SBC Pastor Views on Calvinism. Survey of 1,066 SBC Pastors

Transcription

1 SBC Pastor Views on Calvinism Survey of 1,066 SBC Pastors

2 2 Methodology The mail and on-line survey of SBC pastors was conducted from April 1 - May 11, 2012 The mailing list was randomly drawn from a stratified list of all SBC congregations. Surveys were mailed to the senior pastor with the option of completing on-line Responses were weighted to reflect the geographic distribution and worship attendance of SBC congregations

3 3 Methodology Continued The completed sample is 1,066 surveys The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3.0% Margins of error are higher in sub-groups

4 Survey Responses

5 The majority strongly disagree their church is theologically reformed or Calvinist. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 52% Strongly 14% Somewhat Among SBC Pastors 22% Somewhat Agree 8% Strongly Agree 5 4% Don t Know Q: My church is theologically reformed or Calvinist. n=993

6 Nearly half strongly disagree their church is theologically Arminian or Wesleyan. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 49% Strongly 15% Somewhat Among SBC Pastors 21% Somewhat Agree 9% Strongly Agree 6 6% Don t Know Q: My church is theologically Arminian or Wesleyan. n=967

7 Almost 90% strongly disagree a person can reject Christ and lose their salvation after becoming a Christian. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 89% Strongly 5% Somewhat Among SBC Pastors 2% 3% Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree 7 1% Don t Know Q: A person can, after becoming a Christian, reject Christ and lose their salvation. n=1010

8 8 Two-thirds strongly disagree with double predestination. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 67% Strongly Among SBC Pastors 9% 10% 11% Somewhat Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree 2% Don t Know Q: Before the foundation of the world, God predestined some people to salvation and some to damnation. n=1017

9 More than three in four strongly disagree that Christ died only for the elect. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 77% Strongly Among SBC Pastors 6% 6% Somewhat Somewhat Agree 10% Strongly Agree 9 1% Don t Know Q: Christ died only for the elect, not for everyone in the world. n=1020

10 10 70% disagree they are a five-point Calvinist. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 70% Strongly Among SBC Pastors 8% 8% 8% Somewhat Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree 7% Don t Know Q: I am a five-point Calvinist. n=1002

11 Over 60% agree they are concerned about the impact of Calvinism in our convention. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 16% 14% Strongly Somewhat Among SBC Pastors 26% Somewhat Agree 35% Strongly Agree 11 9% Don t Know Q: I am concerned about the impact of Calvinism in our convention. n=1005

12 12 About half agree that God is the true evangelist and His grace is irresistible. 100% Among SBC Pastors 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 29% 19% 19% 31% 10% 0% Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree 2% Don t Know Q: It diminishes God s sovereignty to invite all persons to repent and believe. n=1011

13 Over 90% strongly disagree it diminishes God s sovereignty to invite all persons to repent and believe. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 91% Strongly 5% Somewhat Among SBC Pastors 1% 3% Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree 13 1% Don t Know Q: It diminishes God s sovereignty to invite all persons to repent and believe. n=1023

14 Significant Differences 14

15 15 My church is theologically reformed or Calvinist Pastors of Churches 0-49 (8%) are the most likely to select Don t Know Pastors of Churches in the West (16%) are more likely to Strongly Agree than pastors of churches in the South (7%) Pastors of Churches in the West (37%) are less likely to Strongly than pastors of churches in the South (55%) Pastors age are the least likely to Strongly (39%)

16 16 My church is theologically Arminian or Wesleyan Pastors of Churches 0-49 (11%) are the most likely to select Don t Know Pastors of Churches 0-49 (11%) are less likely to Somewhat than churches (17%) and 250+ (21%) Pastors age (21%) and (18%) are more likely to Somewhat than pastors age (12%) and 65+ (6%) No significant differences found among regions of the country

17 17 A person can, after becoming a Christian, reject Christ and lose their salvation Pastors of Churches 0-49 (84%) are the least likely to Strongly Pastors of Churches 0-49 (6%) are more likely to Strongly Agree than churches (2%) and (1%) No significant differences found among regions of the country or pastor ages

18 Before the foundation of the world, God predestined some people to salvation and some to damnation 18 Pastors age are the most likely to Strongly Agree (21%) and the least likely to Strongly (52%) Pastors age (76%) and 65+ (77%) are more likely to Strongly than pastors age (52%) and (64%) Pastors age 65+ (3%) are the least likely to Somewhat Agree No patterns of significant differences found among church size or regions of the country

19 19 Christ died only for the elect, not for everyone in the world Pastors age (17%) and (12%) are more likely to Strongly Agree than pastors age (4%) and 65+ (5%) Pastors age (86%) and 65+ (89%) are more likely to Strongly than pastors age (61%) and (74%) No patterns of significant differences found among church size or regions of the country

20 20 I am a five-point Calvinist Pastors of Churches 0-49 are the most likely to select Don t Know (14%) and the least likely to Strongly (62%) Pastors age (18%) and (10%) are more likely to Strongly Agree than pastors age (3%) and 65+ (1%) Pastors age (77%) and 65+ (77%) are more likely to Strongly than pastors age (60%) and (66%) No significant differences found among regions of the country

21 21 I am concerned about the impact of Calvinism in our convention Pastors of Churches 0-49 are the most likely to select Don t Know (16%) Pastors of Churches in the Midwest (20%) are more likely to Somewhat than pastors of churches in the South (13%) Pastors of Churches in the Midwest (27%) are less likely to Strongly Agree than pastors of churches in the South (37%) Pastors age (4%) are the least likely to select Don t Know Pastors age (26%) are the most likely to Strongly Pastors age (20%) and (17%) are more likely to Somewhat than pastors age (10%) and 65+ (9%) Pastors age 65+ (50%) are the most likely to Strongly Agree

22 God is the true evangelist and when he calls someone to himself, his grace is irresistible 22 Pastors of Churches 0-49 are the most likely to Strongly Agree (40%) Pastors of Churches 0-49 (25%) are less likely to Strongly than pastors of churches (34%) and 250+ (35%) Pastors age (20%) are less likely to Strongly than pastors age (37%) and 65+ (33%) Pastors age (13%) are less likely to Somewhat Agree than pastors age (23%) and (22%) No patterns of significant differences found among regions of the country

23 23 It diminishes God s sovereignty to invite all persons to repent and believe Pastors age 65+ (5%) are more likely to Strongly Agree than pastors age (1%) and (1%) Pastors age (6%) are more likely to Somewhat than pastors age 65+ (2%) No patterns of significant differences found among church sizes, regions of the country

24 SBC Pastor Views on Calvinism Survey of 1,066 SBC Pastors