Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Review of Religious Research

Abstract

Using surveys, this study gathered and examined demographic and religious characteristics of attendees and clergy of a group of growing mainline Protestant churches in Canada and compared them to those from declining mainline Protestant churches from the same geographical region and group of denominations. In total, 2255 attendees from 22 churches (13 declining and 9 growing) participated along with their church’s clergy (N = 29). Several notable differences between the characteristics of growing and declining churches were identified. When other factors were controlled for in multivariate analysis, the theological conservatism of both attendees and clergy emerged as important factors in predicting church growth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Among North American Protestants there is a high degree of overlap between the categories “conservative Protestant” and “evangelical,” and Canadian researchers often use them as rough equivalents (e.g. Bibby 1987: 26; Reimer 2003: 6; Bowen 2004: 24). In this article we use “conservative theology” or “theologically conservative” to refer to a set of beliefs and dispositions that are typical of conservative Protestants and evangelicals, but that may be held by those who do not belong to conservative Protestant or evangelical denominations or who would not self-identify as such.

  2. Thus, we considered congregations to be “mainline Protestant” based on their denominational affiliation. Canadian researchers consistently classify these four denominations as mainline Protestant denominations and distinguish them from conservative Protestant denominations (e.g. Bibby 1993: 8; Bowen 2004: 24; Reimer and Wilkinson 2015: 218). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada uses the term “Evangelical” in the same way it has traditionally been used in Germany, that it, to refer to all Protestant churches in the tradition of the Reformation, rather than in the typical North American sense connoting a type of conservative Protestantism (c.f. Bowen 2004: 25 note 3).

References

  • Bibby, R.W. 2011. Beyond the gods and back: Religion’s demise and rise and why it matters. Lethbridge, AB: Project Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bibby, R.W. 1993. Unknown gods: The ongoing story of religion in Canada. Toronto, ON: Stoddart Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bibby, R.W. 1987. Fragmented gods: The poverty and potential of religion in Canada. Toronto, ON: Irwin Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bibby, R.W., and M.B. Brinkerhoff. 1994. Circulation of the Saints, 1966–1990: New data, new reflections. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 33: 273–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bibby, R.W., and M.B. Brinkerhoff. 1983. Circulation of the saints revisited: A longitudinal look at conservative church growth. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 22: 253–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bibby, R.W., and M.B. Brinkerhoff. 1973. The circulation of the saints: A study of people who join conservative churches. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 12: 273–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouma, G.D. 1979. The real reason one conservative church grew. Review of Religious Research 20(2): 127–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, K. 2004. Christians in a secular world: The Canadian experience. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkinshaw, R.K. 1995. Pilgrims in lotus land: Conservative Protestantism in British Columbia, 1917–1981. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaves, M. 2004. Congregations in America. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Church Growth Research Programme. 2014. From anecdote to evidence: Findings from the church growth research programme 2011–2013. London: Church of England Archbishops’ Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donahue, M.J., and P.L. Benson. 1993. Belief style, congregational climate, and program quality. In Church and denominational growth, ed. D.A. Roozen, and C.K. Hadaway, 225–240. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finke, R., and R. Stark. 2005. The Churching of America, 1776–2005: Winners and losers in our religious economy. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finke, R., and R. Stark. 2001. The new holy clubs: Testing church-to-sect propositions. Sociology of Religion 62: 175–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finke, R., M. Bahr, and C.P. Scheitle. 2006. Toward explaining congregational giving. Social Science Research 35(3): 620–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flatt, K.N. 2013. After evangelicalism: The sixties and the United Church of Canada. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flatt, K.N. 2010. A mainline minority: Assessing the present state of the United Church renewal movement. Church and Faith Trends 3(3): 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadaway, C.K. 2011. FACTS on growth: 2010. Hartford, CT: Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadaway, C.K. 1993. Is evangelistic activity related to church growth? In Church and denominational growth, ed. D.A. Roozen, and C.K. Hadaway, 169–187. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadaway, C.K. 1991. From stability to growth: A study of factors related to the statistical revitalization of Southern Baptist Congregations. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 30(2): 181–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadaway, C.K. 1978. Denominational switching and membership growth. In search of a relationship. Social Analysis 39: 321–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadaway, C.K., and D.A. Roozen. 1993a. Denominational growth and decline. In Church and denominational growth, ed. D.A. Roozen, and C.K. Hadaway, 37–45. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadaway, C.K., and D.A. Roozen. 1993b. The growth and decline of congregations. In Church and denominational growth, ed. D.A. Roozen, and C.K. Hadaway, 127–134. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haskell, D.M., K. Paradis, and S. Burgoyne. 2008. Defending the faith: Reaction to The DaVinci Code, The Jesus Papers, The Gospel of Judas and other pop culture discourses in Easter Sunday sermons. Review of Religious Research 50(2): 139–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiemstra, R. 2008. Evangelical alignment in Canada. Church and Faith Trends 1(3): 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiemstra, R. 2007. Counting Canadian evangelicals. Church and Faith Trends 1(1): 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoge, D.R., and D.A. Roozen. 1979. Understanding church growth and decline, 1950–1978. New York: Pilgrim Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hout, M., A. Greeley, and M.J. Wilde. 2001. The demographic imperative in religious change in the United States. American Journal of Sociology 107(2): 468–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iannaccone, L.R. 1994. Why strict churches are strong. American Journal of Sociology 99(5): 1180–1211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iannaccone, L.R., D.V.A. Olson, and R. Stark. 1995. Religious resources and church growth. Social Forces 74(2): 705–731.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, D.M. 1972. Why conservative churches are growing: A study in sociology of religion. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez, B.C., and K.D. Dougherty. 2013. Race, belonging, and participation in religious congregations. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 52(4): 713–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClure, J.M. 2013. Sources of social support: Examining congregational involvement, private devotional activities, and congregational context. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 52(4): 698–712.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKinney, J., and R. Finke. 2002. Reviving the mainline: An overview of clergy support for evangelical renewal movements. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41(4): 773–785.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKinney, W., and D.R. Hoge. 1983. Community and congregational factors in the growth and decline of Protestant churches. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 22(1): 51–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, L.D., and D.G. Bromley. 1988. Another look at conversion and defection in conservative churches. In Falling from faith: Causes and consequences of religious apostasy, ed. D.G. Bromley, 47–61. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, D.V.A., and P. Perl. 2005. Free and cheap riding in strict, conservative churches. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 44(2): 123–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olson, D.V.A., and P. Perl. 2001. Variations in strictness and religious commitment within and among five denominations. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40(4): 757–764.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. 1990. Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, E.L., and D.R. Hoge. 1981. Faith priorities of pastor and laity as a factor in the growth or decline of Presbyterian congregations. Review of Religious Research 22(3): 221–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rawlyk, G. 1996. Is Jesus your Personal Saviour? In search of Canadian evangelicalism in the 1990s. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reese, M.G. 2008. Unbinding the Gospel: Real life evangelism. St. Louis, MO: Chalice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer, S. 2003. Evangelicals and the continental divide: The conservative protestant subculture in Canada and the United States. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer, S., and M. Wilkinson. 2015. A culture of faith: Evangelical congregations in Canada. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheitle, C.P., and R. Finke. 2008. Maximizing congregational resources: Selection versus production. Social Science Research 37(3): 815–827.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C., M. Emerson, S. Gallagher, P. Kennedy, and D. Sikkink. 1998. American evangelicalism: Embattled and thriving. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stark, R., and R. Finke. 2000. Acts of faith: Explaining the human side of religion. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamney, J.B. 2005. Does strictness explain the appeal of working-class conservative protestant congregations? Sociology of Religion 66(3): 283–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamney, J.B., and S.D. Johnson. 1998. The popularity of strict churches. Review of Religious Research 39(3): 209–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamney, J.B., and S.D. Johnson. 1997. A research note on the free-rider issue. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 36(1): 104–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamney, J.B., S.D. Johnson, K. McElmurry, and G. Saunders. 2003. Strictness and congregational growth in middletown. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42(3): 363–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, J.N., and D.V.A. Olson. 2010. Testing the strictness thesis and competing theories of congregational growth. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 49(4): 619–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Church of Canada. 2016. Statistics. Retrieved January 8, 2016 from the United Church web site at: http://www.united-church.ca/organization/statistics.

  • Voas, D., and L. Watt. 2014. The church growth research programme report on strands 1 and 2. Numerical change in church attendance: National, local and individual factors. London: Church of England Archbishops’ Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellman, J.K. 2008. Evangelical vs. liberal. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, J., and M.G. Reese. 2006. Summary of responses for “Survey of Evangelicalism in Mainline Churches”: A study of mainline churches performing high numbers of adult baptisms. St. Louis, MO: GraceNet Mainline Evangelicalism Project.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yellow Pages Group. 2016. Church Phone Numbers: Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved January 8, 2016 from the Canada411.ca web site at: http://canada411.yellowpages.ca/search/si/1/church/Toronto%2C+ON.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by internal grants from the research offices of Wilfrid Laurier University and Redeemer University College. The data for this study may be obtained for the purpose of replication by contacting the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wilfrid Laurier University—Brantford Campus, 73 George St., Brantford, ON, N3T 2Y3, Canada

    David Millard Haskell & Stephanie Burgoyne

  2. Redeemer University College, 777 Garner Road East, Ancaster, ON, L9K 1J4, Canada

    Kevin N. Flatt

Authors
  1. David Millard Haskell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kevin N. Flatt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stephanie Burgoyne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to David Millard Haskell or Kevin N. Flatt.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Haskell, D.M., Flatt, K.N. & Burgoyne, S. Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy. Rev Relig Res 58, 515–541 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-016-0255-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-016-0255-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation