| abstract |
The church has been keeping records in various forms for centuries. The
Episcopal Church in the US continues that tradition and has focused in the last century
primarily on membership and average Sunday worship attendance (ASA). Several
research organizations collect data from churches which are often reported in popular
press and religious organization publications. As church attendance and the role of
church in people's lives and in broader society has changed, these statistics have become
less useful in describing the efficacy of the church in its mission and in helping clergy
determine what is effective in ministry, resulting in an overall narrative of decline of the
church.
This study seeks to gather information from seven parish clergy in the same
diocese in which I serve as rector of Phila Church. These clergy were asked about their
assessments of their parish and ministry. Participants were interviewed about the ways
they detect growth and decline in their parishes. Most participants reported that ASA is
one indicator among many they use to determine "how the church is doing." Two
participants described concrete processes their parishes use to decide where and how to
deploy human and financial resources for ministry. Others outlined the cues and
anecdotes that help them assess for decline or growth.
The responses and analysis of the responses of participants are presented
alongside my assessment of Phila Church, where I had earlier applied several processes
to assess readiness and capacity for change. Results from these processes at Phila Church
demonstrate the suitability of translating existing tools and processes from the social
sciences into church usage. Because these existing social science tools are reliable and
valid, their use could encourage clergy and laity with beneficial evaluations of their
ministry efforts.
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