Research Report

People Joining the Seventh-day Adventist Churchin Pennsylvania and theirExperience with the Church

By Monte Sahlin and Paul RichardsonApril 2002

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The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of people are joining the Seventh-dayAdventist Church in the Pennsylvania Conference, how they happened to join the Church andwhat happened to them in the first year or two of their membership. This information can beuseful in improving the outreach, evangelism and nurture ministries of the Church.

This study was conducted by the Center for Creative Ministry for the Pennsylvania Conferenceof the Seventh-day Adventist Church with financial assistance from the Columbia UnionConference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The demographics indicate that it is verylikely an excellent sample of the kinds of people joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church inNorth America in those conferences other than the Regional Conferences and a few highly-urbanized conferences were almost all new members come from immigrant communities.

A total of 296 people are listed in the records of the Pennsylvania Conference as joining thecongregations in the conference through baptism or Profession of Faith during the year 1997.Beginning in the fall of 1999 and continuing into the spring of 2000, interviewers made contactwith as many of these individuals as possible. The interviews were conducted by telephone abouttwo years after these people joined the Church.

Interviews were completed with 215 individuals and another 25 were identified as situations inwhich an interview is not applicable. This means the response rate for this study is 81%, a verygood response rate for survey research. The data in this report are based on the 215 interviews.

Of the 25 individuals identified as not being applicable interviews, two are deceased, nine saythat they are long-term Church members who were baptized or made Profession of Faith muchearlier than 1997, and 14 have moved out of the Pennsylvania Conference and a current addressand phone number cannot be found. Of the nine individuals who identified themselves as long-term members, it is possible that some of these were rebaptized in 1997 or there may be recorderrors related to the date of their joining the Church.

A total of 56 new members could not be interviewed. Of these, 15 refused to be interviewed and11 indicated that their membership in the Adventist Church had been dropped. Another 20 areHispanic members who either speak no English or cannot now be contacted. It is possible that anumber of these have left the country. The remaining 21 new members are individuals that couldnot be contacted because no working phone number could be found for them either through theirlocal pastor, first elder or church clerk, or through searches of phone directory data bases on theInternet, or in some cases repeated attempts were made to reach them over a number of monthsand no one at their homes ever answered the phone.

Demographics of New Members

Women significantly outnumber men among the new members, by 60% to 40%. (See page 1.)This is consist with both national and regional interfaith studies which show that women inAmerica are much more likely to join a church and be actively involved in a church than aremen.

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Nearly two-thirds of the new members (59%) were born in Pennsylvania. (See page 1.) This issignificant because the state of Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of residents born in thestate among the 50 states in the U.S.A. It consists largely of deeply-rooted individuals who havelived in their local communities for a long time, often for several generations. Adventistevangelism across America tends to get its largest response from among newcomers who haverecently moved into a community, so this characteristic could be a barrier to evangelism inPennsylvania. Yet, the evidence is that the Pennsylvania Conference is winning significantnumbers of native-born residents.

At the same time, one in five new members (19%) are immigrants, born as citizens of a countryother than the U.S. (See page 1.) This is double the rate for the general population inPennsylvania and indicates that the Church is growing faster among immigrants than among thenative-born.

Reaching New Generations

Most of the new members (58%) are in the Baby Boom and Baby Bust (“Gen X”) generations,adults now 26 to 56 years of age. (See page 2.) Five generations of Americans make up thedemographic and cultural dynamics of the nation today.

1. The World War II generation born before 1925, now over 78 years of age, they were 17 to40 on Pearl Harbor Sunday. It includes Billy Graham, Ann Landers, Lee Iacocca, JimmyStewart, Joe DiMaggio and Walt Disney. They have been good soldiers, loyal workers,institution-builders. They came home from a World War that they won and defined “normalcy”in the 1950s after two decades of upheaval and uncertainty.

2. The Swing generation born from 1925 through 1945, now 57 to 77 years of age, grew upduring the depression and World War II. It includes Elvis Presley, Phil Donahue, WalterMondale, Gary Hart, Andy Warhol, Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson. This generation hasnever had one of its cohort in the White House, but has dominated the Congress since 1980. It issmall in number and generally less aggressive or expressive than either the World War II orBaby Boom generations.

3. The Baby Boom generation born from 1946 through 1964, now 38 to 56 years of age, grewup during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations and the Watergateaffair. It includes Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Spike Lee, Steven Jobs, Jane Pauley, Woodwardand Bernstein, and David Letterman. Raised on television, the space program, “Rock” music,this generation continues to live with massive change every step of the way.

4. The Baby Bust or 13th generation (often called “Gen X”), born from 1965 through 1976,now 26 to 37 years of age, grew up during the abortion debate, Iran hostage crisis, long lines atgas pumps, Challenger space shuttle explosion, and the collapse of Communism. It includesMike Tyson, Mary Lou Retton, Brooke Shields, as well as a lot of people whose names are notwell known yet. It is small in number and has been the subject of much harsh criticism in the

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popular media, and now these younger adults are moving into the prime parenting years, formingfamilies of their own.

5. The Millennial generation (sometimes called “Gen Y”), born from 1977 through 1994, now8 through 25 years of age, is growing up accustomed to the Internet and the explosion of hightechnology, a time of great diversity and as witnesses to the tragic events of September 11, 2001,and the resulting non-traditional warfare around the globe. These are our pre-teens, teenagersand young adults.

There are significant numbers of unchurched Americans among the three younger generations,and negative attitudes toward institutions, including organized religion. Yet, PennsylvaniaConference congregations are having success in reaching middle-aged and younger adults fromthese generations. It is having less success in reaching teenagers and young adults.

Education and Lifestyle of New Members

Most of the new members joining Pennsylvania Conference churches (69%) have completedonly a secondary education or less. (See page 2.) Only one in five converts has a college degree.This is consistent with the occupations of new members, the largest number being “Blue Collar”workers. (See page 3.) Adventist evangelism has traditionally appealed more to Blue Collarworkers with little higher education, although among “second generation” Adventist membersborn into Adventist homes, there is a very high rate of higher education. It is more than doublethat of the general population. These differences in world view and approach to life can causeconflicts in congregations from time to time.

Three in five of the new members (61%) are married. (See page 3.) This is consistent with thegeneral population, but a smaller percentage than the Adventist Church membership. One inseven new members (15%) are divorced or separated, which is also consistent with the generalpopulation.

Religious Background of New Members

Converts are being drawn from a more active religious background than is typical for Americanstoday. Four out of five (82%) report that their parents took them to Sunday School/SabbathSchool or church as a child. (See page 4.) Seven in ten (72%) say that their parents attendedreligious services at least once a month, while long-term studies by Gallup Poll, Barna Researchand the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at theUniversity of Chicago demonstrate that only about four in ten Americans attend churchregularly.

The largest number of new members grew up in a Catholic home (27%), while almost as manygrew up in an Adventist family (26%). (See page 5.) In fact, it appears that a growing share ofconverts are former Adventists returning to the Church. In 1969, Cree Sandefur, the president ofthe Columbia Union Conference, conducted a survey of new members across the eight-state

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region, and at that time–nearly three decades earlier–only 14% of the converts grew up in theChurch. (See page 5, bottom of the page.) This may be the result of the emphasis onReconnecting Ministries in the Adventist Church since 1993, or it may indicate a pattern forconcern in which Adventist evangelism increasingly consists of “re-circulating the saints” or“talking to ourselves.”

The largest number of the spouses of new members (27%) come from mainstream Protestantbackgrounds. (See page 6.) Among the spouses, those with an Adventist upbringing remain thesecond largest group, while those from Catholic families drop to the fourth largest group. Thisindicates that it is likely that a large share of the converts coming into the Adventist Church froma Catholic upbringing have earlier married outside of Catholicism. In general, AmericanCatholics are very loyal to their church even when they disagree profoundly with the Catholichierarchy. Those who are in interfaith marriages are less likely to be loyal and often seek a “thirdplace” outside the Catholic church and the religious background of their spouse.

Pennsylvania Conference churches are winning small, but significant numbers of unchurchedconverts. (See pages 5 and 6.) About one in five grew up with no religious affiliation, which issomewhat greater than the national average. At the same time, very few new members joiningthe Pennsylvania Conference congregations come from a conservative Protestantbackground–only about one in 20. This is consistent with the general population in Pennsylvaniaand the region, but should cause a re-evaluation of the typical evangelistic methods used inoutreach which largely assume a conservative Protestant background even in such simple itemsas which Bible translation is used, what hymns are sung, etc.

First Contact with the Adventist Church

Very few of the new members first became aware of the Adventist Church during the year or twoprior to their baptism. (See page 6.) The largest number have known about the Adventist Churchfor many years. Immigrants are somewhat more likely to have first heard about the Churchrecently, as are those new members with less than a secondary education. This indicates that theprocess of winning converts requires a long-term strategy and cannot be very effective in asingle, specific event or a focused campaign of a year or two.

The majority of new members (56%) report that they first heard about the Adventist Churchthrough a friend or relative. (See page 7.) This is even more likely to be true among adults intheir 30s, as well as among immigrants and those with less than a secondary education. Olderconverts–those over 57 years of age–are more likely to report having first heard about theChurch through advertising or media ministries. Those with a college degree are more likely toindicate that they first heard about the Church through means not included on the list.

A comparison of Sandefur’s 1969 data from throughout the eight-state region with this studyindicates that the relational approach has long been the primary means for reaching new people.At the same time, more people today are hearing about the Church through public evangelismand methods not listed, while significantly fewer are being contacted through visitation,

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literature evangelism and media ministries. All of these facts demonstrate the need for theChurch to develop and implement a coherent relational strategy for outreach and evangelism,and to explore new approaches not included among the conventional set of methods.

The Decision to Join the Adventist Church

In a narrative question, respondents were asked to tell the story of how they decided to join theAdventist Church. Each story is highly personal and complex. In most cases it is a mistake tothink of one key factor because a cluster of elements were involved, and if any one of theelements had been removed it is unlikely that the person would have joined the Church. Themajority mention two, three or four key items. (See page 8.)

Attendance at public evangelistic meetings is a key element in a third of the stories (34%) andalmost as many times a specific relationship (29%) or specific doctrine or doctrines (26%) ismentioned. (See pages 8.) Life events and personal problems or specific feelings and emotionsare mentioned as key elements in about one in five stories (9% each) and almost as many speakof their bonding with the congregation during Sabbath worship (8%) or spiritual motivations(7%). Apocalyptic motivations, negative feelings about a religion that they used to belong to,advertising, print materials and media ministries were mentioned by very few converts indescribing how they came to make a decision. (See page 9.)

A concern that is often raised regarding the conventional evangelistic methods used by theAdventist Church has to do with people who are “tricked” into joining the Church throughmanipulative processes and then soon drop out. Only 5% of those interviewed indicate that theymight fall into this “not really a convert” category. This includes those who say that they wantedto be baptized, but did not want to join a church, and those who did not understand at the timethat by agreeing to be baptized they were also agreeing to join the local church, and those whosay they simply went along with social pressure from family and friends, and those who reportthey quit attending immediately after baptism.

What Attracts Converts?

After listening to the narrative description of how each new member decided to join theAdventist Church, the interviewer then asked about four factors that “attracted you to theAdventist Church.” The new members responded to each of the four items by indicating if itprovided little or no attraction, some attraction or much attraction in their minds.

Four out of five new members (77%) say that “the truth and beauty of the Church’s teachings”provided much attraction for them, while almost none report that it provided little or noattraction. (See page 9.) New members from the Baby Boom generation are more likely to saythat the Church’s teachings had much attraction for them, as are immigrants. New members fromthe Millennial generation are more likely to say it provided little or no attraction for them, as arethose with a graduate degree.

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The majority of new members (55%) say that “the warmth and friendship of church members”provided much attraction for them, while less than one in ten (9%) say that it provided little orno attraction. New members from the Millennial generation are more likely to say this item hadmuch attraction for them, as are those with a graduate degree.

Half the new members report that “the charisma of the pastor or evangelist” (51%) and “my ownneeds and personal situation” (49%) provide much of the attraction for them to join theAdventist Church. New members with a graduate degree are more likely to say this about thecharisma of the pastor/evangelist, while immigrants are more likely to say this about their ownpersonal needs and situation.

After reviewing these four items, the interviewers asked each new member, “Was theresomething else not in the list that I just read that was a strong attraction for you to join theAdventist Church?” One in five of the respondents answered this question, but an analysis ofthese responses reveals that most (28 of 43) simply re-stated in different words one of the fourkey items in the list.

A total of 15 respondents (about 7%) actually added to the list. Half of these additional responsesinvolve mentions of a specific church ministry which was important in the conversion of the newmember. A third mentioned inner, spiritual motivations. One new member listed a mediaministry. One woman “felt tricked into joining. An Andrews University student asked her to signa baptism card and she did not know what she was agreeing to. But now, she’s glad she’s amember” of the Church.

Major Life Events and Conversion

Prior research, both in other denominations and interfaith studies that include Adventists in thesample, has revealed the fact that people who join a church have high levels of stress using theHolmes-Rhae Scale of anxiety-producing life events. In this study we tested this hypothesis byasking about twelve of the most powerful life events, “Please tell me if any of these thingshappened to you during the 12 months prior to the time you decided to join the AdventistChurch.”

The majority of the new members did not have high levels of stress during the year prior to theirdecision to join the Church. At the same time, about a third did experience high levels ofanxiety-producing events and half say that “my own needs and personal situation” were keymotivations for their decision.

One in seven new members (15%) experienced the death of a loved one during the year prior totheir decision to join the church. (See page 10.) Almost as many (14%) report a serious illness orinjury, (13%) financial problems, (12%) getting married, or (12%) moving into the community.This last item is perhaps the most surprising, in view of research which shows that a very highpercentage of Adventist converts are among newcomers in the community. Pennsylvania may bean exceptional case due to the high percentage of new members who were born in the state.

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One of the ways that Adventist congregations in Pennsylvania can reach more potential newmembers is through ministries that bring them into contact with people experiencing anxiety-producing life events. Clearly other denominations and megachurches are reaping large numbersbecause of this factor, and significant numbers will join the Adventist Church if it responds tothe same needs. The Adventist Church does not have to let go of its successful focus on doctrinesin order to open up new fronts for evangelism among those who are motivated more by personalneeds and life situations than by doctrinal study. In the end, by working on more than one front,larger numbers of people will be reached with the Adventist message and mission.

Returning Dropouts

Nearly a third of the new members (29%) have previously joined the Adventist Church and thendropped out. (See page 11.) New members from the Baby Boom generation and the Baby Bustgeneration are more likely to be dropouts, as are those with a college degree. In fact, two in fiveof the new members from the Baby Boom generation (41%) are returning Adventist dropouts.The majority of immigrants joining the Church (56%) are former Adventists.

The vast majority of these returning dropouts (79%) first joined the Adventist Church as childrenor young adults. (See page 11.) Only one in five (21%) first joined the Adventist Church whenthey were over 30 years of age. This is consistent with prior research which shows that mostdropouts come from members who are raised in the Church rather than from adult converts.

Most of the returning dropouts quit attending Church as younger adults; a third (31%) while intheir 20s and a quarter (24%) while in their 30s or 40s. (See page 12.) This confirms the priorresearch which shows the difficulty that the Adventist Church has in holding onto the youngpeople who grow up in church-related families. Most join the church as teenagers and then dropout during their early adult years. Often they return when they have children of their own.

Previous research has shown that very few of these dropouts leave because they stop believing inAdventist doctrines, and the same is true for these returning dropouts in the PennsylvaniaConference. Asked by the interviewers how they happened to quit going to church, the majorityrespond that church was not meeting their needs at the time, or they were involved in personalproblems that became overwhelming, or their marriage broke up, or there were other relationalproblems in the church or family. (See page 13.)

The small number of returning dropouts who say that they left because they do not believe inAdventist doctrine are all former members of the World-wide Church of God who left thatdenomination because of its doctrinal changes. They constitute a very small percentage of theoverall picture and have developed a pattern of changing denominations as they search for aplace that conforms to their own, specific beliefs.

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Church Attendance and Involvement of New Members

Two-thirds of the new members interviewed had attended worship on Sabbath at an AdventistChurch at least once in the four weeks prior to the interview. The majority (51%) had attendedthree out of four or each of the previous four weeks. (See page 14.) A third had not attended evenonce out of the four Sabbaths prior to the interview.

When this attendance pattern is compared to the survey of Adventist Church members inPhiladelphia taken last year as part of the Metro Initiative, clearly the new members are lesslikely to attend church regularly than are a cross-section of active members. It appears that abouthalf of the new members have achieved a “normal” attendance pattern, while half are either notattending at all or attend significantly less often than the norm for active members. (ThePhiladelphia survey was taken on Sabbath mornings in churches and included some attenderswho are not baptized Adventists. It also could not have included the 25% to 35% of the memberson most church rolls that have long since quit attending.)

At the same time, the new members are just as likely as the average Adventist across NorthAmerica or in the eight-state territory of the Columbia Union Conference to participate in smallgroup ministries or the mid-week meeting at their church. (See page 14.) Nearly two in five newmembers (38%) are doing so, which is an important tool for their spiritual formation and faithdevelopment. Teens and young adults in the Millennial generation are more likely to participatein small groups and mid-week meetings.

Yet, they are significantly less likely to hold a church office or volunteer responsibility in somechurch ministry. Again, two in five new members are involved in church ministries, but that isalmost half the “normal” rate for Adventists in the Columbia Union Conference and across NorthAmerica. This could be the result of a traditional pattern in many congregations where newmembers are not asked to take roles in church ministries. Among the new members in this study,those from the Baby Boom generation are more likely to hold a volunteer leadershipresponsibility, which indicates that perhaps it is not so much new members who are not asked toparticipate as it is younger members.

The majority of new members (53%) report that they do not have any children living in theirhome. (See page 15.) Among the nearly half (47%) who do have children, about one in four saythat they have a child enrolled in an Adventist school and about half say that they have a childwho belongs to the Pathfinder Club or Adventist Youth group.

Spiritual Growth and Mentoring of New Members

Asked about “your assurance that you have eternal life,” three out of four of the new members(76%) say they are “very certain.” (See page 15.) Those from the Baby Boom generation aremore likely to give this response, as are those with a college degree and those from an immigrantbackground. Men are more likely than women to express assurance. Young adults and teenagersare somewhat less likely to express assurance.

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Asked about “the relationship you have with Jesus Christ,” two thirds of the new members(67%) describe it as “intimate.” Again, new members from the Baby Boom generation are morelikely to express this opinion, as are those with a graduate degree and those from an immigrantbackground. Again, young adults and teenagers are somewhat less likely to give a responseindicating a strong relationship with Christ.

There appear to be significant problems in the personal mentoring of new members in the localchurches in Pennsylvania. Prior research indicates that a new member must have at least sixfriends in the congregation with which they spend time outside of church activities in order tobecome a long-term, committed member of the group. Only one in five of these new membersreports having six or more such friends in their local church. (See page 16.) A third say that theyhave no personal friend from the Church with whom they spend time outside of church activities.A quarter have only one, two or three such friends, and another 20% have only four or five suchfriends. Yet, clearly, at least a few congregations are doing well in this area; 8% of the newmembers report that they have more than 10 such friends in their church.

Evaluation of Their Local Church

The new members interviewed were asked to evaluate eight key dimensions of their local,Adventist congregation. More than three out of four (77%) give a positive evaluation to thepreaching of their pastor, with very few giving a negative evaluation. (See page 16.) About twothirds are positive in their evaluation of their pastor’s leadership, the music and style of worshipon Sabbath, and the Sabbath School. About half give a positive evaluation to the lay leadership(church board) in their congregation, the children’s and youth ministries, and the evangelisticoutreach of the church, with small, but growing numbers who give a negative evaluation. Butonly two in five give a positive evaluation to the community service activities of their localchurch. This area also gets the highest negative evaluation, and is clearly the “blind spot” inmost Adventist congregations. Teenagers and younger adults from the Millennial and Baby Bustgenerations are especially critical of this weakness.

New members were asked a specific question designed to evaluate the inclusiveness of theirlocal, Adventist congregation. Two thirds (65%) report that they find all the members of theirlocal church open and welcoming to new members. (See page 17.) Another 22% say that most ofthe members of their local church are open and welcoming, but a few are not. About one in ten(9%) say that a few members are open and welcoming, while most are not, and 4% of the newmembers report that almost no one in their local church is open and welcoming to new members.In general this is good news, but is does not overcome the lack of mentoring relationships notedabove.

How Many of the New Members Have Dropped Out?

More than one in four of the new members baptized into Pennsylvania Conference churches in1997 (28%) had quit attending or ended their Church membership within the first two years. (Seepage 17.) Young adults and new members from an immigrant background are more likely to

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drop out. This also means that 72% of those baptized or making a Profession of Faith were stillactive church members after the first two years.

Those new members who indicated that they were no longer active in the Adventist Church wereasked in the interviews, “How did you happen to quit attending?” The largest number indicatethat it has to do with personal and relational problems in their lives, often issues that are notdirectly or obviously related to their church participation. (See page 18.) A third say it is becauseof personal problems, while another 12% say it is because of their work or work-related travelschedule, and another 10% report that it is because their marriage has broken up.

Relationships at church are also key elements in losing new members. About one in five (17%)say that their local church was not meeting their needs. Another 13% report that they simplynever connected with the congregation, while another 12% felt that they did not fit in or were notaccepted by the group. One in ten mentioned problem people in the congregation which causedthem to withdraw from attendance.

There appears to be little conflict or concern regarding worship style in Pennsylvania Conferencechurches. Only 8% of the dropouts indicate that they withdrew because they did not appreciatethe style of worship in their local church. Even smaller percentages dropped out because ofchurch standards, disagreement with doctrine or conflict in the congregation. Only one personindicated that distance to the nearest Adventist church was a problem.

For about 8% of the dropouts, no reason could be identified because some of these responseswere obtained from the pastor or a church officer instead of the dropout member who could notbe contacted. One pastor reported, “Many people baptized at Leo Screven’s meetings did notunderstand that baptism meant joining the Adventist Church.” In a few other cases, the dropoutindicated that they attended church only once and then decided they did not want to join. Theydid not see baptism as actually joining the church.

What Could We Do Better?

All of the new members were asked, “What would help you feel more at home in the church?”This was an open-ended question intended to gather suggestions for more could be done by Pennsylvania congregations to meet the needs of new members, integrate them into long-termchurch membership and get them involved in church ministries. More than a third of the newmembers (35%) say that there is nothing more they can think of that could be done. (See page19.) These represent the most satisfied newcomers who are happy with all that has been done forthem.

The majority (57%) did have specific suggestions and ideas that would help them and other newmembers feel better about their membership in the Adventist Church. The largest number ofsuggestions (25%) expressed a wish for a more accepting atmosphere in their congregation; canwe do more to overcome judgmental and exclusive feelings and make newcomers feel more atease and welcome? About 15% listed specific program changes they would like to see, such as

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changes in worship style and more effective community services. About 7% feel a need for morepersonal ministry, including help with specific personal needs and problems. About 6% wantexpanded children’s and youth ministries in their local church. (Some of the congregations inquestion may have almost nothing along these lines due to their small size.) Significant numbersuggested that the local church should be more visible in the community, that the welcomeministry of the church should be strengthened, and that the pastor assigned to their local churchneeds to be replaced. Smaller numbers had other suggestions.

A few of the responses came from so few new members that we did not include them in thegraphs on pages 19 and 20. Three respondents mentioned specific issues about dress; “pantssuits,” etc. Two respondents said, “Don’t force vegetarian diet at fellowship dinners.” Tworespondents mentioned specific doctrines they do not agree with. Two respondents said,“Congregation should be more accepting of change.” One respondent said, “I need my family tojoin the church.” Another mentioned the distance to the nearest Adventist church and said hewould like an Adventist church in his community. A young adult said, “More people my age.”

All of these responses underline the very personal nature of each individual’s relationship withChrist and with the Church. Relational ministry skills are absolutely essential to church healthand growth.

1

Demographics of converts

Women60%

Men40%

Demographics of converts

Immigrants19%

Moved from another state

22%

Born in Pennsylvania

59%

2

Age of converts by generation

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

WW II Swing Baby Boom Gen X Millennial

Education of converts

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

No secondarydiploma

Secondarydiploma

College degree Graduate degree

3

Occupations of converts andtheir spouses

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Retired

Unemployed

Full-time student

Full-time homemaker

Blue collar worker

Service worker

Office worker

Prof'l, manag'l & technical

Spouses Respondents

Marital status

Married61%

Never married18%

Single & widowed6%

Separated2%

Single & divorced13%

4

Did your parents take you tochurch or Sunday School?

No18%

Yes82%

How often did your parentsattend religious services?

Every week61% At least monthly

11%

Less than monthly

28%

5

Religious background of parents

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Not a Christian faith

Other denominations

Conservative Protestant

Unchurched

Mainstream Protestant

Adventist

Catholic

Religious background of parents

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Adventist Other

1969

1997

6

Religious background of spouse

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Not a Christian faith

Other denominations

Conservative Protestant

Catholic

Unchurched

Adventist

Mainstream Protestant

When did you first hear about theAdventist Church?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Before 1950

In the 1950s

In the 1960s

In the 1970s

In the 1980s

In 1990-94

In 1995-97

7

How did you first become awareof the Adventist Church?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

All other means

Radio-TV ministry

Pastor or Bible worker

Adventist school

Print materials

Advertising

Public meeting/seminar

A friend, relative, etc.

How did you first become awareof the Adventist Church?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

All other means

Radio-TV ministry

Pastor or Bible worker

Print materials

Public meeting/seminar

A friend, relative, etc.

1969 1997

8

How did you decide to join theAdventist Church?

Number of items mentioned in response

Four6%

Two35%

Three16% One

43%

How did you decide to join theAdventist Church?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Other reasons

Spiritual motivations

Attending on Sabbath

Feeling/emotions

Life events/problems

An Adventist background

Because of doctrines

Because of a relationship

Attended public meetings

9

How did you decide to join theAdventist Church?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Not really a convert

Adventist health care

Christian education

Involvement in ministry

Printed materials

Radio/TV ministry

Ads/public media

Negative about prior religion

Sacramental motivations

Apocalyptic motivations

Attended public meetings

What most attracted you to theAdventist Church?

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

My own needs & personal situation

Charisma of the pastor/evangelist

Warmth & friendship of members

The truth of church teachings

Much Some Little or no

10

Life events in year prior todecision to join the church

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%

Changed jobs

Divorce/separation

Got married

Moved in

Financial problems

Serious illness/injury

Death of loved one

Life events in year prior todecision to join the church

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Other crisis

Retirement

Child leaves home

Legal problems

Lost a job

Birth of a child

11

Did you ever join the AdventistChurch before 1997?

No71%

Yes29%

Returning Dropouts: At what agedid you first join the Church?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Over age 50

Age 30 to 50

Age 18 to 29

Under age 18

12

Returning Dropouts: At what agedid you quit attending?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Over age 50

Age 30 to 50

Age 18 to 29

Under age 18

Returning Dropouts: Age firstjoined and age quit attending

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Over age 50

Age 30 to 50

Age 18 to 29

Under age 18

Quit attending First joined

13

Returning Dropouts: How did youhappen to quit attending?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Worldly temptations

Did not fit/no acceptance

Influence of family

Problem people in church

Marriage break-up

Personal problems

Not meeting needs

Returning Dropouts: How did youhappen to quit attending?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Did not believe doctrine

Personal spirituality

Jewelry/tobacco

Worship style

Conflict in the church

Needs of children/teens

Not meeting needs

14

Church attendance out of the lastfour Sabbaths

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

None One or two Three or four

Pennsylvania converts Philadelphia members

Church involvement

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Hold a churchoffice

Participate in asmall group

North American members Columbia Union members Pennsylvania converts

15

Participation in children’s andyouth ministries

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Child belongs toPathfinder Club/AY

Child attendsAdventist school

Have children inthe home

Spirituality of converts

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Your relationshipwith Christ

Your assurance ofeternal life

Intimate/Very certain Middle scores None/Not sure

16

How many personal friends doyou have in the church?

Six or more20%

Four or five20%

One to three26%

None34%

Evaluation of local church

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Community service

Evangelistic outreach

Children & youth ministry

Lay leadership

Sabbath School

Music & worship

Pastor's leadership

Preaching

Positive Neutral Negative

17

Evaluation of inclusiveness ofthe congregation

Many not accepting4%

Few welcoming; most not

9%

Most welcoming; some not

22%

All open & welcoming

65%

How many have dropped out?

Still attending

72%

Have dropped out

28%

18

Dropouts: How did you happen toquit attending?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Marriage break-up

Problem people in church

Work travel/schedule

Did not fit/no acceptance

Never connected

Not meeting needs

Personal problems

Dropouts: How did you happen toquit attending?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Conflict in the church

Needs of children/teens

Do not believe doctrine

Jewelry/diet

Family influence

Worship style

Personal problems

19

What would help you feel more“at home” in the Church?

Both8%

Something57%

Nothing35%

What would help you feel more“at home” in the Church?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Replace the pastor

A stronger welcome ministry

Visible in the community

Children/youth ministries

Increased personal ministry

Specific program changes

A more accepting atmosphere

20

What would help you feel more“at home” in the Church?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Shed "cult" image

Less structure

Something is missing

Solve personal problems

A larger congregation

Be more Christ-centered

A more accepting atmosphere

Technical AppendixIn interpreting survey results, it should be borne in mind that all sample surveys are

subject to sampling error. That is the extent to which the results may differ from what would beobtained if the whole population had been interviewed or completed a questionnaire. The size ofsuch sampling errors depends on the actual number of interviews or questionnaires, not thenumber of responses as a percentage of the population.

The following tables may be used in estimating the sampling error of any percentage inthis report. The computed allowances have taken into account the effect of the sample designupon sampling error. They may be interpreted as indicating the range (plus or minus the figureshown) within which the results of repeated samplings in the same time period could be expectedto vary, 95 percent of the time, assuming the same sampling procedures, the same interviewersand/or the same questionnaire.

Table A shows how much allowance should be made for the sampling error of anypercentage reported. This table would be used in the following manner: If a reported percentageis 33 for a group that includes 1,250 respondents ... then, go to the row that says "percentagesnear 30" in the table and go across to the column headed "1,250." The number at this point is 3,which means that the 33 percent obtained in the sample is subject to a sampling error of plus orminus 3 points. This means that very probably (95 chances out of 100) the actual figure would besomewhere between 30 percent and 36 percent, with the most likely figure the 33 percentobtained in the survey.

In comparing survey results in two sub-samples, for example, men and women, thequestion arises as to how large a difference between them must be before one can be reasonablysure that it reflects a real difference. Table B and Table C indicate the number of points whichmust be allowed for in such comparisons to make them "statistically significant." Table C is forpercentages near 20 or 80. Table B is for percentages near 50. For percentages in between, thefactor to be allowed for is between those shown on the two tables.

Here is how these tables are used: If 50% of men respond a certain way and 40% ofwomen respond that way also, for a difference of 10 percentage points between them, can we saythat the 10 point difference reflects a real difference between the two groups on that question?Let's say the sample contains about 750 of each gender.

Since the percentages are near 50, consult Table B. Since the total sample is 1,500, lookfor the number in the column headed "1,500." Since the two sub-samples are 750 persons each,look for the row designated "750." Where the row and column intersect, you will find thenumber 6. This means that the difference between the two groups must be greater than 6percentage points to be "statistically significant." In other words, we can conclude withconsiderable confidence that a real difference exists in the answers of men and women to thisquestion.

Table ARecommended Allowance for Sampling Error

Size of Sample .... 1,500 1,250 1,000 750 500 250 100

Percentages near 10 2 2 2 3 3 5 7 Percentages near 20 3 3 3 4 4 6 10 Percentages near 30 3 3 4 4 5 7 11 Percentages near 40 3 3 4 4 5 8 12 Percentages near 50 3 3 4 4 5 8 12 Percentages near 60 3 3 4 4 5 8 12 Percentages near 70 3 3 4 4 5 7 11 Percentages near 80 3 3 3 4 4 6 10 Percentages near 90 2 2 2 3 3 5 7

Table BRecommended Allowance for Sampling Error of the Difference

In Percentage Points for Percentages near 50

Size of Sample .... 1,500 1,250 1,000 750 500 250 100

1,500 41,250 5 51,000 5 5 5 750 6 6 6 6 500 6 6 7 7 8 250 8 8 9 9 9 11 100 13 13 13 13 13 14 17

Table CRecommended Allowance for Sampling Error of the Difference

In Percentage PointsFor Percentages near 20 or Percentages near 80

Size of Sample .... 1,500 1,250 1,000 750 500 250 100

1,500 41,250 4 41,000 4 4 4 750 4 4 5 5 500 5 5 5 6 6 250 7 7 7 7 8 9 100 10 10 10 10 11 12 14