Beyond the Ordinary

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.

 

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

 

How much do you know about worshipers in America?

By Deborah Bruce

Think you’re an expert on congregational life?  Here’s your chance to find out how much you know.  Take our short quiz and see how you do.  Start here.  (Or find the quiz button our home page.)

You want prizes?  Sorry.  You’ll have to be satisfied with the sense of pride you get for doing well!  Or invite your friends to take the quiz.  Maybe one of them will congratulate you on your excellent score.

 

 

Who Travels Farther to Worship—New Worshipers or Long-Term Attendees?

By Deborah Bruce

How long are worshipers willing to travel to attend religious services? About half of worshipers (56%) can reach their congregation within 10 minutes, and nine in ten (88%) travel no more than 20 minutes to church.  One in ten travel even farther.

Truth or fiction? Recently I heard that long-term members often travel farther to their church than new people who began attending in the past several years. The “expert” said that long-term members might move to a new home that’s not as close to their church, but continue attending there. New worshipers, on the other hand, seek a church home that’s convenient and easy to get to. What’s the truth?

Truth: In fact this “expert” was wrong. More long-term worshipers than new attendees can get to their church in 10 minutes or less. On average, worshipers who began attending in the past five years travel farther to their church than those attending for more than five years.

What does this mean? There are a couple of implications for congregational leaders:

1. Involvement. It’s easier for worshipers to participate in congregational activities if they can get there quickly. Those who walk to church or travel a short distance can come back for mid-week activities without difficulty. The greater distances that new attendees travel to worship may contribute to their lower levels of involvement in church programs.
2. Outreach and evangelism. If your congregation focuses on inviting primarily the people who live in the neighborhood around the church, expand your vision! Don’t confuse your community service area with your evangelistic outreach area. Many community ministries will seek to serve the needs of people in the vicinity where your church is located. But your evangelistic outreach should be much broader. Current worshipers should feel free to invite all of their friends, neighbors, and other people they know. Personal relationships, not geography, build churches.

 

The Accelerators in High-Percentage-Tithing Presbyterian Churches

By Cynthia Woolever

The percentage of worshipers giving 10% or more of their income to their local Presbyterian church clearly distinguishes one church from another. Yet Presbyterian churches are demographically and behaviorally different from the average conservative Protestant congregation, where high-percentage giving is more common. Are factors like the gender ratio and participation levels associated with high-percentage-tithing in Presbyterian churches as well?

Some features of Presbyterian churches are “accelerators” for 10% giving—Presbyterian churches with these characteristics have higher percentages of tithers.

More conservative worshipers. In Presbyterian churches where more worshipers describe themselves as conservative on theological issues, more worshipers give at the 10% level. A belief in the biblical mandate to tithe is one component of a more conservative theological tradition. This is belief lived out in their actions.

More weekly attendees. In Presbyterian congregations where a larger proportion of worshipers attend weekly or more often, the percentage of tithers is also higher. Previous research shows that individuals who participate more in church services and activities also tend to be regular financial contributors. At the congregational level, increasing the engagement level of worshipers also increases the revenue generated by individual donations. Keep in mind that even when other seemingly important church factors are taken into account, this association remains.

More male worshipers. In Presbyterian churches, the gender ratio is another important factor in giving levels. When the ratio of men to women rises closer to 50/50, percentage giving at the 10% level rises too.

Larger congregations. Despite everything else, size continues to play a role. Larger congregations tend to have higher percentages of worshipers giving at the 10% level. Size is an organizational dynamic related to giving levels that represents a challenge for smaller Presbyterian churches. Larger churches have more resources, bigger agendas, and seem to attract individuals with more resources. All churches—large, small, or mid-size—can focus on the need for the giver to give rather than the needs of the church.

The Bottom Line

What can pastors and church leaders do to encourage worshipers to give generously?

• Emphasize the spiritual dimension and Biblical foundation for giving—rather than the church budget or the need to fund church programs.
• Encourage participation through meaningful worship services and activities that nurture spiritual growth.
• Foster an atmosphere that attracts all members of the family to congregational activities (for example, style of worship, diverse programs).
• Find ways to recognize every gift and every giver as important for the church’s mission. 

  

How Are Presbyterian Churches Different from Other Protestant Churches?

By Cynthia Woolever

We want to answer the question: What are the dynamics behind high levels of giving in Presbyterian churches? Before we can do that, however, it is helpful to have a better understanding of what is unique about Presbyterian churches compared to other congregations.

The table below shows a set of factors that previous research has linked to congregational giving levels. We are interested in how Presbyterian churches and worshipers differ from other mainline and conservative Protestant churches. Perhaps these differences are related to how and why Presbyterians give to their local congregation.

The first category relates to the church’s overall worshiper demographics—the ratio of males to females, the racial-ethnic makeup of the congregation, and the percent of worshipers who attend as part of a couple.[i]

Presbyterian demographics: Women make up the majority of worshipers in Presbyterian churches (63%). This is the typical pattern in churches of most Protestant traditions—women outnumber men in the pews. Most Presbyterian worshipers are white (98%). Remember that this is a national random sample. There are some PC(USA) churches where most members are racial-ethnic minorities. However, nationally these racial-ethnic churches are a small percentage of all PC(USA) churches. About half of the Presbyterian worshipers attending services say their spouse comes as well.

The second category captures information about Presbyterian worshipers’ participation patterns and beliefs:  the percentage who attend weekly or more often and how they describe themselves theologically (very conservative, conservative, moderate, liberal, or very liberal).

Presbyterian participation patterns and beliefs: In the average Presbyterian church, 78% of the worshipers report they attend weekly or more often. About half of worshipers describe themselves as very conservative or conservative on theological issues.

The third category of factors we examine in relation to congregational giving relates to congregational values. We asked worshipers to choose three aspects of their congregation that they most value (from a list of 14 items). Two values—focusing on the needs of others in the community (social gospel value) and focusing on reaching the unchurched (evangelistic concern for others)—set Presbyterian congregations apart from conservative Protestant traditions.

Presbyterian values: In the typical Presbyterian church, about equal percentages of worshipers place a high value on the community care ministries of the congregation and on reaching those who do not currently attend anywhere. Of course, in most churches one value would be higher than the other. The figures represent the average overall. Conservative Protestant worshipers tend to value evangelistic outreach to the unchurched more than worshipers in Presbyterian congregations.[ii]

The fourth category of variables relates to characteristics of the local church. The size of the congregation generally plays a role in giving levels. Size is based on average worship attendance. (Because the data are highly skewed, we use the log of church size in subsequent analyses of giving.) Another factor that is often explored in the literature is the impact of church conflict on vitality.

Presbyterian church characteristics: The typical PC(USA) congregation has about 78 people in worship. One-half of Presbyterian churches experienced minor conflict in recent years.[iii]

How are Presbyterian churches similar to other mainline Protestant congregations? The short answer is—in almost all ways. Demographically (gender ratio, racial-ethnic composition, attending with spouse) and in terms of participation and beliefs, worshipers’ values, congregational size, and amount of conflict, Presbyterian churches look strikingly similar to other mainline churches.

However, Presbyterian churches differ in big ways from the typical conservative Protestant church. Compared to conservative Protestant ones, PC(USA) churches:

• Are less likely to see worshipers attending with a spouse.
• Draw worshipers who attend services less often.
• Have worshipers with less conservative views on theological issues.
• Have lower percentages of worshipers who value reaching those who do not attend church.
• More often experience minor conflict.

Do any of these unique characteristics of Presbyterian churches make a difference in the overall giving level of these congregations? Stay tuned for the answer!

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[i] Note that the figures in Table 1 are median percentages of worshipers across all Protestant churches in the random sample and in a random sample of PC(USA) churches. 

[ii] Among the 14 items, the highest percentages of worshipers choose traditional style of worship, sermons, and sharing in Holy Communion.  

[iii] A relatively few pastors reported major conflict that resulted in the departure of worshipers and/or the pastor. The presence of minor conflict was a feature that distinguished the giving levels in congregations.