Within the last two years, has your congregation experienced a conflict that led some people to leave the 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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[Results weighted by W1] |
Related Topics
Demographic Patterns
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Member Left Congregation? (Demographic Patterns)
Member Left Congregation? by Year Founded
| Before 1900 | 1900-1950 | 1951-1999 | 2000 or Later | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 31.8% 114 | 17.7% 68 | 28.3% 160 | 19.1% 18 | 32 | 25.7% 360 |
| No | 68.2% 245 | 82.3% 316 | 71.7% 406 | 80.9% 76 | 56 | 74.3% 1043 |
| MISSING | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 14 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 359 | 100.0% 384 | 100.0% 566 | 100.0% 94 | 88 | 1403 |
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Member Left Congregation? by Adult Members
| 25 or Less | 26-50 | 51-100 | 101-200 | More than 200 | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 35.3% 71 | 20.0% 74 | 23.4% 87 | 30.3% 87 | 27.4% 71 | 1 | 26.2% 390 |
| No | 64.7% 130 | 80.0% 296 | 76.6% 285 | 69.7% 200 | 72.6% 188 | 0 | 73.8% 1099 |
| MISSING | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 201 | 100.0% 370 | 100.0% 372 | 100.0% 287 | 100.0% 259 | 1 | 1489 |
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Member Left Congregation? by Political Ideology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 21.6% 177 | 35.8% 175 | 24.1% 26 | 14 | 26.7% 378 |
| No | 78.4% 643 | 64.2% 314 | 75.9% 82 | 60 | 73.3% 1039 |
| MISSING | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 820 | 100.0% 489 | 100.0% 108 | 74 | 1417 |
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Member Left Congregation? 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 | 14.2% 28 | 27.7% 106 | 27.9% 198 | 29.1% 59 | 26.2% 391 |
| No | 85.8% 169 | 72.3% 276 | 72.1% 511 | 70.9% 144 | 73.8% 1100 |
| MISSING | 0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 14 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 197 | 100.0% 382 | 100.0% 709 | 100.0% 203 | 1491 |
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Member Left Congregation? by Religious Tradition
| Roman Catholic | White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist | Black Protestant | White liberal or moderate | Non-Christian | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 19.0% 15 | 22.3% 162 | 32.3% 114 | 30.3% 86 | 31.4% 16 | 26.3% 393 |
| No | 81.0% 64 | 77.7% 563 | 67.7% 239 | 69.7% 198 | 68.6% 35 | 73.7% 1099 |
| MISSING | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 79 | 100.0% 725 | 100.0% 353 | 100.0% 284 | 100.0% 51 | 1492 |
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Member Left Congregation? by Theology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 23.6% 215 | 32.0% 136 | 29.2% 35 | 7 | 26.5% 386 |
| No | 76.4% 696 | 68.0% 289 | 70.8% 85 | 30 | 73.5% 1070 |
| MISSING | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 911 | 100.0% 425 | 100.0% 120 | 37 | 1456 |
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Member Left Congregation? by Year
| 1998 | 2006 | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 26.8% 326 | 26.3% 392 | 26.5% 718 |
| No | 73.2% 892 | 73.7% 1099 | 73.5% 1991 |
| MISSING | 16 | 15 | 31 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 1218 | 100.0% 1491 | 2709 |
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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.
