The Vitality of American Congregations Declines, But There Are Opportunities for Change

HARTFORD (September 9, 2009 – For Immediate Release)

The "First Look" report is here.

American congregations continue to struggle, facing declining attendance at worship, eroding financial health, waning spiritual vitality and increasing uncertainty about their mission and purpose.

At the same time, some congregations have shifted to a contemporary style of worship that has catalyzed growth. Other congregations have benefitted from focused leadership.

These findings are illustrative of the conclusions drawn in the first look at the new Faith Communities Today 2008 (FACT2008) survey of American congregations. According to the survey analysts, “It is a story of concern, but also a story of hope. It is the story of an emerging, persistent and broad based downward trend in congregational vitality. But it is also a story of pockets of vitality that are suggestive of the potential for moving forward.”

The Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership (CCSP) conducted the FACT2008 survey and analyzed questionnaires from 2,527 randomly sampled congregations of all faith traditions in the United States. The survey updates results from surveys taken in 2000 and 2005, and is the latest in CCSP’s series of trend-tracking national surveys of U.S. congregations.

David A. Roozen, director of the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership and professor of Religion and Society at Hartford Seminary, said:

There is a tendency to believe that congregations are captive to their demographic and cultural contexts. To the extent this is true the broad based erosion of vitality in America’s congregations over the past eight years evidenced in the FACT2008 survey suggests an erosion of religious receptivity in the broader American social-cultural milieu. But this is only a part of the story because the belief in contextual captivity is only partly true and, in fact, research suggests that it has become less true over the past quarter century. As the FACT2008 findings clearly demonstrate there remain pockets of vitality among American congregations, and many of the distinguishing characteristics of today’s vital congregations appear to be well within a congregation’s control – such as openness to change, clarity of purpose, attentiveness to new members, and appreciation of volunteers. We also are gaining a much more refined sense, as evidenced in FACT2008, about the distinct predispositions of clergy leadership in vital congregations.

According to FACT surveys, between 2005 and 2008 fewer congregations report that they are spiritually vital and alive, that they have seen worship attendance growth of 2 percent or more, or that they have a clear mission and purpose. Just 19 percent say their current financial health is excellent, down from 31 percent in 2000 (note the FACT2008 survey predates the market collapse that began late in 2008). The down tick in vitality holds across faith families.

Nevertheless, according to FACT2008, oldline Protestant congregations confront a special challenge. Their memberships are significantly older than for any other faith family. In fact, in nearly six of every 10 oldline congregations a quarter or more of participants are 65 or older. This is nearly twice as great as for any other family and nearly three times as great as for Evangelical Protestant congregations. One unfortunate corollary of a congregation’s age structure is that the more seniors, on average, the lower a congregation’s vitality across all of FACT2008’s vital signs.

Clarity and distinctness of identity, vibrant worship, openness to change, ability to manage conflict and diversity and excellence in programming are some of the big challenges that stand along the path to congregational revitalization identified in earlier FACT surveys and still evident in FACT2008.

But in addition, FACT2008 points to several more ordinary and less dramatic things at which vital congregations do well, according to the report. Two examples are hospitality to newcomers and support of lay volunteers. Congregations with greater spiritual vitality are more likely to extend invitations to new people to become involved in new person classes, to take leadership roles in worship (reading, singing, taking up offering, etc.),
and to become involved in a social ministry. These congregations also are more likely to provide training for volunteers and recognize their service.

Roozen, director of the Seminary’s Hartford Institute for Religion Research, wrote the First Look report.

The "First Look" report is here
The full Faith Communities Today 2008 report will be available by January 2010.

Faith Communities Today surveys and publications are products of the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership, a collaborative, multifaith coalition of American faith communities affiliated with Hartford Seminary’s Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Researchers, consultants and program staff representing 39 denominations and faith groups contributed to the American Congregations survey.

FACT/CCSP strives to offer research-based resources for congregational development that are useful across faith traditions, believing that all communities of faith encounter common issues and benefit from one another’s experiences. It also informs the public about the contributions of congregations to American society and about the changes affecting and emanating from one of America’s major sources of voluntary association – local congregations.

About Hartford Seminary and the Hartford Institute for Religion Research: Hartford Seminary focuses on interfaith relations, congregational studies and faith in practice. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research has a 30-year record of rigorous, policy relevant research, anticipation of emerging issues and commitment to the creative dissemination of learning.

For more on the seminary and the institute, visit www.hartsem.edu or hirr.hartsem.edu or contact David Barrett at (860) 509-9519 or dbarrett@hartsem.edu.

David Roozen, Director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary, is available for interviews by email at roozen@hartsem.edu