Faithful congregations attract more members
People who want Christianity today want the real thing, not a watered down version of it. This seems to be the conclusion of a study comparing growing and shrinking Protestant congregations in Ontario, Canada.
Researchers surveyed 22 congregations from four of the "mainline denominations", nine of them growing and 13 shrinking.
They were particularly interested in knowing if the theological beliefs of the clergy and people, whether orthodox or dissident, affected growth.
"Orthodox" were those who trusted the Bible, were convinced of the unique value of Christianity compared to other religions and philosophies, and accepted core beliefs, such as the resurrection of Jesus.
In contrast, “liberals” tended to see the Bible as a fallible human document, held Christianity to be just one valid path among many, and took a sceptical view of creedal statements.
"After surveying more than 2,200 attendees, interviewing 29 clergy and 128 lay people, and observing Sunday services, we were able to develop a clear picture of what was going on at the churches," said Professor Kevin Flatt.
They found that "churches were more likely to grow when their clergy or laypeople had more conservative theological beliefs as defined above."
They also confirmed "that theology does matter for growth at local level—even within the same denominational group and region."
For example, only 37% of laypeople in declining churches strongly agreed that Jesus physically rose from the dead, while 66% of laypeople in growing churches did so.
The gap was even bigger among clergy. 85% in thriving churches strongly agreed that Jesus rose from the dead with a real flesh and blood body, while only 36% in declining churches strongly agreed.
Researchers were astonished that not one of the declining church clergy agreed that “It is very important to encourage non-Christians to become Christians”. In contrast, more than 75% of the growing church clergy did so.
Writing in Catholic World Report, Flatt asked why theology matters when it comes to growth.
He argued that churches which want to remain strong in a secular culture with many religious and non-religious options, "need a reason for being and a clear identity that sets them apart from other groups and belief systems."
Groups that reject fundamental Christian beliefs and the need to evangelise, which "see all spiritual paths as equal and regard dogma as a bad word", have a hard time answering when asked, “Why should I get up on a Sunday morning to go to your church?”
The researcher reckoned that the same kind of survey could not be applied to Catholicism as, for example, parish structure meant that people were less likely to go "church shopping".
But religious orders over recent decades did indicate a similar pattern. A 2009 Georgetown study of vocations to religious life found that groups dissenting from Catholic teaching and with less community life drew fewer vocations.
On the other hand, he said, "the most successful institutes in terms of attracting and retaining new members are those that stress fidelity to the Magisterium and follow a more traditional style of religious life."
Flatt denied that he was trying to "make the case" for orthodoxy. But this kind of research, he explained, "undercuts the argument that religious groups need to mimic the secular world."
Nor do they need to "water down or accommodate their beliefs to secular culture to stay relevant in today’s society."
Researchers surveyed 22 congregations from four of the "mainline denominations", nine of them growing and 13 shrinking.
They were particularly interested in knowing if the theological beliefs of the clergy and people, whether orthodox or dissident, affected growth.
"Orthodox" were those who trusted the Bible, were convinced of the unique value of Christianity compared to other religions and philosophies, and accepted core beliefs, such as the resurrection of Jesus.
In contrast, “liberals” tended to see the Bible as a fallible human document, held Christianity to be just one valid path among many, and took a sceptical view of creedal statements.
"After surveying more than 2,200 attendees, interviewing 29 clergy and 128 lay people, and observing Sunday services, we were able to develop a clear picture of what was going on at the churches," said Professor Kevin Flatt.
They found that "churches were more likely to grow when their clergy or laypeople had more conservative theological beliefs as defined above."
They also confirmed "that theology does matter for growth at local level—even within the same denominational group and region."
For example, only 37% of laypeople in declining churches strongly agreed that Jesus physically rose from the dead, while 66% of laypeople in growing churches did so.
The gap was even bigger among clergy. 85% in thriving churches strongly agreed that Jesus rose from the dead with a real flesh and blood body, while only 36% in declining churches strongly agreed.
Researchers were astonished that not one of the declining church clergy agreed that “It is very important to encourage non-Christians to become Christians”. In contrast, more than 75% of the growing church clergy did so.
Writing in Catholic World Report, Flatt asked why theology matters when it comes to growth.
He argued that churches which want to remain strong in a secular culture with many religious and non-religious options, "need a reason for being and a clear identity that sets them apart from other groups and belief systems."
Groups that reject fundamental Christian beliefs and the need to evangelise, which "see all spiritual paths as equal and regard dogma as a bad word", have a hard time answering when asked, “Why should I get up on a Sunday morning to go to your church?”
The researcher reckoned that the same kind of survey could not be applied to Catholicism as, for example, parish structure meant that people were less likely to go "church shopping".
But religious orders over recent decades did indicate a similar pattern. A 2009 Georgetown study of vocations to religious life found that groups dissenting from Catholic teaching and with less community life drew fewer vocations.
On the other hand, he said, "the most successful institutes in terms of attracting and retaining new members are those that stress fidelity to the Magisterium and follow a more traditional style of religious life."
Flatt denied that he was trying to "make the case" for orthodoxy. But this kind of research, he explained, "undercuts the argument that religious groups need to mimic the secular world."
Nor do they need to "water down or accommodate their beliefs to secular culture to stay relevant in today’s society."
