(pic credit: reflections ©2025 by crisbaj. Used with permission)

I’m chasing a unique way of viewing ‘Churches’, based on over 50 years of experience with Churches.

This series will be called ‘ChurchyVillages’.

The thing that has led me to look at ‘Churches’ thru a different lens is the persistent disparity that every researcher or study finds when looking at ‘what makes Churches tick’. This ‘gap’ has lasted now for literally decades.

Here it is: When asked ‘what is the primary purpose of the Church?’ in North America…

88% of Christian Pastors surveyed believe that the purpose of the Church is for ‘Spiritual’ reasons such as Preaching, Discipleship, Bible study, Evangelism and Missions.

Meanwhile…

88% of Christian Congregants [Church-goers] surveyed believe that the primary purpose of the Church is for personal and sociologic needs such as building up and assisting members of the community, meeting the needs of congregant members and families at all points of age, which includes practical assistance and social issues.

There was only 12% overlap.

Disparity. Huge. Disparity.

This data actually reaches back into the 1980’s, and has pretty much remained strong since. Every study, on both small and large Churches, on both sides of the Continent.

Actually, Congregants of smaller, more ‘small-city’, village or rural churches held a HIGHER percentage than the 88%.

When 88% of Pastors hold to something that 88% of Congregants don’t embrace…

Next installment: what IS a ChurchyVillage?

TAKE-AWAY:

Look at the data for yourself… the latest interation…

Pastors See Missions as a Mandate, But Christians Aren’t So Sure

written by crisbaj

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