Pastors Report Mixed Economic Signs
Survey of 1,000 Protestant Pastors
2
Methodology
The telephone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted in May 18-25, 2011
The calling list was randomly drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Up to six calls were made to reach a sampled phone number
Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called
Responses were weighted to reflect the geographic distribution of Protestant churches
3
Methodology Continued
The completed sample is 1,000 phone interviews The sample provides 95% confidence that the
sampling error does not exceed +3.2% Margins of error are higher in sub-groups Comparisons are also made to the following
telephone surveys using the same methodology: 1,002 pastors conducted November 5-12, 2009 1,000 pastors conducted March 1-9, 2010 1,000 pastors conducted October 7-14, 2010 1,002 pastors conducted January 17-27, 2011
Survey Responses
5
The impact of the economy on churches is similar to levels in January 2011, but still more negative than 2010.
Don't know
Very nega-tively
Somewhat nega-tively
No impact
Somewhat posi-tively
Very posi-tively
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1%
8%
54%
27%
8%
2%
1%
13%
66%
16%
2%
0%
1%
9%
59%
23%
8%
1%
1%
9%
58%
24%
7%
1%
May 2011Jan 2011Oct 2010Mar 2010
Q: “How is the current economy impacting your church?”
Among Protestant Pastors
6
In 2011, over 70% of pastors report offerings either about what was budgeted or higher than budgeted.
Q: “Since the beginning of 2011, have your offerings been:”
Higher than budgeted
25%
Lower than budgeted
27%
About what we budgeted
46%
Don't know2%
May 2011 offerings compared to budget
7
Less than one in four Protestant pastors report lower offerings in 2011 compared to 2010.
Above 2010’s of-ferings;
39%
Below 2010’s of-ferings; 22%
The same as 2010’s offerings;
36%
Don't know; 4%
Q: “Compared to your calendar year 2010 offerings, have your total offerings so far for 2011 been…”
May 2011 offerings compared to 2010
8
The average change in giving for Protestant churches in 2011 is +2% but the median is 0%.
Don't know
Above by 25% or more
Above by 10 - 24%
Above by 1 - 9%
Same as 2010
Below by 1 - 9%
Below by 10 - 24%
Below by 25% or more
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
7%
2%
7%
10%
42%
11%
16%
5%
5%
4%
18%
22%
29%
10%
10%
2%
4%
3%
18%
16%
38%
6%
11%
3%
May 2011Jan 2011Oct 2010
Q: “Approximately what percentage are your calendar year 2011 offerings different from you 2010’s offerings?”
Among Protestant Pastors
9
Protestant Churches Have Noticed A Number of Changes in Their Churches
Related to the Economy
96% of pastors report that their church has experienced at least
one of the eleven changes tested
10
70% of Protestant churches are receiving more requests for assistance, and many are making efforts to meet those needs in time and money.
In-crease
d spend-
ing from the
church budget to help
the needy
More people volun-teering
their time in serving in the com-
munity
More re-
quests from
people in the com-
munity out-side your con-
grega-tion for finan-cial
assis-tance
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
45%
50%
70%
Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”
Among Protestant Pastors
11
A higher percentage have a greater sense of excitement about opportunities to minister than have a greater sense of caution about assisting.
A greater sense of cau-
tion within your con-
grega-tion
about your
church trying new
things that cost
money
A greater sense of ex-cite-ment about
the oppor-tuni-
ties to minis-ter to the
needy
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
44%
54%
Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”
Among Protestant Pastors
12
Protestant pastors report many economic impacts on the people with their church.
More people in
your congre-gation who
have lost their
homes to fore-closure
Fewer people volun-teering
because they are working longer hours
More people in
your congre-gation who have
moved away to
find work
More re-
quests from
within your con-
grega-tion for finan-
cial as-sis-
tance
More people in
your congre-gation who
have lost their jobs
More people volun-teering
their time in
church func-tions
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
15%
18%
25%
39%
48%
49%
Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”
Among Protestant Pastors
13
Churches report both an increase and a decrease in people volunteering. Less churches reporting an increase in people losing their jobs.
More people volun-teering their time
serving in the com-
munity
More people volun-teering their
time at church func-tions
Fewer people volun-teering
be-cause they are
working longer hours
More people in your con-
grega-tion who have lost their jobs
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
44%
41%
14%
56%
50%
49%
18%
48%
May 2011Nov 2009
Note: All differences shown are statistically significant at the 5% level.
Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”
Among Protestant Pastors
14
More than 3 in 4 Protestant churches have seen changes in at least three of the categories in the last year.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9+0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4%8% 10% 13% 14% 17%
12% 9% 7% 6%
Number of Positive Responses to Individual Changes
Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”
Among Protestant Pastors
15
Doing More With Less ….
Nearly half of Protestant churches are freezing salaries and making
rather than buying, but around 1 in 4 have launched a new ministry to help
the disadvantaged.
16
Actions churches have taken in response to the economy in May 2011 are very similar to actions in November 2009.
Reduced insurance benefits for
staff
Laid off one or more
employees
Reduced staff
salaries from last year’s levels
Delayed hiring that
was planned
Delayed construc-
tion or other large capi-
tal ex-penses that
were planned
Launched a new min-
istry to help people who are disad-vantaged
Explored starting a new min-
istry to help people who are disad-vantaged
Made or done more
things yourselves as a con-gregation
rather than buying as
many products or
services
Held staff salaries at last year’s
levels
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
5%
5%
11%
8%
14%
24%
31%
40%
49%
6%
7%
9%
10%
15%
26%
30%
49%
47%
May 2011Nov 2009
17% None of these
Q: “Have the recent problems in the economy caused your church to take any of the following actions?”
Among Protestant Pastors
Significant difference at 5% level
17
Over two-thirds of Protestant churches have taken two or less of the actions suggested. 57% have taken no more than one of the economic actions.
0 1 2 3 4 5+0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
17%
26% 25%
16%10%
7%
24%
33%26%
11%4% 2%
AllEconomic
Number of Positive Responses to Individual ActionsNOTE: The following two choices were removed to establish the list of economic actions.(a) Explored starting a new ministry to help people who are disadvantaged(b) Launched a new ministry to help people who are disadvantaged
Q: “Have the recent problems in the economy caused your church to take any of the following actions?”
Among Protestant Pastors
18
“How is the current economy impacting your church?”
• Protestant pastors of churches with attendance of 250 or more are least likely to be very negatively (3%) and most likely to be somewhat positively (14%) impacted by the current economy.
• Churches with Protestant pastors having a graduate degree are less likely to be somewhat negatively impacted (61% to 54%) by the current economy than churches with pastors having at most a Bachelor’s degree.
19
“How is the current economy impacting your church?” continued
• Protestant pastors age 18-44 are most likely to state the economy has had no impact on their church (37%).
20
“Compared to your calendar year 2010 offerings, have your total offerings so far for 2011 been…”
• Churches with larger attendance, 100-249 (49%) and 250+ (47%), are more likely to have increased offerings from 2010 compared to smaller churches, 0-49 (23%) and 50-99 (34%). The smallest churches, attendance of 0-49, are least likely to have increased offerings in 2011.
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“Compared to your calendar year 2010 offerings, have your total offerings so far for 2011 been…” continued
• Churches with Protestant pastors having a graduate degree are more likely to have increased offerings (41% to 34%) and less likely to have lower offerings (20% to 25%) than churches with pastors having at most a Bachelor’s degree.
• Pastors identifying themselves as “mainline” are more likely to have increased offerings (45% to 38%) compared to pastors identified as “evangelical”.
22
Protestant pastors’ views on the impact of the economy on their church by budget status
Very n
egatively
Somewhat n
egatively
The eco
nomy
has had n
o impact
on m
y ch
urch
Somewhat p
ositive
ly
Very p
ositive
ly0%
40%
80%
Lower than budgeted About what we budgeted Higher than budgeted
“How is the current economy impacting your church?”
Among Protestant Pastors
23
• 91% of pastors of churches that currently have offerings lower than budget state the economy is negatively impacting their church.
• Conversely, 82% of pastors who state the economy is having a positive impact have current offerings either higher than or about equal to budget.
• Of pastors who state the economy is having no impact on their church, 93% have 2011 offerings either higher than or about equal to budget.
Protestant pastors’ views on the impact of the economy on their church by budget status
Pastors Report Mixed Economic Signs
Survey of 1,000 Protestant Pastors