Www.lifewayresearch.com Formerly Churched Adults Summer 2006

www.lifewayresearch.com

Formerly Churched Adults

Summer 2006


Report Contents

• Background and Methodology 3• Summary of key findings 4• Factors influencing departure from regular church attendance 7• Motivations and attitude toward resuming regular church attendance 13 • Other characteristics of the formerly churched 20


In August 2006, LifeWay Research conducted a survey of 469 Formerly Churched Adults

“Formerly churched adults” were defined as those whose religious preference is Protestant, who currently do not attend church (less than 5 times a year), but who previously attended church on a regular basis (at least twice a month) as an adult

The objective of the survey was to better understand why people stop attending church, and what it would take to bring them back

The study was conducted as a web survey using a representative national panel of Americans

Background and methodology


Summary of key findings


CAN THE CHURCH CLOSE THE BACK DOOR? Why People Leave

Changes in life situation represent the top bucket of reasons why adults stop going to church – 59% of the formerly churched Specifically, “simply got too busy” (19%) and “family/home responsibilities prevented

attendance” (17%) are the top two reasons for not attending church Other less preventable life change reasons include “moved too far from church” (17%), “work

situation” (15%), and “go divorced/separated” (12%). Rounding out the top five reasons are “church members seemed judgmental,” “church

members seemed hypocritical,” and “moved too far away from church”

Disenchantment with pastor/church is the second most common category of reasons adults leave the church – 37% of the formerly churched Specific sources of disenchantment that are prevalent are church members “seemed

hypocritical” (17%), “were judgmental of others” (17%) A number also indicate that “the church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement”

(12%).

Formerly churched adults most commonly identify themselves as Christians, but “not particularly devout” – 42% Many consider themselves “spiritual, but not religious” (24%) A smaller number consider themselves “a devout Christian with a strong belief in God) (19%) Fewer yet are wavering on Christianity (10%) or belief in God at all (6%)

Many formerly churched adults stay away from their former church for the same reasons they initially left, but 16% say “nobody contacted me after I left” and another 16% say “nobody seemed to care that I left”


FORMERLY CHURCHED INDICATE OPENNESS TO RETURN

Overall, 62% of the formerly churched are not actively looking, but are open to the idea of attending church regularly again 6% would prefer to resume attending regularly in the same church they had attended 4% are actively looking for a church to attend regularly (other than their previous church) 28% are unlikely to consider attending any church regularly in the foreseeable future

Motivation to return would be most often driven by a desire “to bring me closer to God” – 46% 34% would be motivated to return “to fill a gap felt since stopping regular church attendance” Building relationships in a Christian community is another strong motivator with 32% wanting

to “be around those with similar values” 31% “to make friends” and 30% “to make a difference/help others”

Prompting the formerly churched to return is complex 58% would be prompted “if I simply felt it was time to return to church” and 31% “if I felt God

was calling me to visit a church” Clearly, invitations matter as 41% would respond to an invitation from a friend or

acquaintance, 25% from their children and 25% from an adult family member 35% would be prompted “if they knew there were people like me there”


Factors influencing departure from regular church attendance


Of all reasons for no longer attending church regularly, changes in life situation represents the top general category

• Becoming disenchanted with pastor/church is also a general cause of breaking from regular church attendance for 37% of respondents

ALL reasons for not attending church regularly

25

1

8

18

19

21

22

26

37

59

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Other

Church closed/disbanded

Had problems with other church members/staff/clergy

Something about the church changed

Could not agree with teachings/positions on issues

Felt out of place at church

Changes in beliefs/interests/attitudes toward church

Church not fulfilling needs/reasons for reg. attendance

Became disenchanted with pastor/church

Changes in life situation

%

Q3. What are ALL the reasons that you no longer attend church regularly?Base: All (n= 469); Male (n=176), Female (n=293)

• 64% of women report a change in life situation, compared to just 51% of men


Of all reasons within all categories, simply got too busy is the number one specific reason for no longer attending church regularly

• Family/home responsibilities, church members seemed hypocritical, church members were judgmental, and moved too far from the church round out the top five overall reasons

Q3. What are ALL the reasons that you no longer attend church regularly?Base (Varies by level)Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL respondents selecting each particular level

TOP TEN reasons for not attending church regularly

12

12

14

14

15

17

17

17

17

19

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Got divorced/separated

Church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement

Stopped believing in organized religion

Church was not helping me to develop spiritually

Work situation prevented church attendance

Moved too far from the church

Church members were judgmental of others

Church members seemed hypocritical

Family/home responsibilities prevented church attendance

Simply got too busy to attend church

%

Changes in life situation

Became disenchanted with pastor/church

Church not fulfilling needs for attendance

Changes in beliefs/interests/attitudes

Bucket-level category


Less important reasons for not attending church -- listed by category


Changes in Life Situation• Just wanted a break from church (10%)• Moved to college (8%)• Taking/going with someone else who no longer attended (5%)• Illness/infirmity prevented me from attending (3%)• Children’s sports activities were on Sunday (2%)• Depended on someone taking me who became unavailable (1%)

Disenchanted with Church• Pastor was judgmental of others (11%)• Pastor seemed insincere (10%)• Pastor seemed hypocritical (9%)• Pastor was not a good preacher (9%)• Pastor had moral/ethical failure (6%)• Pastor was unfriendly/unwelcoming (5%)• Pastor settled for mediocrity (3%)• Pastor had no clear purpose/vision (2%)• Pastor lacked conviction about his beliefs (2%)• Pastor discouraged others from getting involved (1%)

Disenchanted with Pastor• Church didn’t seem to be a place in which God was at

work (11%)• Church members seemed insincere (10%)• Church had too many expectations of time and money

(8%)• Church was unfriendly/unwelcoming (5%)• Church settled for mediocrity (4%)• Church members lacked conviction about their beliefs

(3%)• Church had no clear purpose/vision (3%)• Child had a bad experience (2%)



Church Not Fulfilling Needs• Did not feel engaged or involved in meaningful work in church (11%)• Did not become close with anyone at the church (10%)• Church did not help me find answers to questions in my life (9%)• Church did not help me find happiness (6%)• No one seemed to care about my situation/problems (5%)

Felt Out of Place at Church• Had different view of church/religion than most other members (12%)• Home/family situation was different than most other members (6%)• Felt out of place in terms of social class/education (5%)

Changes in Beliefs/Attitudes toward Church• Simply lost interest in going to church (9%)• Didn’t think that church was relevant to my life any longer (7%)• No longer believed in that particular church’s teachings/approach (6%)• Was only going to church to please others, not for myself (6%)• Went through a loss and/or crisis of faith (3%)• Was really only going to church out of habit in the first place (3%)• Could no longer identify with that particular denomination (3%)• Became angry at God for personal reasons (2%)• Felt that God had abandoned me when I needed him (1%)• Stopped believing in God altogether (1%)





Problems with Other Members, Staff, or Clergy• Church generally seemed embroiled in conflict (3%)• Some individual(s) were critical/judgmental of me (3%)• Specific conflict(s) with individual(s) about personal issues (2%)• Mistreated by some individual(s) (1%)• Specific conflict(s) with individual(s) about church business (1%)• Pastor/other leaders were mistreated by some individual(s) (1%)

Something About the Church Changed• Pastor/other staff I liked left the church (9%)• Too many things changed in general (6%)• Church’s teachings on political/social issues changed (5%)• Worship style changed (4%)• Church’s religious teachings/beliefs changed (4%)• Other members I liked no longer attended (3%)• Program I liked was changed/discontinued (2%)• Newer members of the congregation were too different from me (1%)

Could Not Agree with Teachings/Positions• Teachings on moral issues (11%)• Pastor/church was generally too conservative (9%)• Teachings on how to apply the Bible to life issues (6%)• Pastor/church seemed aligned with particular political party (5%)• Teachings on theological issues (4%)• Pastor/church was generally too liberal (2%)


Live too far away is a top prohibitive factor to resuming church attendance for more than half of respondents

Q4. What keeps you from returning to the same church that you used to regularly attend?Base: All (n= 469)

• Other reasons for not returning to church involve personal situations and situations within the church

Reasons for not returning to previous church

5

3

6

9

15

16

16

24

28

53

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Other

Would need the church to reach out to me first, it hasn't

Found something other than church to meet my needs

Many people have changed at the church, would have to build newrelationships

Would feel awkward returning at this point

Nobody seemed to care that I left

Nobody contacted me after I left

Same situation that caused me to stop attending still exists in thechurch

Same personal situation(s) that caused me to stop attending

Live too far away from that church

%


Motivations and attitude toward resuming regular church attendance


Nearly two thirds of respondents claim that, although they are not actively looking to resume regular church attendance in the future, they are in fact open to the possibility of attending

Q5. Which of the following statements best describes your attitude toward resuming regular church attendance in the future?Base: All (n= 469); Male (n=176), Female (n=293); 65+ (n=72)

Attitude toward resuming regular church attendance in the future

4

6

28

62

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Actively looking for adifferent church to regularly

attend

Prefer to resume regularlyattending the same church

Unlikely to consider regularlyattending any church in

foreseeable future

Open to the idea ofattending church regularly

but not actively looking

%

• While the majority of remaining respondents say it is unlikely that they will consider regularly attending church in the foreseeable future

• 36% of males are unlikely to consider regularly attending church, compared to just 23% of females

• And a whopping 58% of those age 65 and older are unlikely to consider attending church, a full 30 percentage points higher than the 28% average


More than half of respondents would return to church if they simply felt that it was time to do so

Q6. What would prompt you to visit a church, with the idea that you might start regularly attending?Base: All (n= 469); 18-35 (n =83)

Situations that would inspire regular church attendance

7

5

2

6

8

8

9

9

11

14

15

16

22

25

31

35

41

58

25

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

None of the above

Other

If I saw or heard an ad for the church

If there w as a class I could attend for those w anting to know more about the church

If I felt it w as time for my children to start attending

If the church offered classes in life applications of interest

If I saw evidence of someone's life positively being changed by the church

If the church offered classes on religious/spiritual issues of interest

If I had a crisis in my life

If the pastor personally invited me

If the church w as involved in social issues of interest

If I needed a church for a signif icant life event

If I could see a clear statement of w hat the church believes

If an adult family member invited me

If my children asked me to go w ith them

If I felt that God w as calling me to visit the church

If I knew there w ere people like me there

If a friend/acquaintance invited me

If I simply felt that it w as time to return to church

%

• Nearly as many would return to regular church attendance if a friend/acquaintance invited them

• Approximately 60% of those age 18-35 are likely to consider regular church attendance if a friend/acquaintance invited them or if they knew that there would be people like them there – indicating that younger adults are more heavily influenced by their peers in regards to their church attendance

prompt


The top motivating factor for respondents to start attending church regularly is to become closer to God

Q7. What motivations would you have to start attending church regularly again?Base: All (n= 469); Male (n=176), Female (n=293); 18-35 (n=83), 65+ (n=72)

Motivation to start attending church regularly

14

3

9

10

10

12

12

16

17

19

21

21

22

30

32

34

46

31

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

None of the above

Other

To f ind certainty

To f ind someone w ho cares

To help straighten out my life

To provide guidance on moral issues

To find relief

To f ind answ ers to life questions

To find happiness

To instill religious values in my children

To show God that I love him

To be more obedient to God

To help me find religious meaning

To make a difference/help others

To make friends

To be around those w ith similar values

To fill a gap that I've felt since stopping regular church attendance

To bring me closer to God

%

• Other specific motivators are to fill a gap that they’ve felt after stopping regular church attendance, to be around those with similar values, to make friends, and to make a difference/help others


Overall, denomination preferences have not changed since respondents stopped attending church regularly

Q8. From the following choices, please first check all of the religious affiliations you might consider for resuming regular church attendance in the first column, then check the one you would most prefer in the second column.Base: All (n= 469)

Preferred and Considered Religious Affiliations

17

30

57

72

89

2

1

18

15

64

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

A non-Christian religious affiliation

A non-Protestant Christian denomination

A non-denominational Christian church

Another Protestant denomination

The same denomination as the church I used toregularly attend

%

Prefer

Consider

• While more than half would consider another Protestant denomination or a non-denominational Christian church…

• … less than 20% would actually prefer to attend these types of churches as opposed to the 64% who would prefer to return to the same denomination of church that they once attended


When visiting a church for the first time, respondents overwhelmingly prefer to slip in anonymously and not introduce themselves until the second visit if they decide to return

Q11. Which of the following best describes how you might visit a church for the first time?Base: All (n= 469)

Attitude toward first-time church visits

11

26

63

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

I would like people to knowthat I was a visitor and not

be shy about it

I would prefer to "slip in"and not introduce myself

until after service

I would prefer not tointroduce myself until at

least the 2nd visit, if Idecided to return

%


Overall, 95% of respondents maintain some sort of residual belief in God or a higher being, and 61% still think of themselves as Christians

Q9: Which of the following statements best describes your current beliefs about God?Base: All (n= 469)

Current beliefs about God

1

5

10

19

24

42

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

I don't believe in God or any higher being

I am uncertain about my belief in God

I believe in God, but I am uncertain of Christianity

I consider myself a devout Christian with a strong faith in God

I consider myself spiritual, but not religious

I consider myself a Christian, but not particularly devout

%


Other characteristics of the formerly churched


Methodist is the number one Protestant denomination preference of formerly churched adult respondents

• Presbyterian, non-denominational, Southern Baptist and Episcopal round out the top five denominations, accounting for a combined 56% of all preferences

S2: Which category best describes your Protestant denomination preference?Base: All (n= 469)

Denomination

0

0

0

1

1

1

3

3

4

5

5

5

5

5

10

13

13

20

7

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Adventist

Brethren

Fundamental

Charismatic

Evangelical

Holiness

Church of Christ

Pentecostal

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

All Other Baptist

Christian Church

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Other Lutheran

All Other Protestant

Episcopal

Southern Baptist

Non-denominational

Presbyterian

Methodist

%


Adults who qualify as formerly churched are largely comprised of female baby-boomers

S6. What is your age?Q14. Are you: (male/female)?Base: All (n= 469)

Age

15%18%

25%

42%

65 years or older

50-64 years

36-49 years

18-35 years

Gender

38%

62%

Male

Female


Formerly churched adults previously attended church for an average of 10.7 years and have been away from regular church attendance for an average of 14.1 years

Q1. For how many years since you turned 18 were you attending church regularly (twice a month or more), before you stopped going that often?Q2. And how many years has it been since you attended church regularly?Base: All (n= 469)

Number of years attended church regularly after turning 18

21

24

28

27

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

20 or more

9 - 19

4 - 8

3 or less

%

Number of years since regular chuch attendance

9

12

14

13

22

30

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

31 or more

21 - 30

16 - 20

11 - 15

6 - 10

5 or less

%


• And almost all respondents once attended worship services on a regular basis

At one time, nearly half of all respondents were involved in some type of small group/Sunday School/discipleship class or volunteer work with the church

Q10. In what ways were you involved when you did attend church regularly?Base: All (n= 469)

Previous involvement in church during regular attendance

2

10

17

40

42

44

45

91

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Other

Served on church council or board

Held a leadership position

Held a non-leader position with regular responsibility

Was a consistent financial supporter of the church

Served/volunteered when individual opportunities arose

Attended a small group, Sunday School or discipleshipclasses

Attended worship services

%

Documents

Www.lifewayresearch.com Formerly Churched Adults Summer 2006