Research looks at loyalty to denominations among churchgoers
by Allie Martin
February 19, 2007
(OneNewsNow.com) - - A recent survey conducted by Ellison Research examined loyalty to denominations and specific churches -- along with length and frequency of attendance -- and found that one-third of all Protestant churchgoers in the United States are not positive they will continue attending the same church in the near future.According to the survey, which polled 1,184 adults who attend a Protestant church at least once in a typical month, the average length of time adults have been attending the same church is 13.7 years. Also, the researchers found no strong differences in denominational loyalty between people in mainline and evangelical churches, but did discover distinct differences among different major denominational groups.
For example, according to Ellison Research, 52 percent of Lutherans polled said they would only consider attending a church within their current denomination. On the other hand, the survey found the least denominationally loyal churchgoers are those attending Pentecostal, Presbyterian and non-denominational churches.
Ellison Research president Ron Sellers says the data from this survey can help pastors better understand their own congregations. He observes that many pastors, when they look out at "the sea of faces" in their congregation, tend to think of that population as fixed and fairly stable.
"Whether there are 30 people there or 3,000" in that congregation, Sellers asserts, "there's a tendency [among pastors] to say ... 'this is our congregation, and I'm expecting to see the same people here next week as I do this week.'"
However, the research firm president points out, that is often not the case. "It's really important [for church or denominational leaders] to realize that you've got one-third of those people, one out of every three people, who are not necessarily fully engaged and not necessarily fully committed to coming back next week," he says.
Based on the results of the recent survey, Sellers says it would be a mistake for churches or denominations to assume a certain level of loyalty among attendees. "People tend to get into a mindset of [thinking] these are our donors, these are our churchgoers, these are our customers," he notes. "We have to continually remind people that's not necessarily so."
The church and denominational loyalty survey was conducted for Facts and Trends, a bimonthly magazine published by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
