Transcript Church Member Profile 2006 - Brethren in Christ Church

Church Member Profile 2006
The Brethren in Christ Church
Overview
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Church Member Profile 2006
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Builds on earlier work
1972 – Anabaptists Four Centuries Later
1989 – Mennonite Mosaic
2002 – General Conference Survey (BIC
only)
Church Member Profile 2006
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Churches
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Brethren in Christ
Church of the Brethren
Mennonite Church USA
Young Center – Elizabethtown College –
Don Kraybill – Director of Project
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Three sociologists (1 @denomination)
Church Member Profile 2006
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7000 surveys – Feb. to March 2006
Mail surveys (individuals but churches
provide lists)
Return rate – 70%
Data available – Fall 2006
Reporting Begins – 2007 on
Why is this needed?
To gain insight into past and present
 To aid in planning for the future –
“Set up road signs; put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway, the road that
you take…” Jeremiah 31:21
[2010 to 2020]
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Brethren in Christ – Number of
Congregations – No. America
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Congregational
growth from 1972 to
2006 – from 151 to
288
Congregational
growth – 190% in
34 years
300
250
200
150
Congregations
100
50
0
1972
1989
2006
Brethren in Christ Membership
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Membership growth
from 1972 to 2006 –
9730 to 26629
members
Membership growth
– 273% in 34 years
30000
25000
20000
15000
Membership
10000
5000
0
1972
1989
2006
The CMP Survey
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Over 700 variables in the survey
Approximately 40% of the questions are
similar to 1989 CMP
Incorporation of items from new
denomination (Church of the Brethren)
Incorporation of items from other national
surveys (CNN, Gallup, ABC)
Some editing of items for clarity and accuracy
The CMP Survey – Eight
Categories
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My faith story
Religious beliefs and
practices
Congregational life
Family life and
background
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The Larger Church
Faith and Social
Issues
Faith and the Larger
World
Stewardship and
Lifestyle
My Faith Story
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Accepted Christ as Savior and Lord?
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99% yes; 67% a specific moment
89% would describe themselves as
“born again”
97% say their faith is very important to
them
93% believe God has a specific plan for
their lives
My Faith Story
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7 in 10 respondents describe their
relationship to God as very close (31%)
or close (38%)
A slight majority (56%) of the BIC
respondents say they were actually
baptized in a non-Brethren in Christ
church
Religious Beliefs and Practices
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Highly orthodox beliefs
93% believe that Jesus is both fully
divine and fully God
Jesus born of a virgin (99%)
Jesus only way to God (88%)
Religious Beliefs and Practices
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Reject punitive view of the atonement
(only 6% think Christ died to satisfy
God’s anger against sin)
Majority (63%) agree that “Salvation
depends equally on one’s beliefs and
how one lives”
Religious Beliefs and Practices
– special emphasis: holiness
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See holiness as “surrendering one’s life
fully to God” (78%)
Sanctification was most often defined
as “the process of becoming more
Christ-like; it starts at conversion but
continues as one grows in Christ”
(66%)
Religious Beliefs and Practices
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The BIC see charismatic gifts as
genuine gifts of God’s spirit even if they
have not personally experienced such
gifts (79%)
About 36% report having received the
“baptism of the Holy Spirit” and 29%
report experiencing a miraculous
healing
Religious Beliefs and Practices
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View of scripture: 97% see the Bible as
the Word of God; more than half
support a literal reading of the Bible
(58%)
BIC respondents see both the Old
Testament and the New Testament as
having equal authority (66%); a
minority (34%) privilege the NT
Religious Beliefs and Practices
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76% report praying daily
36% report reading the Bible daily
56% participate in small groups at least once
a month
8 of 10 respondents attend church at least
once a week
Most popular self-designations: BIC (72%);
spiritual (47%); evangelical (44%)
Congregational Life
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Respondents – average 15 years as
members of BIC congregations
55% have been members in other nonBIC congregations
While growing up, only 29% report
having a parent who was a member of
a BIC congregation
Congregational Life
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Strong support for “open communion” (88%)
Majority believe adult baptism should be
required of those baptized as infants (62%)
Support of feetwashing as a symbol of
humility and service (73%); as spiritually
moving (26%)
A minority see feetwashing as either outdated
(5%) or awkward and uncomfortable (20%)
Congregational Life
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Strong majority (86%) agree that
women can fill pastoral roles; about half
of this group, though, felt that women
should not be lead pastors (51%)
Should a practicing homosexual be
accepted as a member of their
congregation? 79% said no
Family Life and Background
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Demographic information (sample)
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Female – 58%
White – 94%
Married – 81%
Median age – 53 years old
Lived same place 20+ yrs – 50%
HS grad – 61% College grad – 28%
Family Life and Background
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Level of happiness in marriage
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Occupations
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69% - very happy
21% - somewhat happy
36% Managerial/technical
27% Technical/administrative/sales
20% Retired
Unfair treatment at church? 19% yes
The Larger Church
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Top four responses to the question:
How are BICs different from other
Christians? [open ended question]
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Close community, fellowship, family like
Peace emphasis, anti-war, nonviolent
Simple living, not materialistic
Evangelistic, missional
The Larger Church
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Top Four Priorities (from a list of 8 in
Vision 2010)
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Fervent prayer
Healthy congregations
Active compassion
Leadership development
Lowest priority – bold communication
The Larger Church
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Commitment to denomination
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Always want to be member – 37%
Prefer BIC but could be in another – 42%
Just as happy in another – 17%
Considering leaving BIC – 4%
Participation in ecumenical
organizations? – 72% agree
Faith and Social Issues
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Support for affirmative action in hiring
and promotion? 64% oppose such
efforts
Should church discuss and address
racism? 74% say yes
Is immigration a good thing? 61% yes;
39% no [immigration in general]
Faith and Social Issues
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Abortion – 82% oppose
Cohabitation – 86% oppose
US Govt Spending on environment
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43% too little
40% about right amount
17% too much
Euthanasia (self) – 73% oppose
Death Penalty – 39% oppose
Faith and Social Issues
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List of 26 “social issues” – top five
issues seen as always wrong:
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Extramarital sex
Homosexual relations
Pornographic materials
X rated movies
Premarital sex
Faith and Social Issues
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List of 26 “social issues” – lowest five
issues seen as always wrong:
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Spanking children
Marriage between different races
Dancing
Entering the armed forces
Working as a police officer
Faith and the Larger World
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If confronted with the draft?
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58% - military service
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31% as regular military service
27% as non-combatant
25% - alternative service
15% - not sure
2% - refuse or not register
Faith and the Larger World
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“It is wrong for Christians to fight in any
war.” – 75% disagree
“Peacemaking is a central theme of the
Gospel.” – 88% agree
Has any member of your [immediate]
family served in the military? 60% said
yes
Faith and the Larger World
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In 2004 88% of the BIC respondents
voted for a presidential candidate
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Of this group, 88% voted for Bush
74% identify with the Republican party
“The US did the right thing by going to
war against Iraq.” 61% agree
Faith and the Larger World
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92% support the mission of the
Mennonite Central Committee
73% are satisfied with the program and
emphases of the Mennonite Central
Committee
Stewardship and Lifestyle
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7 out of 10 BIC respondents report
giving at least 10% to the church and
charitable causes (estimated monthly
contributions – $228)
Over half of the households had
incomes of over $50,000
Most had computers (78%), the
internet (73%) and cell phones (82%)
Stewardship and Lifestyle
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How much stress do you feel from the
pace of daily life?
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5% very much
41% a fair amount
15% pretty much
35% a little bit
3% none
Stewardship and Lifestyle
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Top five temptations (from a list)
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Looking out for my own needs/interests
Concerns about how I look
Earning as much money as possible
Enjoying popular movies, TV, music
Getting the nicest home I can afford
Stewardship and Lifestyle
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Top five issues that concern you the
most? (from a list)
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Erosion of family values
Abortion
Child abuse
Sexual immorality
Terrorism
The Past? Changes? – Some
examples
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1989 compared with 2006
Continuity and change
Continuity:
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God exists: 92% 1989; 94% 2006
Jesus arose: 96% 1989; 98% 2006
Hell is real: 90% 1989; 95% 2006
BIC continue high level of orthodoxy
Changes? - continued
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Church attendance
Attendance increases –
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1989 – 66% at least once a week
2006 – 83% at least once a week
Decline of multiple weekly services
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Attend more than once: 1989 – 46%
Attend more than once: 2006 – 13%
Changes? - continued
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Divorced? 1989 – 6%; 2006 – 18%
Cohabitate? 1989 – 6%; 2006 – 22%
Church leaders should influence govt:
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Noncombatant military service?
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1989 – 67% agree; 2006 – 87% agree
1989 – 72% agree; 2006 – 88% agree
Women and careers?
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1989 – 38% yes; 2006 – 61% yes
Moral Issues - Changes
Issue
2006
1989
Homosexual
relations
Use of alcohol
94% wrong
98% wrong
29% wrong
52% wrong
Use of
marijuana
Dancing
79% wrong
98% wrong
7% wrong
26% wrong
Comparisons – BIC with
National Samples
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Church attendance
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BIC – 83% attend weekly
Gallup (2005) – 31% attend weekly
CNN (2004) – 31% attend weekly
Belief in God
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BIC – 94% no doubts
GSS (2000) – 63% no doubts
Comparisons – BIC with
National Samples
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Describe self as “born again”?
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BIC – 89% yes
LA Times (2005) – 52% yes
GSS (2005) – 48% yes
Belief in Hell
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BIC – 95% yes
FOX (2003) – 74%
Newsweek (2002) – 60%
Comparisons – BIC with
National Samples
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Party Affiliation
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BIC – 74% Repub. 13% Dem.
Fox (2005) – 39% Repub. 41% Dem.
Iraq War? Right Thing?
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BIC – 61% right thing (2006)
ABC News – 48% right thing (2005)
Princeton U – 46% right thing (2004)
Comparisons – BIC with
National Samples
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General outlook (abortion)
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BIC – 90% pro life
CNN (2005) – 42% pro life
How happy is your marriage?
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BIC – 69% very happy
GSS (2000) – 62% very happy
Concluding Observations
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Both continuity and change
The Brethren in Christ continue to reflect
religiously conservative, orthodox views in
many areas (e.g. religious beliefs/practices)
Some changes reflect the surrounding culture
(e.g., divorce, some lifestyle issues)
Evidence of some impact of conservative
politics on Brethren in Christ views –
especially on certain questions (increased
voting, political participation and allegiance
with the Republican party)