In August 1996 we used the Presbyterian Panel to gather a variety of information from members, elders, and ministers about their efforts to reach unchurched individuals. The results are a "must-read" for anyone interested in understanding the status of evangelism today within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Lay Reports. Large majorities of both members (65 percent) and elders (72 percent) report inviting at least one person to visit their church during the year prior to the survey. Among those issuing invitations, about half--overall, 29 percent of all members and 39 percent of all elders--had invited four or more persons to visit.
At the other extreme, more than a third of members and a quarter of elders indicate no outreach of this sort to anyone over the last year. In fact, 15 percent of members and 8 percent of elders report that either they have never invited anyone to visit their church, or they cannot recall having done so.
When Presbyterians invite someone to church, it's usually a person they already know, often someone they know well. Among members who had invited at least one person to church in the past year, the most recent invitee is described as a friend by 48 percent, as a family member by 27 percent, and as a neighbor by 20 percent.
Pastoral Perspectives. Fewer than 10 percent of pastors respond "to a great extent" when asked about their members' participation in each of these activities:
At the same time, six in every ten pastors report that members in their congregations are active either "to a great extent" or "to some extent" in contacting people they already know [and] urging them to come to church.
As to their own involvement, over eight in ten pastors report spending less than eight hours per month reaching out to the unchurched. About one-half of pastors report spending two hours or less per month on such outreach.
Around two-thirds of pastors report that there was training in faith-sharing or evangelism in their congregation during the past two years. Such training was more likely to occur in a session committee (56 percent so report) than in the entire session (34 percent), and in a selected group of members (56 percent) than in the congregation at large (26 percent).
Prospects for Change. Few members or elders respond "very likely" when asked if they are willing and able to allocate more time and effort to reach out to the unchurched in their community (see figure). While another third respond "likely," overall a majority of members and a plurality of elders indicate they are either "not very likely" or "not at all likely" to find more time for evangelistic outreach.
Among the subsets of members and elders who report it "very likely" or "likely" that they could find more time for evangelism, four hours per month is the median estimate of additional time they could make available for this purpose. Overall, about one in seven members and one in five elders indicate both some likelihood of devoting more time to evangelism and a willingness to give five or more hours per month to that cause.
For more: Order a copy of the complete results from PDS at (800) 524-2612 and request the August 1996 Presbyterian Panel Report on "Evangelism" (#70360-96210). The cost is $5.00. Or, read the complete Evangelism Summary (August 1996) online.
Email the author: Jack Marcum
Research Services