Pastors Report Mixed Economic Signs

Survey of 1,000 Protestant Pastors

2

Methodology

The telephone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted in May 18-25, 2011

The calling list was randomly drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Up to six calls were made to reach a sampled phone number

Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called

Responses were weighted to reflect the geographic distribution of Protestant churches

3

Methodology Continued

The completed sample is 1,000 phone interviews The sample provides 95% confidence that the

sampling error does not exceed +3.2% Margins of error are higher in sub-groups Comparisons are also made to the following

telephone surveys using the same methodology: 1,002 pastors conducted November 5-12, 2009 1,000 pastors conducted March 1-9, 2010 1,000 pastors conducted October 7-14, 2010 1,002 pastors conducted January 17-27, 2011

Survey Responses

5

The impact of the economy on churches is similar to levels in January 2011, but still more negative than 2010.

Don't know

Very nega-tively

Somewhat nega-tively

No impact

Somewhat posi-tively

Very posi-tively

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

1%

8%

54%

27%

8%

2%

1%

13%

66%

16%

2%

0%

1%

9%

59%

23%

8%

1%

1%

9%

58%

24%

7%

1%

May 2011Jan 2011Oct 2010Mar 2010

Q: “How is the current economy impacting your church?”

Among Protestant Pastors

6

In 2011, over 70% of pastors report offerings either about what was budgeted or higher than budgeted.

Q: “Since the beginning of 2011, have your offerings been:”

Higher than budgeted

25%

Lower than budgeted

27%

About what we budgeted

46%

Don't know2%

May 2011 offerings compared to budget

7

Less than one in four Protestant pastors report lower offerings in 2011 compared to 2010.

Above 2010’s of-ferings;

39%

Below 2010’s of-ferings; 22%

The same as 2010’s offerings;

36%

Don't know; 4%

Q: “Compared to your calendar year 2010 offerings, have your total offerings so far for 2011 been…”

May 2011 offerings compared to 2010

8

The average change in giving for Protestant churches in 2011 is +2% but the median is 0%.

Don't know

Above by 25% or more

Above by 10 - 24%

Above by 1 - 9%

Same as 2010

Below by 1 - 9%

Below by 10 - 24%

Below by 25% or more

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

7%

2%

7%

10%

42%

11%

16%

5%

5%

4%

18%

22%

29%

10%

10%

2%

4%

3%

18%

16%

38%

6%

11%

3%

May 2011Jan 2011Oct 2010

Q: “Approximately what percentage are your calendar year 2011 offerings different from you 2010’s offerings?”

Among Protestant Pastors

9

Protestant Churches Have Noticed A Number of Changes in Their Churches

Related to the Economy

96% of pastors report that their church has experienced at least

one of the eleven changes tested

10

70% of Protestant churches are receiving more requests for assistance, and many are making efforts to meet those needs in time and money.

In-crease

d spend-

ing from the

church budget to help

the needy

More people volun-teering

their time in serving in the com-

munity

More re-

quests from

people in the com-

munity out-side your con-

grega-tion for finan-cial

assis-tance

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

45%

50%

70%

Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”

Among Protestant Pastors

11

A higher percentage have a greater sense of excitement about opportunities to minister than have a greater sense of caution about assisting.

A greater sense of cau-

tion within your con-

grega-tion

about your

church trying new

things that cost

money

A greater sense of ex-cite-ment about

the oppor-tuni-

ties to minis-ter to the

needy

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

44%

54%

Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”

Among Protestant Pastors

12

Protestant pastors report many economic impacts on the people with their church.

More people in

your congre-gation who

have lost their

homes to fore-closure

Fewer people volun-teering

because they are working longer hours

More people in

your congre-gation who have

moved away to

find work

More re-

quests from

within your con-

grega-tion for finan-

cial as-sis-

tance

More people in

your congre-gation who

have lost their jobs

More people volun-teering

their time in

church func-tions

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

15%

18%

25%

39%

48%

49%

Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”

Among Protestant Pastors

13

Churches report both an increase and a decrease in people volunteering. Less churches reporting an increase in people losing their jobs.

More people volun-teering their time

serving in the com-

munity

More people volun-teering their

time at church func-tions

Fewer people volun-teering

be-cause they are

working longer hours

More people in your con-

grega-tion who have lost their jobs

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

44%

41%

14%

56%

50%

49%

18%

48%

May 2011Nov 2009

Note: All differences shown are statistically significant at the 5% level.

Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”

Among Protestant Pastors

14

More than 3 in 4 Protestant churches have seen changes in at least three of the categories in the last year.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9+0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

4%8% 10% 13% 14% 17%

12% 9% 7% 6%

Number of Positive Responses to Individual Changes

Q: “Compared to recent years, has your church seen changes in any of the following areas in the last year?”

Among Protestant Pastors

15

Doing More With Less ….

Nearly half of Protestant churches are freezing salaries and making

rather than buying, but around 1 in 4 have launched a new ministry to help

the disadvantaged.

16

Actions churches have taken in response to the economy in May 2011 are very similar to actions in November 2009.

Reduced insurance benefits for

staff

Laid off one or more

employees

Reduced staff

salaries from last year’s levels

Delayed hiring that

was planned

Delayed construc-

tion or other large capi-

tal ex-penses that

were planned

Launched a new min-

istry to help people who are disad-vantaged

Explored starting a new min-

istry to help people who are disad-vantaged

Made or done more

things yourselves as a con-gregation

rather than buying as

many products or

services

Held staff salaries at last year’s

levels

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

5%

5%

11%

8%

14%

24%

31%

40%

49%

6%

7%

9%

10%

15%

26%

30%

49%

47%

May 2011Nov 2009

17% None of these

Q: “Have the recent problems in the economy caused your church to take any of the following actions?”

Among Protestant Pastors

Significant difference at 5% level

17

Over two-thirds of Protestant churches have taken two or less of the actions suggested. 57% have taken no more than one of the economic actions.

0 1 2 3 4 5+0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

17%

26% 25%

16%10%

7%

24%

33%26%

11%4% 2%

AllEconomic

Number of Positive Responses to Individual ActionsNOTE: The following two choices were removed to establish the list of economic actions.(a) Explored starting a new ministry to help people who are disadvantaged(b) Launched a new ministry to help people who are disadvantaged

Q: “Have the recent problems in the economy caused your church to take any of the following actions?”

Among Protestant Pastors

18

“How is the current economy impacting your church?”

• Protestant pastors of churches with attendance of 250 or more are least likely to be very negatively (3%) and most likely to be somewhat positively (14%) impacted by the current economy.

• Churches with Protestant pastors having a graduate degree are less likely to be somewhat negatively impacted (61% to 54%) by the current economy than churches with pastors having at most a Bachelor’s degree.

19

“How is the current economy impacting your church?” continued

• Protestant pastors age 18-44 are most likely to state the economy has had no impact on their church (37%).

20

“Compared to your calendar year 2010 offerings, have your total offerings so far for 2011 been…”

• Churches with larger attendance, 100-249 (49%) and 250+ (47%), are more likely to have increased offerings from 2010 compared to smaller churches, 0-49 (23%) and 50-99 (34%). The smallest churches, attendance of 0-49, are least likely to have increased offerings in 2011.

21

“Compared to your calendar year 2010 offerings, have your total offerings so far for 2011 been…” continued

• Churches with Protestant pastors having a graduate degree are more likely to have increased offerings (41% to 34%) and less likely to have lower offerings (20% to 25%) than churches with pastors having at most a Bachelor’s degree.

• Pastors identifying themselves as “mainline” are more likely to have increased offerings (45% to 38%) compared to pastors identified as “evangelical”.

22

Protestant pastors’ views on the impact of the economy on their church by budget status

Very n

egatively

Somewhat n

egatively

The eco

nomy

has had n

o impact

on m

y ch

urch

Somewhat p

ositive

ly

Very p

ositive

ly0%

40%

80%

Lower than budgeted About what we budgeted Higher than budgeted

“How is the current economy impacting your church?”

Among Protestant Pastors

23

• 91% of pastors of churches that currently have offerings lower than budget state the economy is negatively impacting their church.

• Conversely, 82% of pastors who state the economy is having a positive impact have current offerings either higher than or about equal to budget.

• Of pastors who state the economy is having no impact on their church, 93% have 2011 offerings either higher than or about equal to budget.

Protestant pastors’ views on the impact of the economy on their church by budget status

Pastors Report Mixed Economic Signs

Survey of 1,000 Protestant Pastors