'FACT' Survey Results Reveal Much about U.S. Faith Communities

NEW YORK (ELCA) -- In a report from the largest survey of congregations ever conducted in the United States, researchers said the great majority of faith communities are "vital and alive." Half of the faith communities see themselves as growing in numbers, especially those "using or blending" contemporary forms of worship and those located in newer suburbs, and faith groups are contributing significantly to their communities through social and spiritual ministries.
These results were among several findings reported byo researchers with the Hartford Institute for Religious Research at Hartford (Conn.) Seminary. Project co-directors were Carl S. Dudley, professor of church and community, and David A. Roozen, professor of religion and society. Their report, "Faith Communities Today" (FACT), was presented at a March 13 news conference here at Holy Trinity Cathedral.
The survey included questions on worship, spiritual growth, history, leadership, being inviting and inclusive, community outreach, and managing and leading. Survey funding was provided by Lilly Endowment Inc., Indianapolis, and the faith groups. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was one of 41 denominations and faith groups contributing data.
Dudley and Roozen said the survey revealed some "disturbing" information. Many congregations are committed to undertake social welfare programs, but lack the infrastructure, they said. Congregations must change, but that change can lead to conflict. They also said congregations "that enact their faith without explicit expectations for members experience less vitality and more conflict."
"The timing of this study is excellent," Dudley said. "Nationally there is an unprecedented interest in the roles of religious groups."
The survey sample included 14,301 congregations. The 41 denominations and faith groups contributing data represent about 90 percent of the worshipers in the United States.
"This report is not an end product but rather a resource that can be used to strengthen congregations," Dudley said. "Overall this survey provides a very upbeat window on the faith communities in the United States."
A key finding in the data is that more than half the congregations in the United States have less than 100 regularly participating adults, Roozen said.
"It is not that small or large is better or worse -- sizeable majorities of both large and small congregations report high levels of vitality and inspiring worship," he said. "But they do work differently. Small congregations, for instance, are less programmatic than larger congregations but more intimate."

Many other findings
Dudley and Roozen reported several additional findings from the data:
+ Three sources of religious renewal and vitality are: 1) development of indigenously American religious movements, most with Protestant roots, 2) immigration, and 3) contemporary worship, defined differently across the faith groups. Contemporary worship, measured in the survey by means of electronic instruments used in worship, is "positively related" to measures of vitality, including membership growth in Protestant congregations, Roozen said.
+ Protestant congregations that seek to change their style of worship will likely experience conflict, Roozen said. "Adaptive congregations" are able to deal with conflict.
+ Congregational cohesion comes from three sources, Dudley said. They are denominational heritage, a clearly defined vision and high standards for personal morality and community justice.
+ Beyond worship and nurture, the vast majority of congregations are contributing to their communities by providing emergency cash, food, clothing, shelter and crisis counseling, Dudley said. Often these ministries involve multiple congregations of different denominations.
+ Such outreach ministries are often located in remote or impoverished communities where such services may be limited, Dudley said. This may be a factor for faith-based programs applying for so- called "charitable choice funding," he said.
+ Religious leaders have difficulty dealing with congregational conflict, Dudley said. The researchers urged seminaries "to consider ways to help religious leaders deal with conflict constructively within denominational polities."
+ Smaller congregations, often in rural areas, tend to buy denominational materials more often than larger congregations -- a fact important to denominational publishers.
The FACT results are available on the Web. Dudley and Roozen encouraged congregations to use FACT's interactive pages to do their own analysis and compare results with other faith groups.

ELCA findings
The FACT report includes responses from ELCA congregations. In the ELCA, 832 congregations responded out of 1,000 that were randomly selected. Most of the 832 "key informants" were pastors, said Dr. Kenneth Inskeep, director of the ELCA Department for Research and Evaluation. Among the results, most ELCA congregations report that Scripture is "absolutely foundational" as a source of authority for congregational worship and teaching, while God's love and care is likely to be part of a sermon.
"We have already been able to learn a lot about the factors that lead to membership growth in ELCA congregations," Inskeep said. "We believe that this project will enhance our knowledge significantly, because it gives us the ability to do denominational comparisons."

Details of the all project findings are at http://fact.hartsem.edu on the Web. Complete ELCA findings from the project are at http://www.elca.org/re/ on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html