Is there one person who is the head or senior clergy person or religious leader in your congregation? (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)

Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.

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Is there a religious leader? (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)     [Results weighted by W1]

Related Topics • Is religious leader ordained? • See all Topics Demographic Patterns • Year Founded • Adult Members • Political Ideology • Region of the Country • Religious Tradition • Theology • Year

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Is there a religious leader? (Demographic Patterns)

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Is there a religious leader? by Year Founded

	Before 1900	1900-1950	1951-1999	2000 or Later	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	96.7% 347	94.3% 367	93.7% 535	100.0% 98	87	95.1% 1347
No	3.3% 12	5.7% 22	6.3% 36	0.0% 0	2	4.9% 70
TOTAL	100.0% 359	100.0% 389	100.0% 571	100.0% 98	89	1417

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Is there a religious leader? by Adult Members

	25 or Less	26-50	51-100	101-200	More than 200	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	90.5% 182	97.1% 363	94.7% 355	95.9% 278	97.7% 255	2	95.5% 1433
No	9.5% 19	2.9% 11	5.3% 20	4.1% 12	2.3% 6	3	4.5% 68
TOTAL	100.0% 201	100.0% 374	100.0% 375	100.0% 290	100.0% 261	5	1501

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Is there a religious leader? by Political Ideology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	94.8% 779	97.1% 475	94.6% 105	75	95.6% 1359
No	5.2% 43	2.9% 14	5.4% 6	9	4.4% 63
TOTAL	100.0% 822	100.0% 489	100.0% 111	84	1422

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Is there a religious leader? by Region of the Country

	New England or Mid-Atlantic	East North Central or West North Central	South Atlantic, East South Central, or West South Central	Mountain or Pacific	TOTAL
Yes	94.4% 187	94.3% 365	96.2% 689	94.2% 194	95.2% 1435
No	5.6% 11	5.7% 22	3.8% 27	5.8% 12	4.8% 72
TOTAL	100.0% 198	100.0% 387	100.0% 716	100.0% 206	1507

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Is there a religious leader? by Religious Tradition

	Roman Catholic	White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist	Black Protestant	White liberal or moderate	Non-Christian	TOTAL
Yes	100.0% 80	94.4% 696	96.6% 342	95.8% 273	86.3% 44	95.2% 1435
No	0.0% 0	5.6% 41	3.4% 12	4.2% 12	13.7% 7	4.8% 72
TOTAL	100.0% 80	100.0% 737	100.0% 354	100.0% 285	100.0% 51	1507

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Is there a religious leader? by Theology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	94.5% 864	98.4% 418	93.3% 112	41	95.5% 1394
No	5.5% 50	1.6% 7	6.7% 8	6	4.5% 65
TOTAL	100.0% 914	100.0% 425	100.0% 120	47	1459

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Is there a religious leader? by Year

	1998	2006	TOTAL
Yes	92.5% 1139	95.2% 1434	94.0% 2573
No	7.5% 93	4.8% 72	6.0% 165
TOTAL	100.0% 1232	100.0% 1506	2738

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Notes

The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset "fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing, for the first time, data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations" (Chaves et al. 1999, p.460). Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the NCS data is the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. In 2006-07, a panel component was added to the NCS. In addition to the new cross-section of congregations generated in conjunction with the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), a stratified random sample was drawn from congregations who participated in the 1998 NCS. The 2006-07 NCS sample, then, includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. A full codebook, prepared by the primary investigator, is available for download here. The codebook contains the original questionnaire, as well as detailed information on survey methodology, weights, coding, and more.