Research Report People Joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pennsylvania and their Experience with the Church

Research Report People Joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pennsylvania and their Experience with the Church By Monte Sahlin and Paul Richardson April 2002

The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of people are joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Pennsylvania Conference, how they happened to join the Church and what happened to them in the first year or two of their membership. This information can be useful in improving the outreach, evangelism and nurture ministries of the Church. This study was conducted by the Center for Creative Ministry for the Pennsylvania Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with financial assistance from the Columbia Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The demographics indicate that it is very likely an excellent sample of the kinds of people joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America in those conferences other than the Regional Conferences and a few highlyurbanized conferences were almost all new members come from immigrant communities. A total of 296 people are listed in the records of the Pennsylvania Conference as joining the congregations in the conference through baptism or Profession of Faith during the year 1997. Beginning in the fall of 1999 and continuing into the spring of 2000, interviewers made contact with as many of these individuals as possible. The interviews were conducted by telephone about two years after these people joined the Church. Interviews were completed with 215 individuals and another 25 were identified as situations in which an interview is not applicable. This means the response rate for this study is 81%, a very good response rate for survey research. The data in this report are based on the 215 interviews. Of the 25 individuals identified as not being applicable interviews, two are deceased, nine say that they are long-term Church members who were baptized or made Profession of Faith much earlier than 1997, and 14 have moved out of the Pennsylvania Conference and a current address and phone number cannot be found. Of the nine individuals who identified themselves as longterm members, it is possible that some of these were rebaptized in 1997 or there may be record errors related to the date of their joining the Church. A total of 56 new members could not be interviewed. Of these, 15 refused to be interviewed and 11 indicated that their membership in the Adventist Church had been dropped. Another 20 are Hispanic members who either speak no English or cannot now be contacted. It is possible that a number of these have left the country. The remaining 21 new members are individuals that could not be contacted because no working phone number could be found for them either through their local pastor, first elder or church clerk, or through searches of phone directory data bases on the Internet, or in some cases repeated attempts were made to reach them over a number of months and no one at their homes ever answered the phone. Demographics of New Members Women significantly outnumber men among the new members, by 60% to 40%. (See page 1.) This is consist with both national and regional interfaith studies which show that women in America are much more likely to join a church and be actively involved in a church than are men. i

Nearly two-thirds of the new members (59%) were born in Pennsylvania. (See page 1.) This is significant because the state of Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of residents born in the state among the 50 states in the U.S.A. It consists largely of deeply-rooted individuals who have lived in their local communities for a long time, often for several generations. Adventist evangelism across America tends to get its largest response from among newcomers who have recently moved into a community, so this characteristic could be a barrier to evangelism in Pennsylvania. Yet, the evidence is that the Pennsylvania Conference is winning significant numbers of native-born residents. At the same time, one in five new members (19%) are immigrants, born as citizens of a country other than the U.S. (See page 1.) This is double the rate for the general population in Pennsylvania and indicates that the Church is growing faster among immigrants than among the native-born. Reaching New Generations Most of the new members (58%) are in the Baby Boom and Baby Bust ( Gen X ) generations, adults now 26 to 56 years of age. (See page 2.) Five generations of Americans make up the demographic and cultural dynamics of the nation today. 1. The World War II generation born before 1925, now over 78 years of age, they were 17 to 40 on Pearl Harbor Sunday. It includes Billy Graham, Ann Landers, Lee Iacocca, Jimmy Stewart, Joe DiMaggio and Walt Disney. They have been good soldiers, loyal workers, institution-builders. They came home from a World War that they won and defined normalcy in the 1950s after two decades of upheaval and uncertainty. 2. The Swing generation born from 1925 through 1945, now 57 to 77 years of age, grew up during the depression and World War II. It includes Elvis Presley, Phil Donahue, Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Andy Warhol, Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson. This generation has never had one of its cohort in the White House, but has dominated the Congress since 1980. It is small in number and generally less aggressive or expressive than either the World War II or Baby Boom generations. 3. The Baby Boom generation born from 1946 through 1964, now 38 to 56 years of age, grew up during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations and the Watergate affair. It includes Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Spike Lee, Steven Jobs, Jane Pauley, Woodward and Bernstein, and David Letterman. Raised on television, the space program, Rock music, this generation continues to live with massive change every step of the way. 4. The Baby Bust or 13 th generation (often called Gen X ), born from 1965 through 1976, now 26 to 37 years of age, grew up during the abortion debate, Iran hostage crisis, long lines at gas pumps, Challenger space shuttle explosion, and the collapse of Communism. It includes Mike Tyson, Mary Lou Retton, Brooke Shields, as well as a lot of people whose names are not well known yet. It is small in number and has been the subject of much harsh criticism in the ii

popular media, and now these younger adults are moving into the prime parenting years, forming families of their own. 5. The Millennial generation (sometimes called Gen Y ), born from 1977 through 1994, now 8 through 25 years of age, is growing up accustomed to the Internet and the explosion of high technology, a time of great diversity and as witnesses to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the resulting non-traditional warfare around the globe. These are our pre-teens, teenagers and young adults. There are significant numbers of unchurched Americans among the three younger generations, and negative attitudes toward institutions, including organized religion. Yet, Pennsylvania Conference congregations are having success in reaching middle-aged and younger adults from these generations. It is having less success in reaching teenagers and young adults. Education and Lifestyle of New Members Most of the new members joining Pennsylvania Conference churches (69%) have completed only a secondary education or less. (See page 2.) Only one in five converts has a college degree. This is consistent with the occupations of new members, the largest number being Blue Collar workers. (See page 3.) Adventist evangelism has traditionally appealed more to Blue Collar workers with little higher education, although among second generation Adventist members born into Adventist homes, there is a very high rate of higher education. It is more than double that of the general population. These differences in world view and approach to life can cause conflicts in congregations from time to time. Three in five of the new members (61%) are married. (See page 3.) This is consistent with the general population, but a smaller percentage than the Adventist Church membership. One in seven new members (15%) are divorced or separated, which is also consistent with the general population. Religious Background of New Members Converts are being drawn from a more active religious background than is typical for Americans today. Four out of five (82%) report that their parents took them to Sunday School/Sabbath School or church as a child. (See page 4.) Seven in ten (72%) say that their parents attended religious services at least once a month, while long-term studies by Gallup Poll, Barna Research and the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago demonstrate that only about four in ten Americans attend church regularly. The largest number of new members grew up in a Catholic home (27%), while almost as many grew up in an Adventist family (26%). (See page 5.) In fact, it appears that a growing share of converts are former Adventists returning to the Church. In 1969, Cree Sandefur, the president of the Columbia Union Conference, conducted a survey of new members across the eight-state iii

region, and at that time nearly three decades earlier only 14% of the converts grew up in the Church. (See page 5, bottom of the page.) This may be the result of the emphasis on Reconnecting Ministries in the Adventist Church since 1993, or it may indicate a pattern for concern in which Adventist evangelism increasingly consists of re-circulating the saints or talking to ourselves. The largest number of the spouses of new members (27%) come from mainstream Protestant backgrounds. (See page 6.) Among the spouses, those with an Adventist upbringing remain the second largest group, while those from Catholic families drop to the fourth largest group. This indicates that it is likely that a large share of the converts coming into the Adventist Church from a Catholic upbringing have earlier married outside of Catholicism. In general, American Catholics are very loyal to their church even when they disagree profoundly with the Catholic hierarchy. Those who are in interfaith marriages are less likely to be loyal and often seek a third place outside the Catholic church and the religious background of their spouse. Pennsylvania Conference churches are winning small, but significant numbers of unchurched converts. (See pages 5 and 6.) About one in five grew up with no religious affiliation, which is somewhat greater than the national average. At the same time, very few new members joining the Pennsylvania Conference congregations come from a conservative Protestant background only about one in 20. This is consistent with the general population in Pennsylvania and the region, but should cause a re-evaluation of the typical evangelistic methods used in outreach which largely assume a conservative Protestant background even in such simple items as which Bible translation is used, what hymns are sung, etc. First Contact with the Adventist Church Very few of the new members first became aware of the Adventist Church during the year or two prior to their baptism. (See page 6.) The largest number have known about the Adventist Church for many years. Immigrants are somewhat more likely to have first heard about the Church recently, as are those new members with less than a secondary education. This indicates that the process of winning converts requires a long-term strategy and cannot be very effective in a single, specific event or a focused campaign of a year or two. The majority of new members (56%) report that they first heard about the Adventist Church through a friend or relative. (See page 7.) This is even more likely to be true among adults in their 30s, as well as among immigrants and those with less than a secondary education. Older converts those over 57 years of age are more likely to report having first heard about the Church through advertising or media ministries. Those with a college degree are more likely to indicate that they first heard about the Church through means not included on the list. A comparison of Sandefur s 1969 data from throughout the eight-state region with this study indicates that the relational approach has long been the primary means for reaching new people. At the same time, more people today are hearing about the Church through public evangelism and methods not listed, while significantly fewer are being contacted through visitation, iv

literature evangelism and media ministries. All of these facts demonstrate the need for the Church to develop and implement a coherent relational strategy for outreach and evangelism, and to explore new approaches not included among the conventional set of methods. The Decision to Join the Adventist Church In a narrative question, respondents were asked to tell the story of how they decided to join the Adventist Church. Each story is highly personal and complex. In most cases it is a mistake to think of one key factor because a cluster of elements were involved, and if any one of the elements had been removed it is unlikely that the person would have joined the Church. The majority mention two, three or four key items. (See page 8.) Attendance at public evangelistic meetings is a key element in a third of the stories (34%) and almost as many times a specific relationship (29%) or specific doctrine or doctrines (26%) is mentioned. (See pages 8.) Life events and personal problems or specific feelings and emotions are mentioned as key elements in about one in five stories (9% each) and almost as many speak of their bonding with the congregation during Sabbath worship (8%) or spiritual motivations (7%). Apocalyptic motivations, negative feelings about a religion that they used to belong to, advertising, print materials and media ministries were mentioned by very few converts in describing how they came to make a decision. (See page 9.) A concern that is often raised regarding the conventional evangelistic methods used by the Adventist Church has to do with people who are tricked into joining the Church through manipulative processes and then soon drop out. Only 5% of those interviewed indicate that they might fall into this not really a convert category. This includes those who say that they wanted to be baptized, but did not want to join a church, and those who did not understand at the time that by agreeing to be baptized they were also agreeing to join the local church, and those who say they simply went along with social pressure from family and friends, and those who report they quit attending immediately after baptism. What Attracts Converts? After listening to the narrative description of how each new member decided to join the Adventist Church, the interviewer then asked about four factors that attracted you to the Adventist Church. The new members responded to each of the four items by indicating if it provided little or no attraction, some attraction or much attraction in their minds. Four out of five new members (77%) say that the truth and beauty of the Church s teachings provided much attraction for them, while almost none report that it provided little or no attraction. (See page 9.) New members from the Baby Boom generation are more likely to say that the Church s teachings had much attraction for them, as are immigrants. New members from the Millennial generation are more likely to say it provided little or no attraction for them, as are those with a graduate degree. v

The majority of new members (55%) say that the warmth and friendship of church members provided much attraction for them, while less than one in ten (9%) say that it provided little or no attraction. New members from the Millennial generation are more likely to say this item had much attraction for them, as are those with a graduate degree. Half the new members report that the charisma of the pastor or evangelist (51%) and my own needs and personal situation (49%) provide much of the attraction for them to join the Adventist Church. New members with a graduate degree are more likely to say this about the charisma of the pastor/evangelist, while immigrants are more likely to say this about their own personal needs and situation. After reviewing these four items, the interviewers asked each new member, Was there something else not in the list that I just read that was a strong attraction for you to join the Adventist Church? One in five of the respondents answered this question, but an analysis of these responses reveals that most (28 of 43) simply re-stated in different words one of the four key items in the list. A total of 15 respondents (about 7%) actually added to the list. Half of these additional responses involve mentions of a specific church ministry which was important in the conversion of the new member. A third mentioned inner, spiritual motivations. One new member listed a media ministry. One woman felt tricked into joining. An Andrews University student asked her to sign a baptism card and she did not know what she was agreeing to. But now, she s glad she s a member of the Church. Major Life Events and Conversion Prior research, both in other denominations and interfaith studies that include Adventists in the sample, has revealed the fact that people who join a church have high levels of stress using the Holmes-Rhae Scale of anxiety-producing life events. In this study we tested this hypothesis by asking about twelve of the most powerful life events, Please tell me if any of these things happened to you during the 12 months prior to the time you decided to join the Adventist Church. The majority of the new members did not have high levels of stress during the year prior to their decision to join the Church. At the same time, about a third did experience high levels of anxiety-producing events and half say that my own needs and personal situation were key motivations for their decision. One in seven new members (15%) experienced the death of a loved one during the year prior to their decision to join the church. (See page 10.) Almost as many (14%) report a serious illness or injury, (13%) financial problems, (12%) getting married, or (12%) moving into the community. This last item is perhaps the most surprising, in view of research which shows that a very high percentage of Adventist converts are among newcomers in the community. Pennsylvania may be an exceptional case due to the high percentage of new members who were born in the state. vi

One of the ways that Adventist congregations in Pennsylvania can reach more potential new members is through ministries that bring them into contact with people experiencing anxietyproducing life events. Clearly other denominations and megachurches are reaping large numbers because of this factor, and significant numbers will join the Adventist Church if it responds to the same needs. The Adventist Church does not have to let go of its successful focus on doctrines in order to open up new fronts for evangelism among those who are motivated more by personal needs and life situations than by doctrinal study. In the end, by working on more than one front, larger numbers of people will be reached with the Adventist message and mission. Returning Dropouts Nearly a third of the new members (29%) have previously joined the Adventist Church and then dropped out. (See page 11.) New members from the Baby Boom generation and the Baby Bust generation are more likely to be dropouts, as are those with a college degree. In fact, two in five of the new members from the Baby Boom generation (41%) are returning Adventist dropouts. The majority of immigrants joining the Church (56%) are former Adventists. The vast majority of these returning dropouts (79%) first joined the Adventist Church as children or young adults. (See page 11.) Only one in five (21%) first joined the Adventist Church when they were over 30 years of age. This is consistent with prior research which shows that most dropouts come from members who are raised in the Church rather than from adult converts. Most of the returning dropouts quit attending Church as younger adults; a third (31%) while in their 20s and a quarter (24%) while in their 30s or 40s. (See page 12.) This confirms the prior research which shows the difficulty that the Adventist Church has in holding onto the young people who grow up in church-related families. Most join the church as teenagers and then drop out during their early adult years. Often they return when they have children of their own. Previous research has shown that very few of these dropouts leave because they stop believing in Adventist doctrines, and the same is true for these returning dropouts in the Pennsylvania Conference. Asked by the interviewers how they happened to quit going to church, the majority respond that church was not meeting their needs at the time, or they were involved in personal problems that became overwhelming, or their marriage broke up, or there were other relational problems in the church or family. (See page 13.) The small number of returning dropouts who say that they left because they do not believe in Adventist doctrine are all former members of the World-wide Church of God who left that denomination because of its doctrinal changes. They constitute a very small percentage of the overall picture and have developed a pattern of changing denominations as they search for a place that conforms to their own, specific beliefs. vii

Church Attendance and Involvement of New Members Two-thirds of the new members interviewed had attended worship on Sabbath at an Adventist Church at least once in the four weeks prior to the interview. The majority (51%) had attended three out of four or each of the previous four weeks. (See page 14.) A third had not attended even once out of the four Sabbaths prior to the interview. When this attendance pattern is compared to the survey of Adventist Church members in Philadelphia taken last year as part of the Metro Initiative, clearly the new members are less likely to attend church regularly than are a cross-section of active members. It appears that about half of the new members have achieved a normal attendance pattern, while half are either not attending at all or attend significantly less often than the norm for active members. (The Philadelphia survey was taken on Sabbath mornings in churches and included some attenders who are not baptized Adventists. It also could not have included the 25% to 35% of the members on most church rolls that have long since quit attending.) At the same time, the new members are just as likely as the average Adventist across North America or in the eight-state territory of the Columbia Union Conference to participate in small group ministries or the mid-week meeting at their church. (See page 14.) Nearly two in five new members (38%) are doing so, which is an important tool for their spiritual formation and faith development. Teens and young adults in the Millennial generation are more likely to participate in small groups and mid-week meetings. Yet, they are significantly less likely to hold a church office or volunteer responsibility in some church ministry. Again, two in five new members are involved in church ministries, but that is almost half the normal rate for Adventists in the Columbia Union Conference and across North America. This could be the result of a traditional pattern in many congregations where new members are not asked to take roles in church ministries. Among the new members in this study, those from the Baby Boom generation are more likely to hold a volunteer leadership responsibility, which indicates that perhaps it is not so much new members who are not asked to participate as it is younger members. The majority of new members (53%) report that they do not have any children living in their home. (See page 15.) Among the nearly half (47%) who do have children, about one in four say that they have a child enrolled in an Adventist school and about half say that they have a child who belongs to the Pathfinder Club or Adventist Youth group. Spiritual Growth and Mentoring of New Members Asked about your assurance that you have eternal life, three out of four of the new members (76%) say they are very certain. (See page 15.) Those from the Baby Boom generation are more likely to give this response, as are those with a college degree and those from an immigrant background. Men are more likely than women to express assurance. Young adults and teenagers are somewhat less likely to express assurance. viii

Asked about the relationship you have with Jesus Christ, two thirds of the new members (67%) describe it as intimate. Again, new members from the Baby Boom generation are more likely to express this opinion, as are those with a graduate degree and those from an immigrant background. Again, young adults and teenagers are somewhat less likely to give a response indicating a strong relationship with Christ. There appear to be significant problems in the personal mentoring of new members in the local churches in Pennsylvania. Prior research indicates that a new member must have at least six friends in the congregation with which they spend time outside of church activities in order to become a long-term, committed member of the group. Only one in five of these new members reports having six or more such friends in their local church. (See page 16.) A third say that they have no personal friend from the Church with whom they spend time outside of church activities. A quarter have only one, two or three such friends, and another 20% have only four or five such friends. Yet, clearly, at least a few congregations are doing well in this area; 8% of the new members report that they have more than 10 such friends in their church. Evaluation of Their Local Church The new members interviewed were asked to evaluate eight key dimensions of their local, Adventist congregation. More than three out of four (77%) give a positive evaluation to the preaching of their pastor, with very few giving a negative evaluation. (See page 16.) About two thirds are positive in their evaluation of their pastor s leadership, the music and style of worship on Sabbath, and the Sabbath School. About half give a positive evaluation to the lay leadership (church board) in their congregation, the children s and youth ministries, and the evangelistic outreach of the church, with small, but growing numbers who give a negative evaluation. But only two in five give a positive evaluation to the community service activities of their local church. This area also gets the highest negative evaluation, and is clearly the blind spot in most Adventist congregations. Teenagers and younger adults from the Millennial and Baby Bust generations are especially critical of this weakness. New members were asked a specific question designed to evaluate the inclusiveness of their local, Adventist congregation. Two thirds (65%) report that they find all the members of their local church open and welcoming to new members. (See page 17.) Another 22% say that most of the members of their local church are open and welcoming, but a few are not. About one in ten (9%) say that a few members are open and welcoming, while most are not, and 4% of the new members report that almost no one in their local church is open and welcoming to new members. In general this is good news, but is does not overcome the lack of mentoring relationships noted above. How Many of the New Members Have Dropped Out? More than one in four of the new members baptized into Pennsylvania Conference churches in 1997 (28%) had quit attending or ended their Church membership within the first two years. (See page 17.) Young adults and new members from an immigrant background are more likely to ix

drop out. This also means that 72% of those baptized or making a Profession of Faith were still active church members after the first two years. Those new members who indicated that they were no longer active in the Adventist Church were asked in the interviews, How did you happen to quit attending? The largest number indicate that it has to do with personal and relational problems in their lives, often issues that are not directly or obviously related to their church participation. (See page 18.) A third say it is because of personal problems, while another 12% say it is because of their work or work-related travel schedule, and another 10% report that it is because their marriage has broken up. Relationships at church are also key elements in losing new members. About one in five (17%) say that their local church was not meeting their needs. Another 13% report that they simply never connected with the congregation, while another 12% felt that they did not fit in or were not accepted by the group. One in ten mentioned problem people in the congregation which caused them to withdraw from attendance. There appears to be little conflict or concern regarding worship style in Pennsylvania Conference churches. Only 8% of the dropouts indicate that they withdrew because they did not appreciate the style of worship in their local church. Even smaller percentages dropped out because of church standards, disagreement with doctrine or conflict in the congregation. Only one person indicated that distance to the nearest Adventist church was a problem. For about 8% of the dropouts, no reason could be identified because some of these responses were obtained from the pastor or a church officer instead of the dropout member who could not be contacted. One pastor reported, Many people baptized at Leo Screven s meetings did not understand that baptism meant joining the Adventist Church. In a few other cases, the dropout indicated that they attended church only once and then decided they did not want to join. They did not see baptism as actually joining the church. What Could We Do Better? All of the new members were asked, What would help you feel more at home in the church? This was an open-ended question intended to gather suggestions for more could be done by Pennsylvania congregations to meet the needs of new members, integrate them into long-term church membership and get them involved in church ministries. More than a third of the new members (35%) say that there is nothing more they can think of that could be done. (See page 19.) These represent the most satisfied newcomers who are happy with all that has been done for them. The majority (57%) did have specific suggestions and ideas that would help them and other new members feel better about their membership in the Adventist Church. The largest number of suggestions (25%) expressed a wish for a more accepting atmosphere in their congregation; can we do more to overcome judgmental and exclusive feelings and make newcomers feel more at ease and welcome? About 15% listed specific program changes they would like to see, such as x

changes in worship style and more effective community services. About 7% feel a need for more personal ministry, including help with specific personal needs and problems. About 6% want expanded children s and youth ministries in their local church. (Some of the congregations in question may have almost nothing along these lines due to their small size.) Significant number suggested that the local church should be more visible in the community, that the welcome ministry of the church should be strengthened, and that the pastor assigned to their local church needs to be replaced. Smaller numbers had other suggestions. A few of the responses came from so few new members that we did not include them in the graphs on pages 19 and 20. Three respondents mentioned specific issues about dress; pants suits, etc. Two respondents said, Don t force vegetarian diet at fellowship dinners. Two respondents mentioned specific doctrines they do not agree with. Two respondents said, Congregation should be more accepting of change. One respondent said, I need my family to join the church. Another mentioned the distance to the nearest Adventist church and said he would like an Adventist church in his community. A young adult said, More people my age. All of these responses underline the very personal nature of each individual s relationship with Christ and with the Church. Relational ministry skills are absolutely essential to church health and growth. xi

Demographics of converts Women 60% Men 40% Demographics of converts Immigrants 19% Moved from another state 22% Born in Pennsylvania 59% 1

Age of converts by generation 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% WW II Swing Baby Boom Gen X Millennial Education of converts 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% No secondary diploma Secondary diploma College degree Graduate degree 2

Occupations of converts and their spouses Prof'l, manag'l & technical Office worker Service worker Blue collar worker Full-time homemaker Full-time student Unemployed Retired Spouses Respondents 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Marital status Separated 2% Married 61% Single & divorced 13% Single & widowed 6% Never married 18% 3

Did your parents take you to church or Sunday School? No 18% Yes 82% How often did your parents attend religious services? Less than monthly 28% Every week 61% At least monthly 11% 4

Religious background of parents Catholic Adventist Mainstream Protestant Unchurched Conservative Protestant Other denominations Not a Christian faith 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Religious background of parents 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Adventist Other 1969 1997 5

Religious background of spouse Mainstream Protestant Adventist Unchurched Catholic Conservative Protestant Other denominations Not a Christian faith 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% When did you first hear about the Adventist Church? In 1995-97 In 1990-94 In the 1980s In the 1970s In the 1960s In the 1950s Before 1950 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 6

How did you first become aware of the Adventist Church? A friend, relative, etc. Public meeting/seminar Advertising Print materials Adventist school Pastor or Bible worker Radio-TV ministry All other means 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% How did you first become aware of the Adventist Church? A friend, relative, etc. Public meeting/seminar Print materials Pastor or Bible worker Radio-TV ministry 1969 1997 All other means 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 7

How did you decide to join the Adventist Church? Number of items mentioned in response Three 16% Four 6% One 43% Two 35% How did you decide to join the Adventist Church? Attended public meetings Because of a relationship Because of doctrines An Adventist background Life events/problems Feeling/emotions Attending on Sabbath Spiritual motivations Other reasons 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 8

How did you decide to join the Adventist Church? Attended public meetings Apocalyptic motivations Sacramental motivations Negative about prior religion Ads/public media Radio/TV ministry Printed materials Involvement in ministry Christian education Adventist health care Not really a convert 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% What most attracted you to the Adventist Church? The truth of church teachings Much Some Little or no Warmth & friendship of members Charisma of the pastor/evangelist My own needs & personal situation 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 9

Life events in year prior to decision to join the church Death of loved one Serious illness/injury Financial problems Moved in Got married Divorce/separation Changed jobs 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% Life events in year prior to decision to join the church Birth of a child Lost a job Legal problems Child leaves home Retirement Other crisis 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 10

Did you ever join the Adventist Church before 1997? No 71% Yes 29% Returning Dropouts: At what age did you first join the Church? Under age 18 Age 18 to 29 Age 30 to 50 Over age 50 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 11

Returning Dropouts: At what age did you quit attending? Under age 18 Age 18 to 29 Age 30 to 50 Over age 50 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Returning Dropouts: Age first joined and age quit attending Under age 18 Age 18 to 29 Age 30 to 50 Over age 50 Quit attending First joined 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 12

Returning Dropouts: How did you happen to quit attending? Not meeting needs Personal problems Marriage break-up Problem people in church Influence of family Did not fit/no acceptance Worldly temptations 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Returning Dropouts: How did you happen to quit attending? Not meeting needs Needs of children/teens Conflict in the church Worship style Jewelry/tobacco Personal spirituality Did not believe doctrine 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 13

Church attendance out of the last four Sabbaths 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% None One or two Three or four Pennsylvania converts Philadelphia members Church involvement Participate in a small group Hold a church office 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% North American members Columbia Union members Pennsylvania converts 14

Participation in children s and youth ministries Have children in the home Child attends Adventist school Child belongs to Pathfinder Club/AY 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Spirituality of converts Intimate/Very certain Middle scores None/Not sure Your assurance of eternal life Your relationship with Christ 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 15

How many personal friends do you have in the church? Six or more 20% None 34% Four or five 20% One to three 26% Evaluation of local church Positive Neutral Negative Preaching Pastor's leadership Music & worship Sabbath School Lay leadership Children & youth ministry Evangelistic outreach Community service 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 16

Evaluation of inclusiveness of the congregation Many not accepting 4% Few welcoming; most not 9% Most welcoming; some not 22% All open & welcoming 65% How many have dropped out? Still attending 72% Have dropped out 28% 17

Dropouts: How did you happen to quit attending? Personal problems Not meeting needs Never connected Did not fit/no acceptance Work travel/schedule Problem people in church Marriage break-up 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Dropouts: How did you happen to quit attending? Personal problems Worship style Family influence Jewelry/diet Do not believe doctrine Needs of children/teens Conflict in the church 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 18

What would help you feel more at home in the Church? Both 8% Nothing 35% Something 57% What would help you feel more at home in the Church? A more accepting atmosphere Specific program changes Increased personal ministry Children/youth ministries Visible in the community A stronger welcome ministry Replace the pastor 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 19

What would help you feel more at home in the Church? A more accepting atmosphere Be more Christ-centered A larger congregation Solve personal problems Something is missing Less structure Shed "cult" image 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 20

Technical Appendix In interpreting survey results, it should be borne in mind that all sample surveys are subject to sampling error. That is the extent to which the results may differ from what would be obtained if the whole population had been interviewed or completed a questionnaire. The size of such sampling errors depends on the actual number of interviews or questionnaires, not the number of responses as a percentage of the population. The following tables may be used in estimating the sampling error of any percentage in this report. The computed allowances have taken into account the effect of the sample design upon sampling error. They may be interpreted as indicating the range (plus or minus the figure shown) within which the results of repeated samplings in the same time period could be expected to vary, 95 percent of the time, assuming the same sampling procedures, the same interviewers and/or the same questionnaire. Table A shows how much allowance should be made for the sampling error of any percentage reported. This table would be used in the following manner: If a reported percentage is 33 for a group that includes 1,250 respondents... then, go to the row that says "percentages near 30" in the table and go across to the column headed "1,250." The number at this point is 3, which means that the 33 percent obtained in the sample is subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 3 points. This means that very probably (95 chances out of 100) the actual figure would be somewhere between 30 percent and 36 percent, with the most likely figure the 33 percent obtained in the survey. In comparing survey results in two sub-samples, for example, men and women, the question arises as to how large a difference between them must be before one can be reasonably sure that it reflects a real difference. Table B and Table C indicate the number of points which must be allowed for in such comparisons to make them "statistically significant." Table C is for percentages near 20 or 80. Table B is for percentages near 50. For percentages in between, the factor to be allowed for is between those shown on the two tables. Here is how these tables are used: If 50% of men respond a certain way and 40% of women respond that way also, for a difference of 10 percentage points between them, can we say that the 10 point difference reflects a real difference between the two groups on that question? Let's say the sample contains about 750 of each gender. Since the percentages are near 50, consult Table B. Since the total sample is 1,500, look for the number in the column headed "1,500." Since the two sub-samples are 750 persons each, look for the row designated "750." Where the row and column intersect, you will find the number 6. This means that the difference between the two groups must be greater than 6 percentage points to be "statistically significant." In other words, we can conclude with considerable confidence that a real difference exists in the answers of men and women to this question.

Table A Recommended Allowance for Sampling Error Size of Sample... 1,500 1,250 1,000 750 500 250 100 Percentages near 10 2 2 2 3 3 5 7 Percentages near 20 3 3 3 4 4 6 10 Percentages near 30 3 3 4 4 5 7 11 Percentages near 40 3 3 4 4 5 8 12 Percentages near 50 3 3 4 4 5 8 12 Percentages near 60 3 3 4 4 5 8 12 Percentages near 70 3 3 4 4 5 7 11 Percentages near 80 3 3 3 4 4 6 10 Percentages near 90 2 2 2 3 3 5 7 Table B Recommended Allowance for Sampling Error of the Difference In Percentage Points for Percentages near 50 Size of Sample... 1,500 1,250 1,000 750 500 250 100 1,500 4 1,250 5 5 1,000 5 5 5 750 6 6 6 6 500 6 6 7 7 8 250 8 8 9 9 9 11 100 13 13 13 13 13 14 17 Table C Recommended Allowance for Sampling Error of the Difference In Percentage Points For Percentages near 20 or Percentages near 80 Size of Sample... 1,500 1,250 1,000 750 500 250 100 1,500 4 1,250 4 4 1,000 4 4 4 750 4 4 5 5 500 5 5 5 6 6 250 7 7 7 7 8 9 100 10 10 10 10 11 12 14