Beyond the Ordinary

How Worshipers Feel About Gun Control

By Ida Smith-Williams[i]

A recent CBS poll shows that the number of Americans who favor stricter gun laws spiked significantly after the January shooting in Tucson that killed six people and critically injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford.  Previous polls have shown declining support for more stringent gun control.  However, in this latest poll, nearly half of respondents (47%) said gun laws should be made tougher; 36% said they should remain unchanged; and 12% said they should be relaxed. 

Gallup has asked about this topic frequently.  In 1990, more than three-quarters (78%) wanted stricter laws, but by 2010 this percent had dropped to 44%.  This downward trend in support for stricter gun laws continued despite some highly publicized shootings that occurred over the past decade. 

Jumping the Gun.  In recent years, gun sales have been increasing, membership in the National Rifle Association has grown, and there are now right-to-carry laws in over 40 states, with 20 states allowing guns in churches. 

What do worshipers think about gun laws?  In 2001 and in 2008, the U.S. Congregational Life Survey asked this question: “Do you think the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are?”  The percentage of worshipers who favor more strict gun laws declined slightly in 2008.  Nonetheless compared to national polling results, more worshipers support stricter gun laws.

Stricter gun control?  I am not surprised that many worshipers favor stricter gun control.  But I am surprised that the percent favoring stricter gun control has decreased since 2001.    There is something about the commandment “Thou shall not kill” that seems to be contradictory to being okay with lot of people having access to guns.  One pastor from Louisville, however, doesn’t see being a Christian and having firearms as a contradiction.  This pastor supports gun rights and encouraged his members to bring guns to church one Sunday.  This is, yet another sign that the gun culture is thriving.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to the community of Sandy Hook and to the nation as we try to make sense of the tragedy on Friday.

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[i] This version is an updated post of one that ran on January 25, 2011.

Who Pastors Growing Churches?

By Cynthia Woolever

The general outlines of a growing church probably won’t surprise you. Representing 25% of congregations in the United States, growing churches:

• Have fewer worshipers older than 65 years of age compared to other churches.
• Attract many new worshipers, staying ahead of member departures and deaths.
• Attract more of the unchurched or first-time worshipers.
• Offer an engaging vision for the church’s future.
• Experience some conflict as the congregation deals with change.

But is what you think you know about the pastors who lead these growing congregations true?

Not young or old. One assumption is that younger pastors, under the age of 45, serve growing or soon-to-be growing churches. As the chart below shows, that’s not true. In fact, pastors of all ages lead in growing churches! The largest age group serving growing churches are those pastors who are between 51 and 60 years old.[i]  

Overall, young pastors are a relatively small demographic group. Only 12% of pastors are 40 years old or younger. Yet one in four (26%) of these younger pastors serves as the senior or solo pastor in a growing church. That margin is even greater among pastors in their fifties, however, with almost one in three (30%) leading a growing church.

First-career or second-career?  Historically, the traditional path to ministry meant attending seminary immediately following graduation from college, university, or Bible college. Today, though, a growing number of pastoral leaders worked in another occupation before entering ministry. About 40% of pastors currently serving local churches are classified as second-career. The sad thing is these second-career pastors are overrepresented in declining churches. Our research shows that growing and stable churches have more first-career pastors (64%) than declining congregations. Given that information, it seems that growing congregations may prefer to call a first-career pastor, if all else is equal.

A new pastor or one with longer service? Another common notion is that an exciting new pastor will make the church grow—practically overnight! While the number of years a pastor serves a church is related to numerical growth, it does not fit the above assumption. Pastors in growing churches are not new to the congregation. In fact, they have served there longer, than average, than leaders in stable churches.[ii] To help a church grow, takes time—to build trust, develop allies, reach consensus about robust strategies, and achieve results.

So do pastors get the credit for church growth? While pastoral leadership is important, it’s not the only factor in church growth. When a congregation is healthy and becoming more vital in every way, there is plenty of credit to go around. All lay or clergy, who are involved in the congregation, play a part. So pastors and members alike need to acknowledge and embrace their shared responsibility in discerning what God has called the church to be and do, to make it possible for the church to offer Christ to a new generation.

 

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[i] The average time a pastor serves, across all denominations and faith groups, is five years. Average pastoral tenure varies by denomination.

[ii] The data included in this blog post comes from Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce, Leadership That Fits Your Church: What Kind of Pastor for What Kind of Congregation? (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2012).