Author: Mark Chaves
Mark Chaves: Evangelicals lose fewer youth than liberals
If your church cares about its youth growing up in the faith, it'll hire full-time youth ministers.
Mark Chaves: What makes congregations march?
Not surprisingly, abortion and homosexuality. More surprisingly, international aid and poverty. And few actually demonstrate over anything.
Mark Chaves: What congregations are more political?
You might think white conservative Protestants are more political than black or mainline Protestants or Catholics. You’d be wrong.
Mark Chaves: Does anyone remember the faith-based initiative?
The initiative increased congregations’ interest in cooperating with government on social service. But actual congregational partnering with government has not increased at all.
Mark Chaves: American politics has become increasingly polarized. Has theology?
Since debates homosexuality began to dominate the church landscape, more congregations have called themselves “conservative” and fewer are “in the middle.”
Mark Chaves: Why do fewer black churches have websites than their white counterparts?
An astute comment here on C&R sent Chaves back to his study. His hypothesis, that the gap reflects a difference in resources, was only partly right.
Mark Chaves: Congregations are followers rather than leaders
Congregations are slightly wealthier and better educated than a decade ago. But those numbers are misleading. In fact, congregations tend to mirror social changes rather than catalyze them.
Mark Chaves: Are congregations graying faster than everyone else?
Religious leaders have often lamented that they have too many old people and too few young people. It turns out that such leaders in the US have good reason to worry.
Mark Chaves: What are denominations good for? Consulting.
Many people cheer when denominations weaken. They may fail to realize exactly how much crucial support denominations still provide.
Mark Chaves: Does our church need to hire a consultant or not?
Congregations hire consults for all sorts of reasons. Some of the reasons they give for doing so may surprise you. So too might some reasons they do not give.
Mark Chaves: Gender, lay leadership and fancy rhetorical footwork
'Okay, you can give a talk from the pulpit -- but no preaching.'
Mark Chaves: why are there (still!) so few women clergy?
Only about 5% of American churchgoers attend a congregation led by a woman. The year, in case you're checking, is 2009.
Mark Chaves: We're even more spiritual; even less religious
This way of describing oneself is more common than it used to be, but its prevalence should not be exaggerated. The vast majority of Americans--approximately 80 percent--describe themselves as both spiritual and religious.
Mark Chaves: Seminary training by tradition
If there are more congregations hiring staff without seminary training, it's not because they devalue learning. It's because seminary-trained people are more expensive.
Mark Chaves: Has your WHOLE staff been to seminary?
It is still the norm for head and associate pastors at large churches to be seminary-trained. But not their "specialist" ministers.
Mark Chaves: We’re fed up with church leaders’ political involvement
Disapproval of religious leaders' political activism has increased exponentially.
Mark Chaves: What's the "right" sized staff?
Can you hire fewer people per worshiper the bigger your congregation is?
Mark Chaves: Congregations embrace technology
The biggest change in congregational life in the past decade? Embrace of technology. And it's not even close.
Mark Chaves: Declining confidence in religious institutions
Do religious institutions face a decline in public confidence? Well, yes, but the long view provides some nuance.
Mark Chaves: Changing religious affiliations
Fewer Christians, more "nones"; what does it mean?
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