05437
August 23, 2005

Uninviting

by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE — Although most Presbyterians have invited someone to church in the past year, personal evangelism and outreach are not strong suits in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a recent poll suggests.

     In the Feb. 2005 Presbyterian Panel sampling of PC(USA) members, elders and ministers, majorities of members (59 percent) and elders (68 percent) said they have invited at least one person to worship at their church in the past year, according to the denomination’s Research Services office.

     A few more — 61 percent of members and 77 percent of elders — said they’d invited someone in the past year to “a function other than worship” at church.

     But when it comes to talking to people they already know about going to church, talking with friends and associates about the meaning of Christian faith, sharing the faith and visiting Presbyterians newly arrived in their communities, church members are not very active (single digit percentages), according to pastors.

     Asked why they hadn’t invited anyone to church, members who had not said: “ I don’t know anyone who doesn’t already attend church somewhere” (36 percent); “I’m not comfortable doing this” (23 percent); “I don’t know anyone who would be interested” (19 percent); and “Our services are not impressive” (18 percent).

     PC(USA) pastors said they spend an average of two hours a month “directly reaching out to individuals who are not currently members of any church.” Nineteen percent said they spend no time doing this kind of outreach, and 10 percent said they devote more than 10 hours a month to such efforts.

     Half of members and 57 percent of elders said their congregations offered classes or programs in personal evangelism in the previous year. Fewer than half — 44 percent of members and 49 percent of elders — said they took advantage of those opportunities.

     A small majority of members (57 percent) and three-quarters of elders said they would be “very interested” or “generally interested” in more congregational training in personal evangelism.