New Survey Studies Clergy and Laity's Christian Media Use
by Allie Martin
July 10, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A new study shows that while Christian media is being used quite often, there is plenty of room for growth in terms of churches making full use of the media resources available to them. A survey conducted by Phoenix, Arizona-based Ellison Research showed that most people attending Protestant churches use Christian media. The study found that among Protestant laypeople, 78 percent listen to Christian music, 64 percent watch Christian television, 64 percent listen to Christian radio, and 55 percent watch Christian movies.
Ron Seller, president of Ellison Research, says the study demonstrates the wide reach of Christian media and proves that the Christian media niche is "definitely big business" in general. "There are huge corporate conglomerates that are publishing Christian books, releasing Christian albums, et cetera," he observes.
The study revealed that clergy use Christian media even more than laypeople, the researcher notes. For instance, among pastors and ministers, he says, 94 percent listen to Christian music, 92 percent read Christian nonfiction books, and 84 percent listen to Christian radio.
"In a lot of the types of media," Sellers explains, "Christian media use is simply part of the job for the typical pastor. I mean, if they read a magazine about running a church or about ministry, that's part of their job. That's something that they're doing for their daily bread."
On the other hand, the head of Ellison Research points out, statistics about Christian media use among the laity suggest the popularity of these media with an audience that is seeking information or entertainment. "For the typical lay person who is an auto mechanic or a journalist or a researcher, or whatever," he says, "they're not having to do that for their job. So that's entirely personal use."
For this Christian media use study, Ellison looked at 806 Protestant church ministers and 1,184 adults who attend Protestant churches at least once a month. The survey will be published in the July/August edition of Facts & Trends magazine.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
