the religious needs of the general public in georgia and

The Religious Needs of the General Public

in Georgia and Tennessee

January 18, 2010 Monte Sahlin

Source: David Olson, American Church Research Project

Percentage of the Population Attending a Christian Church

On Any Given Weekend in 2007

2.9% UT

9.4% NV

9.8% ME

10.0% ID

10.5% NH

11.7% VT

12.2% MA

12.5% OR

12.6% WY

12.8% AZ

13.1% WA

13.1% AK

13.2% NY

13.6% FL

13.8% NJ

14.0% HI

14.1% CA

14.1% CO

14.6% CT

15.2% NM

15.5% DE

16.1% WV

16.5% MD

16.6% RI

16.6% MT

17.3% VA

17.4% TX

18.4% IL

18.5% PA

18.5% OH

19.2% MI

19.8% MO

20.3% IN

20.4% WI

20.9% MN

21.0% NC

21.3% KS

21.3% OK

21.4% KY

21.8% NE

21.9% GA

22.2% SC

22.5% TN

22.5% IA

24.6% SD

25.1% AR

25.6% MS

26.5% AL

26.7% ND

27.0% LA

0.0% to 13.1% 13.1% to 15.5% 15.5% to 19.2% 19.2% to 21.9% 21.9% to 28.0%

Percentage of the Population that Attended a Christian Church in Georgia on any Given Weekend in 2005

Evangelical17%

Mainline3%

Absent78%

Catholic2%

EvangelicalMainlineCatholicAbsent

-3.1%

-10.3%

-8.8%

-4.8%

-12.0%

-10.0%

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

Evangelical Mainline Catholic Total

2000 - 2005 Growth or Decline in the Percentage of the Population Attending a Christian Church in Georgia

291,365

24,109

4,626

28,734

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Population +- Evangelical +- Mainline & Catholic +- Total +-

Georgia Population & Church Attendance Growth 2005 - 2006

Population +-Evangelical +-Mainline & Catholic +-Total +-

Tennessee 2005 Weekly Worship Attendance

Evangelical, 18%

Mainline, 4%

Catholic, 1%

Absent, 77%

EvangelicalMainlineCatholicAbsent

-0.9%

-5.6%

-5.0%

-1.9%

-6.0%

-5.0%

-4.0%

-3.0%

-2.0%

-1.0%

0.0%

Evangelical Mainline Catholic Total

Tennessee - Change in Worship Attendance as a Percentage of Population - 2000 - 2005

75,844

1,725

-1,882 -157

-10,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Population +- Evangelical +- Mainline & Catholic +- Total +-

Tennessee Population & Church Attendance Growth 2005 - 2006

Population +-Evangelical +-Mainline & Catholic +-Total +-

Packaging of Adventist Evangelism

•  Advertizing themes: Prophecy, Bible, Family – Not Apologetics, Alpha class, Spiritual formation

•  Bible translation: KJV, NKJV & maybe NIV – Not RSV, NEB, TEV or Catholic translations

•  Music: Protestant hymns, Praise music – Not liturgical, CCM, Catholic, Folk, Jazz, Opera

•  Central focus is preaching, not liturgy, drama •  These are typical of Evangelical religion

Source: 2002 National Jewish Survey

Jews who Practice the Religion

28% 27%21%

Light Shabbat candles* Attend synagogueonce/month or more*

Keep kosher at home*


Reconstructionist3%

Reform39%

Conservative33%

Orthodox21%

Other4%

Forty percent of American Jewish households* belong to synagogues.* Among these households, the denominational distribution is shown below:

*These households contain 46% of American Jewish adults.


Jewish children today receive more full-time Jewish schooling than did Jewish adults.*

12%

29%

39%

24%

32%

25% 27%21%

Jewish day school/yeshiva Part-time Jewish schoolthat met more than once a

week

One day per week Jewishprogram

No Jewish education

AdultsChildren

Source: Landscape of American Religion

Belief in God 81%

11%4% 2%

84%

10%2% 2%

Absolutelycertain

Fairly certain Not certain Do not believe

Georgia Tennessee

Source: 2008 American Religious Identification Survey

Involvement with Religion

•  71% Baptized, Christened, etc. •  69% Had a religious wedding

– Percent of those married •  66% Expect to have a religious funeral


Importance of Religion in My Life

0%10%20%30%40%

50%60%70%80%

Very important Somewhat important Not important

Georgia Tennessee


Church Attendance

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Weekly Monthly Seldom or never

Georgia Tennessee


Frequency of Personal Prayer

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

Daily Weekly Monthly Seldom ornever

Georgia Tennessee


Frequency of Answers to Prayer

0%5%

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

Monthly Several times a year Seldom or never

Georgia Tennessee


How do You Interpret the Bible?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Literally, wordfor word

Word of God,but not word

for word

Not the word ofGod; written by

men

Don't know

Georgia Tennessee


Interpretation of My Religious Beliefs

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

There is only way to interpretmy religion

There is more than oneinterpretation

Georgia Tennessee


One Way to Eternal Life

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

My religion is theone true faith that

leads to eternal life

More than onereligion can lead to

eternal life

Neither/both/don'tknow

Georgia Tennessee

Source: Ellison Research

Denominational Loyalty

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Would consideronly my

denomination

Prefer onedenomination, but

would considerothers

Would consider asmall number ofdenominations

Certaindenominations I

would not consider

Do not pay anyattention to

denomination

All Christians Evangelical Protestant Mainline Protestant Catholic Nondenominational

Source: American Religious Identification Survey

Religious Self-identification

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

No Religion ("Nones")

New Religions

Muslims

Eastern Religions

Jewish

Other Protestants

Pentecostal, Charismatic

Generic Christian

Mainline Protestant

Catholic

1990 2008


Denominational Self-identification

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

LDS

JWs

Adventist

Church of Christ

Church of God

Assembly of God

Evangelical

Nondenominational

U.C.C.

Anglican

Presbyterian

Lutheran

Methodist

Baptist

Catholic

1990 2008


Religious Self-Identification by State

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Catholics Other Christians Other Religions Nones

Georgia Tennessee

Seventh-day Adventists in the U.S.

668,000 701,781 724,000

880,921938,000

1,000,472

1990 2001 2008

ARIS GC Statistics

Source: Percept Group, Inc.

Households Involved with Faith

Not35%

Somewhat30%

Strongly35%

Source: Percept Group. Inc.

Households Where Faith Involvement in the Last 10 Years

Decreased24%

Did not change

54%

Increased22%


Human Needs in the U.S.

•  24% - Jobs, education, career, wealth •  21% - Health, health care, poverty •  18% - Spiritual, religious •  17% - Family life, relationships •  16% - Community development

– Research by Percept Group, Inc. – Based on 31 specific needs/questions in the

survey


Spiritual/religious Needs

•  30% - Dealing with stress, anxiety, worry •  17% - Finding friends •  15% - Finding a good church •  14% - Finding a life direction/purpose •  13% - Finding spiritual teaching

•  22% - Achieving a fulfilling marriage •  15% - Developing parenting skills


Top Needs

•  51% - Long-term financial security •  44% - Maintaining personal health •  32% - Day-to-day financial situations •  30% - Dealing with stress •  29% - Finding health insurance •  27% - Neighborhood safety (crime)


Who should be the primary provider of human welfare services?

50%

63%

Government agencies Churches & faith-basedagencies


Church Program Preferences

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

Marriage enrichment

Care for terminally ill

Music, drama, art

Counseling services

Doctrinal classes

Senior activities

Youth activities

Family activities

Bible study groups


Church Program Preferences

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

Divorce recovery

12-step program

Church schools

Day care

Camping, sports

Parenting classes

Basic social work

Spiritual retreats


Worship Style Preferences

26%

11%

39%

20%

26% 26%

Emotionallyuplifting

Intellectuallychallenging

Both Traditional,formal,liturgical

Contemporary,informal

Both


Church Music Preferences

24%20%

31%

19%23%

32%

Traditional

Contemporary Bo

th

Performed

Participatory

Both


Missional Emphasis Preferences

22%

14%

37%

6%

33%30%

Community-centered

Individual-focused

Both World Local Both


Church Architecture Preferences

27%

16%

32%

9%

35%

28%

Traditio

nal

Contemporar

yBoth

Somber, s

erious

Light a

nd airy

Both


Media Sources for Information

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

Magazines

National newspaper

Local newspaper

Radio

Television

Secondary source Primary source


Media for Contact by a Church

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

Telephone visits

Telemarketing

Door to door

Visit by appointment

Cable TV

Newspaper ad

Radio spots

Direct mail

Bad Good

•  Southern Baptist survey of adults who have switched from one denomination to another …

Greatest Impact on Decision to Go To a New Church

42%

58%

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

My need/desireto leave my

previous church

My desire tojoin my current

church

21%

7%

17%

21%

27%

31%

33%

44%

51%

Other

Changes in beliefs/ attitudes toward church and religion

Had problems with other church members/staff/clergy

Changes in life situation

Could not agree with teachings or positions on issues

Felt out of place at the church

Something changed about the church

Church not fulfilling needs/ reasons for attending church

Became disenchanted with pastor/church

Reasons for Leaving Previous Church

16% - Pastor was not a good preacher 14% - Pastor was judgmental of others 13% - Pastor seemed hypocritical 12% - Pastor seemed insincere 10% - Pastor settled for mediocrity 9% - Pastor had no clear purpose or vision 8% - Pastor was unfriendly and/or unwelcoming 7% - Pastor had a moral or ethical failure 4% - Pastor lacked conviction about his beliefs 3% - Pastor discouraged others from getting involved

Reasons Why Switchers Became Disenchanted with Previous Pastor

• 18% - Church members were judgmental of others • 15% - Church members seemed hypocritical • 14% - Church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement • 14% - Church didn’t seem to be a place in which God was at work • 12% - Church settled for mediocrity • 11% - Church had no clear purpose or vision • 10% - Church members seemed insincere • 10% - Church was unfriendly and/or unwelcoming • 7% - Church members lacked conviction about their beliefs • 5% - Church had too many expectations of my time and money • 3% - Child had a bad experience

Reasons Why Switchers Became Disenchanted with Previous Church

• 28% - Church was not helping me to develop spiritually

• 20% - Did not feel engaged/involved in meaningful work in church

• 13% - Did not become friends or close with anyone at the church

• 10% - No one seemed to care about my situation/problems

• 9% - Church did not help me find answers to questions in my life

• 7% - Church did not help me find happiness

Reasons Why Switchers Felt Previous Church Was Not Fulfilling Their Needs

Reasons Why Switchers Changed Beliefs

• 5% - No longer believed in that church’s teachings or approach

• 4% - Could no longer identify with that particular denomination

• 2% - Simply lost interest in going to church

• 2% - Didn’t think that church was relevant to my life any longer

• 2% - Stopped believing in organized religion

• 1% - Went through a crisis of faith

• 1% - Became angry at God for personal reasons

• 1% - Could no longer identify myself as a Christian

• 1% - Felt that God had abandoned me when I needed him

16%

22%

27%

33%

31%

35%

25%

37%

35%

38%

28%

40%

39%

29%

43%

40%

34%

33%

27%

6%

9%

12%

14%

16%

14%

25%

16%

21%

32%

41%

31%

34%

45%

33%

40%

52%

54%

62%

Little use of religious jargonSize of church

Low pressure to commitWorship Times

Acquaintances among church membersLocation

DenominationChurch members similar to me

Opportunities to serveMusic

Opportunities to learn biblical truthUnity among members

Church members with whom I could build relationships Evidence of God’s work/changed lives

Care for communityWorship Style

Authenticity of church members/pastorPreaching

Beliefs/Doctrine of the church

4 -Important 5- Extremely Important

Important Factors in Choosing New Church

89%

22%

Summary

•  The largest segment of the population (even in the South) is “unchurched” or inactive.

•  Church attendance is relatively low and there is a decline in attenders.

•  The fastest growing religious segment in is the “Nones” (no religion).

•  The only denominational categories that are growing: nondenominational and Evangelical

Summary

•  People in Georgia and Tennessee tend to be more religious than most Americans.

•  A large number are inactive in the religion they identify with, “nominals.”

•  “Consumer religion” is widespread among even the active church members. –  It has made significant in-roads in Adventism.

Summary

•  There are conflicting data regarding the church-related needs of people – Data from Percept Group reflects a broader

perspective and suggests a more wholistic approach to outreach

– Data from the Southern Baptist Convention study of “church switchers” in Baptist churches suggest more emphasis on doctrine, preaching and the role of the pastor

– Both are realities … for different segments

Strategic Questions

•  Will your church/district focus only on a strategy centered in preaching, worship and Bible study or also make room for more wholistic strategies of outreach?

•  Are there segments of the population that the Adventist Church is not reaching?

•  What is being done to encourage fresh expressions of outreach, evangelism and church planting?

What Next? •  Are there topics that you need additional

information about? •  Do you want a local assessment of your

community and congregation? •  We can talk over supper …

[email protected] (800) 272-4664

•  © 2010, Center for Creative Ministry and Georgia-Cumberland Conference

the religious needs of the general public in georgia and

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