[Episcopal News Service]
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is using a national survey of 420 of its congregations to determine trends in worship attendance and how the results can be used to shape ministry. The results are showing not only who attends but indicates many of them have been members for quite a while. It is also indicating, however, that diversity continues to be a challenge.
'The biggest thing we can get from the survey is how we can strengthen our churches and learn more about who is coming to church,' said Martin Smith, senior research analyst for the ELCA's Department for Research and Evaluation. He said that the survey, the largest of its kind, began when U.S. Congregations, a research group that works from the offices of the Presbyterian Church (USA), used a $1.3 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, to conduct the massive interfaith survey among 43,463 congregations.
Smith said that the church is still looking at the results, comparing them with other denominations and the national results, but using some caution because of differences in religious practice.
The survey shows that a majority of those who attend ELCA churches are white women. Smith said that one staggering fact that is cause for alarm was that 93 percent of attendees are white or Caucasian. 'We need to understand our need to be diverse,' he said. 'Evangelism is a high priority issue.'
While the national results indicated that one in every three worshipers is new to the congregation, 41 percent of those who attend ELCA churches have been members of the congregation for more than 20 years.
Congregations that participated in the survey will receive the results from ELCA churches and the national results. To help churches sort through the material, the churches will also receive a video and a book, 'A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations,' outlining the national results.
For more information about the survey, go to http://www.uscongregations.org on the Web.
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