By Paul Seebeck, The Presbyterian News Service.
The majority of worshiping community participants in the 1001 movement are young, racially diverse, and new to the Presbyterian Church (USA)
These are some of the findings in a recently completed worshiping community leaders survey, conducted by Research Services of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
The survey polled leaders from known worshiping communities and new immigrant fellowships within the Presbyterian Church (USA), including recently organized congregations that identify as worshiping communities. Major findings include:
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43% are ages 19-39, an additional 9% are ages 13-18
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53% are racial ethnic communities
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Up to 77% are new to the denomination
The survey also found that 44 percent of the participants had:
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Not attended church within the last five years (20%)
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No previous religious affiliation (17%)
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Were of a non-Christian faith (7%)
In addition, 33 percent had previously participated in churches of other denominations.
“People who have completely given up on church, and mostly on God, are discovering a renewed passion for faith,” said one new worshiping community leader in the survey.
PCUSA Research Services survey of new worshiping community leaders
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In a denomination where one needs a score card to keep up with who is suing who and who, who is not on the payroll with the PMA. This is example of measurement or metrics that really say or imply nothing.
I can start a pizza chain in random locations, pass out some questionnaires that yield demographic data on race, gender, age, orientation of my customers, how many pizzas they have eaten in past, or if this is their first experience. Does that data inform me of whether I need to order more cheese or olives, if I need to add bacon on the menu? Or if I need to go organic in my menu selection? No, it is simply data which neither enlightens, informs, or aid in my business. In fact the data reflects the PCUSA pathological obsession with metrics on race, age, gender, orientation. The PCUSA measures and gathers data only on what it wants to measure to make it feel good about itself and reinforce their own presuppositions. In the social sciences this is called “stove- piping” data.
I have contended for quite some time the 1001 is mostly smoke and mirrors managed by an organization mired in lawsuits, fiscal malfeasance, and general management incompetency. The first question to ask of any data gathering methodology is do you trust the data?
I applaud them for trying.
Right now, their (those attending) “mission” and drive is the newness and excitement of it all. What happens when that wears off? They will be faced with the same pressures as the established churches. A Congregation that has turned inward and no longer a part of the DNA of the mission work of their neighborhood/community.
Additionally, the culture chasing and political emphasis of the denomination is becoming more and more removed from the great IAM and scripture to the great WE ARE and onsumerism. A Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions club look a like will be the result. By the way, the latest PEW surveys show that an emphasis in the opposite direction, from that stated above, is where there is growth.
One can almost feel the excitement here. Like the early Christian church, these young pioneers are paving the way for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be shared with an eager world. In todays impersonal secular world, this is refreshing and exciting news.