According to a five-year academic study reported on in mid-November, churches that are theologically conservative with beliefs based on a literal interpretation of the Bible grow faster than those with a liberal orientation.
The growing churches featured contemporary worship, while declining churches favoured traditional styles of worship with organ and choir.
Research on general social groups has shown that those with a consistent unified message and clear boundaries with people outside the group are attractive to outsiders.
Life-changing message
‘Conservative believers are “sure” that those who are not converted to Christianity will miss their chance for eternal life’, said a lead researcher. ‘Because they are profoundly convinced of [the] life-saving, life-altering benefits that only their faith can provide, they are motivated by emotions of compassion and concern to recruit family, friends and acquaintances into their faith and into their church.
‘This desire to reach others also makes conservative Protestants willing to implement innovative measures including changes to the style and content of their worship services.’
The researchers compared the beliefs and practices of congregations and clergy at mainline Protestant churches whose attendances were growing with declining churches. On all measures, the growing churches held more firmly to the traditional beliefs of Christianity and were more diligent in things like prayer and Bible reading.
Key findings included:
• 100% of clergy from growing churches agreed it was ‘very important to encourage non-Christians to become Christians’ compared to only 50% from declining churches.
• 71% of clergy from growing churches read the Bible daily compared with 19% from declining churches.
• 93% of clergy and 83% of worshippers from growing churches agreed with the statement ‘Jesus rose from the dead with a real flesh-and-blood body leaving behind an empty tomb’. This compared with 67% of worshippers and 56% of clergy from declining churches.
• 100% of clergy and 90% of worshippers agreed that ‘God performs miracles in answer to prayers’, compared with 80% of worshippers and 44% of clergy from declining churches.
Survey details
Theology Matters: The authors of Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy surveyed 2,225 churchgoers in Ontario, Canada, and conducted interviews with 29 clergy and 195 congregants. The paper is to be published in an issue of the respected international journal, Review of Religious Research.
