departures also rob people of faith of the opportunity to practice peacemaking skills.

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[i] Based on responses to the Leader Survey, completed by a sample of 108 pastoral leaders whose congregations participated in the 2001 and 2008 U.S. Congregational Life Survey. The survey question about conflict asked about conflict in the past two years.

[ii] Based on responses to a Congregational Profile, completed by a key informant in each congregation. The survey question asked about conflict in the past five years.

 

What Are the Consequences of Clergy Turnover?

By Cynthia Woolever

Pastors serve a congregation, on average, about five years before leaving for another call. The amount of time pastors remain in any single position varies greatly by their denominational affiliation, career stage, theological training, and church setting. Because the U.S. Congregational Life Survey included congregations that participated in the national study in 2001 and again in 2008, we can explore the congregational consequences of a change in pastoral leadership.

About half of the congregations experienced a pastoral transition between 2001 and 2008. Conservative Protestant churches were the least likely to experience a pastor turnover—only 29% of these churches welcomed a new senior or solo pastor during the past eight years. Relatively few Catholic parishes experienced priest turnover—only 36% of these parishes welcomed a different priest (senior pastor) in that period. The biggest clergy turnover occurred among mainline Protestant churches. Two-third of these churches received a new senior or solo pastor during the past eight years.  

Clergy turnover is associated with numerical decline for mainline Protestant churches. Many mainline Protestant churches that experienced a pastoral transition during the eight-year period (2001 to 2008) also declined in size. Mainline Protestant churches that lost their 2001 pastor lost an average (median) of about 16 people in worship between 2001 and 2008. On the other hand, those mainline Protestant churches that retained their pastor reported almost no change in worship attendance. About seven out of ten churches with new pastors in 2008 reported a decline in worship attendance. In contrast, about half of churches with the same pastor reported worship attendance declines.

The relationship between clergy turnover and growth or decline is less clear in conservative Protestant churches. However, conservative Protestant churches that lost their 2001 pastor actually increased their worship attendance by an average of almost 18 attendees. Those conservative Protestant congregations that retained their pastor declined slightly in size. Their average worship attendance declined by about five attendees. Nevertheless, two-thirds of conservative Protestant churches with the same pastor declined in worship attendance between 2001 and 2008. In contrast, only four in ten conservative Protestant churches headed by a different pastor in 2008 also reported worship attendance declines.

Pastoral turnover is unrelated to growth or decline in Catholic parishes. In Catholic parishes, a change in the leadership was not related to any change in worship attendance. About 86% of Catholic parishes were smaller in 2008 compared to 2001 regardless of whether there was a change in the head priest.

Do pastoral turnovers create numerical decline? Well, it’s complicated. Many factors play a role in decreasing or increasing worship attendance and diminishing or growing church vitality. Research indicates that longer tenures give pastors more time to build relationships, lead through a period of change, and resolve long-standing conflict. The time between the departure of one pastor and the arrival of the next can be a “down-time” when mission and programs grind to a halt. It can take a new pastor several years to reinvigorate members’ energy and investment in congregational life after such a period. Sometimes the numerical decline precedes the pastor’s departure. Clergy often leave congregations when conflict, resistance to change, and diminished ministry opportunities discourage them. Finally, the picture above does not capture the quality of pastoral leadership. The consequences for the congregation are quite different when an effective leader departs versus when an ineffective pastor leaves for a new call.

 

Congregational Conflict: Increasing or Decreasing?

By Deborah Bruce

A recent post noted that congregational conflict is relatively common. Has that always been true? We asked a similar sample of pastors about congregational conflict in 2001. Let’s see what was going on back then.

Conflict is somewhat more common today. In 2001, three in ten pastors saw no conflict in their congregation. By the fall of 2008 and the spring of 2009, the proportion decreased to two in ten. The good news is that most pastors who see conflict describe it as minor.

More conflict about the congregation’s finances. In only one area did reports of conflict increase substantially—congregational finances. That’s not surprising given that the second survey took place at the beginning of the recent recession. With the worsening economy, many congregations have faced financial difficulties, and those struggles can often lead to disagreements.

Less conflict about worship. Fewer pastors now recount conflict related to changes in worship or music styles. Have congregations ceased exploring variety or new elements in worship? That’s unlikely. In fact, in the 2008/2009 survey, two in ten congregations reported starting a new worship service in the previous five years, and almost as many changed the style of a worship service. Yet financial issues lead to more conflict these days.

Leadership remains a common topic of conflict. The pastor’s leadership style topped the list of conflict sources in 2001, as it does today. Nonetheless, large majorities of pastors (89%) and worshipers (85%) agree that the pastor is a good match for the congregation.

New Religious Census Released—Time to Meet Your Neighbors

By Deborah Bruce

Just released, the 2010 Religious Congregations and Membership Study (RCMS) is the closest thing to a religious census in the United States. Data collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) include statistics for 236 religious groups.  In 2000, only 149 groups took part, which makes the 2010 statistics the most comprehensive to date. The RCMS provides information on the number of congregations and adherents of each of these religious groups within every state and county in the United States.

Religious membership is available by zipcode, city, state, county, or metro area. Reports also show the numbers who are “unclaimed”—that is they are not members of any of the 236 religious groups that participated.

The religious landscape differs greatly across the United States. Here, for instance, is the picture for Birmingham, Alabama:

You can see that evangelical Protestants (sometimes called conservative Protestants) make up the biggest group. Also, notice that the number of evangelical Protestants exceeds those who are “unclaimed”—there’s a reason they call it the Bible Belt!

Contrast that to the picture in Salt Lake City, Utah:

Here you can see that “others” outnumber all other groups. In the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church), that group predominates.

Take a minute to explore the religious landscape in your area.  

Other resources about location:

• Places of Promise: Finding Strength in Your Congregation’s Location—book based on U.S. Congregational Life Survey results related to location
• Finding Strength in Your Congregation’s Location—myths about context
• Study guide for exploring your congregation’s connection to its God-given location
• Community Profile Builder—helps church leaders access free online information about their community

 

Congregational Conflict: Worshipers’ Views

By Deborah Bruce

A previous post examined congregational conflict from the pastor's point of view. Today, we’ll look at what worshipers say about the topic.

Few worshipers have seen conflict. Almost one-half of worshipers (47%) report no conflict in their congregation in the past two years, and another two in ten (21%) don’t know if there has been any conflict. That leaves just one-third (32%) who are aware of congregational discord.

Fewer worshipers than pastors are aware of congregational conflict. Eight in ten pastors (79%), but only one-third of worshipers (32%), report that their congregation faced any conflict in the past two years. Why might this be so?

Church size plays a role. More worshipers in small churches than in larger ones report conflict in their church. In churches that average 100 or fewer in worship, a slight majority of worshipers (56%) knew about a conflict, whether major or minor. But in the largest churches with more than 350 in worship only half as many (26%) were aware of conflict. Rather, three-quarters of worshipers in large churches (74%) say there’s been no conflict or simply don’t know.

In smaller churches more worshipers are involved in more ways in the church’s activities and more hold leadership positions in the church. This involvement exposes them to the good and bad sides of church life. Thus, many worshipers in small churches share the pastor’s view from a standpoint that makes church conflict visible.

In larger churches worshipers may participate in worship without engaging in other aspects of congregational life. Sunday-only worshipers have little knowledge of what happens behind the curtain to keep the church alive. These unengaged worshipers are sheltered from conflicts that might pop up—conflicts that the pastor cannot miss.

 

What is the Good News?

By Cynthia Woolever

Easter reminds us to continue to hope—even when the evidence at hand doesn’t support that belief. We’ve been tracking the big trends for congregations for the past decade. We try to highlight the ways congregations show strength and resiliency. Let’s face it—it has been a difficult decade for churches and for our country. Is there any good news?

Congregations are doing more for their community and those in need. We used seven indicators to explore what worshipers were doing for others.

• One in four worshipers (26%) were involved in social service or advocacy groups through their congregation back in 2001. By 2008, one in three worshipers (32%) reported involvement in such congregational efforts.
• Slightly more worshipers (28%) said they were involved in social service or advocacy groups outside their congregation (for example, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross) back in 2001. The percentage of worshipers reporting involvement in community groups rose 14 percentage points (to 42%) by 2008!
• Two out of three worshipers in 2001 (66%) said they contributed to a charitable group (other than their congregation), but by 2008, three out of four worshipers reported contributing to such groups.
• More worshipers in 2008 than in 2001 valued their church’s (a) community care and advocacy efforts and (b) its openness to social diversity.
• More worshipers also reported in 2008 that they worked with others to solve a community problem in the past year than did in 2001.
• Finally, 84% of worshipers said they voted in the 2008 presidential election (up from 71% for the 2000 election).

Are these dramatic results “real” change between 2001 and 2008? Or do these percentages just show something that came up when worshipers in two different groups of churches were compared?

A small random sample of congregations participated in our research project back in 2001 and agreed to participate again in 2008. Information from this subset of churches provides a rare opportunity to look at real change over time—because the congregations are the same. When researchers draw new samples to track change, there is always the question of whether the observed change is due to different samples.

By analyzing the results from our repeating congregations, we can confirm that worshipers are doing more for others today than in 2001. The results for the smaller sample are slightly less dramatic but still statistically significant. Mainline Protestant worshipers especially led the way in increasing their engagement with others to make a difference for others in their community.

In a news report covering the damage from a recent tornado the anchor remarked, “The disaster relief efforts have been amazing. We’ve had some teams arrive even before the churches got here!” The statement points to the public perception that people in need can depend on churches and people of faith to take action in the face of disaster. Congregations and their worshipers have earned that reputation in community after community, year after year. That is good news!     

 

 

Worshipers’ Experiences in Fast Growing PC(USA) Congregations

By Joelle Kopacz

Most mainline Protestant denominations have been losing members (including the ELCA, the Episcopal Church, and the PC(USA)).  Yet some mainline Protestant congregations are still growing in the face of this widespread membership decline.  In 2011, worshipers in more than 100 fast growing PC(USA) churches participated in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey.  They reported on their spiritual growth, congregational involvement, experiences in worship, and perceptions of church leadership.  (Fast growing congregations were selected based on significant growth in worship attendance between 2004 and 2009 relative to other PC(USA) congregations.)  By comparing survey data from worshipers in fast growing PC(USA) congregations with 2008/2009 data collected from worshipers in a random sample of PC(USA) congregations, what can we learn about the characteristics of growing mainline Protestant churches?

 Worshipers feel spiritually fed in fast growing congregations.  Nearly four in ten PC(USA) worshipers in fast growing congregations (38%) experienced much growth in their faith in the past year, growth that came primarily through their congregation.  Only three in ten worshipers in the random sample of PC(USA) congregations (31%) experienced this same growth in faith.  While 31% of worshipers in the random sample of PC(USA) congregations “strongly agree” that their spiritual needs are being met in their congregation, 39% of worshipers in fast growing PC(USA) churches report this level of spiritual fulfillment from their congregation.  (Most of the rest in both groups “agree” that their spiritual needs are being met.)

More worshipers in fast growing congregations express satisfaction with the children/youth programs.  While a majority of worshipers in the random sample of PC(USA) churches are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with children’s programming (59%), two-thirds in fast growing PC(USA) churches are (67%).

More worshipers in fast growing congregations experience enriching worship.  More worshipers in fast growing PC(USA) churches than in the random sample of PC(USA) churches “always” or “usually” experience the following in worship: a sense of God’s presence (80% of worshipers in fast growing congregations, compared to 76% in the random sample); inspiration (78%; 74%); awe or mystery (25%; 20%).  In fast growing PC(USA) congregations, fewer worshipers experience boredom (29% experience it “always,” “usually,” or “sometimes,” compared to 35% in the PC(USA) random sample of worshipers) and frustration (26%; 30%).

The sense of belonging excels in fast growing churches.  Over half of worshipers in fast growing PC(USA) congregations (51%) feel a strong and growing sense of belonging to the congregation, while only 45% of worshipers in the random sample of PC(USA) congregations do.  Over one-third of worshipers in fast growing PC(USA) congregations (35%) participate in the activities of the congregation more now than they did two years ago, compared to 30% of worshipers in the random sample of PC(USA) churches.  The importance of worshipers’ sense of belonging should not be underestimated.  After giving up on church for a decade in early adulthood, author and speaker Christian Piatt names the sense of belonging he found in a church community as one of the main reasons he began attending church again.  

Worshipers in fast growing PC(USA) churches experience congregational life differently when compared to worshipers in typical PC(USA) congregations.  In an upcoming blog post we will talk about two more characteristics of fast growing PC(USA) churches that really set them apart from the crowd: empowering leadership and a future-oriented focus.

 

How Do Congregations Handle Conflict?

By Deborah Bruce

In the last post, we looked at the extent and causes of congregational conflict. What have we learned from our research about how congregations deal with conflict?

Handling minor conflict is no big deal. The most common way congregations deal with minor conflict is through their usual approach to decision making (reported in 52% of congregations experiencing minor conflict). One-quarter held a congregational meeting to deal with minor conflict.

However major conflict calls for major tactics. Far fewer congregations experiencing major conflict relied on their normal procedures (21%). One-third used each of two other methods to address the situation: meeting with a denominational committee or official (36%) and calling a congregational meeting (34%). Major conflict more often than minor conflict results in use of a conflict resolution program or resources (18%) or a specialized consultant who helps congregations in conflict (11%). Though not common, only congregations in the midst of major conflict report that worshipers left (9%).

What matters? The good news is that major conflict is relatively uncommon. If your congregation should be in that situation, know that you can draw on many conflict-resolution resources and employ a variety of ways to deal with conflict.

Resources for dealing with conflict:

Moving Your Church Through Conflict

Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into Collaboration

How to Prevent and Resolve Conflict

 

 

Congregational Conflict: Common or Uncommon?

By Deborah Bruce

Has your church ever experienced conflict? Perhaps people disagreed about budget priorities, a speaker for a special event, a change in worship schedules, or even the color of the carpet! If so, you’re not alone. Was it so severe that people—or even the pastor—left? That’s relatively rare.

Church conflict is common. Eight in ten pastors (79%) report that their congregation faced conflict in the past two years. In most cases the conflict didn’t escalate beyond minor (56% of pastors report minor conflict). Yet one-quarter of pastors serve congregations where the discord grew and was termed “major”—sometimes so severe that a church leader or worshipers left. This pattern remains about the same regardless of church size or faith group.

Leadership and finances top the list of conflict topics. Pastors indicated which of 13 possible sources of conflict described the situation in their church. Pastoral leadership style and finances emerged as the most common issues. About three in ten pastors report conflict in each area.

The sources of major and minor conflict differ. What caused the disagreement varied dramatically, though, based on whether it was described as major or minor conflict. Where the conflict was minor, pastors mentioned finances, building and renovation issues, and pastoral leadership style most often (each by more than 20% of pastors in churches experiencing conflict). Yet pastoral leadership style contributed to the conflict in one-half of churches experiencing major conflict.

Building issues and changes in music styles lead to more minor than major conflict. Leadership issues such as pastoral leadership style, lay leadership style, conflict between staff and/or clergy, and women in leadership positions in the congregation more often contribute to major conflict.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on how congregations handle conflict.

Other looks at congregational conflict:

Faith Communities Today

National Congregations Study

 

Weighty Issues

By Joelle Kopacz

Last year Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, introduced a holistic health plan for his congregation called “The Daniel Plan.”  This health plan came on the heels of Pastor Warren’s realization that many people in his congregation were overweight—including him.  Unfortunately, Rick Warren has not been the only pastor to struggle with weight issues.  Cynthia Woolever revealed that most senior/solo pastors from a random sample of congregations across the country are overweight or obese; in step with or exceeding the risk for health problems that average Americans face.  Even though associate pastors have different ministry roles and responsibilities than senior/solo leaders, are they equally weighty?  To answer this question, we’ll look at the health of associate pastors in this same random sample of congregations. 

Most male and female associate pastors are overweight.  One indicator of general health is maintaining a body weight in appropriate proportion to height.  Male associate pastors weigh a median of 200 pounds, and have a median height of 5’10”.  Their median body mass index (BMI) score is 28.7.*  A BMI score of 25 or higher indicates that individuals are overweight for their height.  Thus, the majority of male associate pastors are overweight.  Female associate pastors weigh a median of 168 pounds, and have a median height of 5’6”.  Their median body mass index (BMI) score is 27.3.  While most female associate pastors are also overweight, they are slightly less so than the typical male associate leader.

More male associate pastors are overweight or obese, compared to the general U.S. male population.  The figure below compares the distribution of male and female associate pastors based on their BMI scores with the distribution for the U.S. population in four categories: underweight (BMI scores of less than 19), normal weight (BMI scores between 19 and 24.9), overweight (BMI scores between 25 and 29.9), and obese (BMI scores of 30 or higher).  While only 72% of American males are overweight or obese, 85% of male associate pastors fall into this category.  Fully 41% of male associate pastors are obese according to their BMI scores (compared to 32% of the male general population).

Two-thirds of female associate pastors and women in the general U.S. population are overweight or obese.  Female associate pastors are about as likely to be at a normal weight as the typical American female (33% vs. 37% for the general population).  They are less likely to be obese (26% are) than women in the general population (36% of American women).  However, female associates are more likely to fall in the BMI overweight category than American women in general (41% compared to 28%).

It is important for everyone, not just religious professionals, to strive for excellent physical health.  If you are having trouble building exercise and a healthy diet into your daily life, take a look at these tips. 

*The body mass index (BMI) score is calculated as: BMI = weight (lb) / [height (in)]² x 703.  (BMI Source)