Survey: Religion more diverse, worship more contemporary - by Hartford Seminary - Brief Article

National Catholic Reporter, March 23, 2001

By RELIGION NEWS SERVICE

Candles and-incense are on the wane in America's religious congregations, while guitar and drums are gaining popularity -- and causing more dissension -- in the country's houses of worship, a new study shows.

The sweeping study of 41 religious denominations by Hartford Seminary found those embracing contemporary worship styles are also the most likely to increase their membership rolls, but not without a struggle.

"Congregations that seek to change their style of worship have to pay the price of conflict," said Hartford researcher David Roozen, one of the principle authors of the "Faith Communities Today" study, released March 13.

The five-year project presents one of the most comprehensive looks inside America's houses of worship to date. Organizers say the project represents 90 percent of all churches, synagogues and mosques in the country, and is the closest thing to a religious census in the United States today.

Among the report's major findings:

* Half of all congregations have fewer than 100 "regular participating adults," and 88 percent have fewer than 350.

* Just over half of all congregations -- 52 percent -- are located in rural areas, while only a quarter are located in urban areas.

* Congregational growth has been strongest in the American West.

The future is relatively rosy, according to the numbers, with half of congregations reporting some level of growth, while a third have leveled off and only 19 percent have lost members. Two-thirds of growing congregations can be found where much of the general population is now living -- in suburbs. Churches and synagogues say the fastest-growing congregations are the ones that place the strictest demands on members' time and lifestyles. "The vast number of congregations feel that they have been able to renew their strength and to sustain themselves," said researcher Carl Dudley.

Still, there are troubling undercurrents for congregations looking to the future and trying to attract younger, unreached people -- most often by modifying their worship styles. Often the biggest strains on a congregation come when a less traditional, more informal worship style is adopted and older members feel at odds with their younger counterparts.

Half of all megachurches -- those with 1,000 or more regular participants -- have changed their worship style, and researchers looked to instruments as one measure. Only between 10 percent and 15 percent of older churches use keyboards or drums, compared with about 30 percent of younger congregations.

Roozen said the change in worship style follows a shift in many Christian churches' approach to God. In the past, God has been viewed as a judgmental deity. In recent decades, more emphasis has been put on the personhood of Jesus, resulting in a more personal, intimate view of God. Less structured, informal music better fits that changed view of God, he said.

The Rev. Richard Houseal, research director for the Church of the Nazarene, said the findings present tough choices for churches whose members are aging but still want to attract new worshippers. The bottom line, he said, is that "those churches that changed their worship style ... were more likely to have grown."

The numbers also present challenges for religious leaders who struggle between the stable rural parishes that form the backbone of many denominations and the unreached urban centers. Often smaller rural congregations have a harder time recruiting clergy and paying the bills.