How long did this service last? (TIME IN MINUTES) (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.
|
[Results weighted by W1] |
Related Topics
Demographic Patterns
|
Length of Service (Demographic Patterns)
Length of Service by Year Founded
| Before 1900 | 1900-1950 | 1951-1999 | 2000 or Later | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 9.2% 33 | 3.4% 13 | 6.3% 36 | 3.1% 3 | 0 | 6.0% 85 |
| An Hour | 38.4% 138 | 21.6% 84 | 19.5% 111 | 4.1% 4 | 16 | 23.8% 337 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 33.1% 119 | 40.7% 158 | 40.8% 232 | 49.0% 48 | 48 | 39.4% 557 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 13.6% 49 | 21.4% 83 | 13.2% 75 | 26.5% 26 | 18 | 16.5% 233 |
| More than 2 Hours | 5.6% 20 | 12.9% 50 | 20.1% 114 | 17.3% 17 | 5 | 14.2% 201 |
| MISSING | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 359 | 100.0% 388 | 100.0% 568 | 100.0% 98 | 87 | 1413 |
[Back to Top]
Length of Service by Adult Members
| 25 or Less | 26-50 | 51-100 | 101-200 | More than 200 | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 14.0% 28 | 3.8% 14 | 4.5% 17 | 4.1% 12 | 5.4% 14 | 0 | 5.7% 85 |
| An Hour | 17.5% 35 | 22.6% 84 | 23.7% 89 | 22.8% 66 | 30.0% 78 | 0 | 23.5% 352 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 39.0% 78 | 31.8% 118 | 36.3% 136 | 52.4% 152 | 46.5% 121 | 0 | 40.4% 605 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 18.5% 37 | 24.0% 89 | 17.9% 67 | 12.4% 36 | 8.8% 23 | 0 | 16.8% 252 |
| More than 2 Hours | 11.0% 22 | 17.8% 66 | 17.6% 66 | 8.3% 24 | 9.2% 24 | 3 | 13.5% 202 |
| MISSING | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 200 | 100.0% 371 | 100.0% 375 | 100.0% 290 | 100.0% 260 | 3 | 1496 |
[Back to Top]
Length of Service by Political Ideology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 3.1% 25 | 10.0% 49 | 2.7% 3 | 9 | 5.4% 77 |
| An Hour | 23.3% 190 | 20.7% 101 | 44.1% 49 | 12 | 24.0% 340 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 44.3% 362 | 37.2% 182 | 35.1% 39 | 22 | 41.1% 583 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 16.0% 131 | 18.0% 88 | 13.5% 15 | 19 | 16.5% 234 |
| More than 2 Hours | 13.3% 109 | 14.1% 69 | 4.5% 5 | 22 | 12.9% 183 |
| MISSING | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 817 | 100.0% 489 | 100.0% 111 | 84 | 1417 |
[Back to Top]
Length of Service 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 12.6% 25 | 10.5% 40 | 2.2% 16 | 1.9% 4 | 5.7% 85 |
| An Hour | 36.9% 73 | 19.9% 76 | 20.1% 144 | 28.6% 59 | 23.4% 352 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 30.8% 61 | 39.8% 152 | 39.8% 285 | 51.9% 107 | 40.3% 605 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 3.0% 6 | 14.1% 54 | 24.3% 174 | 9.2% 19 | 16.8% 253 |
| More than 2 Hours | 16.7% 33 | 15.7% 60 | 13.5% 97 | 8.3% 17 | 13.8% 207 |
| MISSING | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 198 | 100.0% 382 | 100.0% 716 | 100.0% 206 | 1502 |
[Back to Top]
Length of Service by Religious Tradition
| Roman Catholic | White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist | Black Protestant | White liberal or moderate | Non-Christian | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 30.0% 24 | 6.4% 47 | 0.0% 0 | 4.2% 12 | 3.9% 2 | 5.7% 85 |
| An Hour | 42.5% 34 | 20.7% 152 | 2.0% 7 | 50.0% 142 | 35.3% 18 | 23.5% 353 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 25.0% 20 | 47.1% 345 | 29.4% 104 | 44.0% 125 | 21.6% 11 | 40.3% 605 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 1.3% 1 | 14.7% 108 | 38.7% 137 | 1.8% 5 | 3.9% 2 | 16.8% 253 |
| More than 2 Hours | 1.3% 1 | 11.1% 81 | 29.9% 106 | 0.0% 0 | 35.3% 18 | 13.7% 206 |
| MISSING | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 80 | 100.0% 733 | 100.0% 354 | 100.0% 284 | 100.0% 51 | 1502 |
[Back to Top]
Length of Service by Theology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 4.3% 39 | 9.2% 39 | 2.5% 3 | 4 | 5.6% 81 |
| An Hour | 21.8% 198 | 24.0% 102 | 39.5% 47 | 5 | 23.9% 347 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 44.8% 407 | 31.8% 135 | 44.5% 53 | 9 | 41.0% 595 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 17.5% 159 | 16.7% 71 | 7.6% 9 | 13 | 16.5% 239 |
| More than 2 Hours | 11.6% 105 | 18.4% 78 | 5.9% 7 | 16 | 13.1% 190 |
| MISSING | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 908 | 100.0% 425 | 100.0% 119 | 47 | 1452 |
[Back to Top]
Length of Service by Year
| 1998 | 2006 | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than an Hour | 8.2% 101 | 5.7% 85 | 6.8% 186 |
| An Hour | 31.4% 386 | 23.5% 352 | 27.0% 738 |
| 61 - 90 Minutes | 31.7% 390 | 40.3% 604 | 36.4% 994 |
| 91 Minutes to 2 Hours | 16.5% 203 | 16.8% 252 | 16.7% 455 |
| More than 2 Hours | 12.3% 151 | 13.7% 206 | 13.1% 357 |
| MISSING | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 1231 | 100.0% 1499 | 2730 |
[Back to Top]
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.
