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Study: Churches viewed positively by public
Barna Group
August 08, 2011
3 MIN READ TIME

Study: Churches viewed positively by public

Study: Churches viewed positively by public
Barna Group
August 08, 2011

Most Americans believe churches play a positive role in

communities, and even atheists and agnostics don’t view churches harshly.

A Barna Group study released July 13 revealed a generally upbeat attitude among

the public regarding how churches influence their areas. The study revealed

that 78 percent of Americans believe the presence of a church has a “very” (53

percent) or “somewhat” positive (25 percent) effect on their communities.

“Those with the most favorable views of churches are elders (ages 66-plus),

married adults, residents of the South, women, Protestants, churchgoers,

African-Americans and political conservatives,” the study said.

Among the approximately one-fifth of Americans who disagree, 17 percent profess

indifference toward the influence of churches, while one in 20 believe churches

play an either very (2 percent) or somewhat (3 percent) negative role in

communities, the study revealed. It noted those least likely to view churches

positively include Mosaics (ages 18-27), men, never-married adults, atheists

and agnostics, the unchurched, political liberals, those living in the West and

Northwest, and those not registered to vote.

While atheists and agnostics were the only key demographic group not to hold a

mostly positive view of churches, Barna Group President David Kinnaman noted

that only 14 percent of them viewed churches negatively.

“Despite the aggressive posture of leading skeptics, most Americans who have no

religious affiliation or belief are not overtly hostile to churches,” Kinnaman

said.

Barna also asked the 1,021 adults surveyed how churches could benefit their

communities. The three most common ways respondents said churches could help

were by assisting the poor and addressing poverty (29 percent), cultivating

biblical values (14 percent) and serving youth, families and the elderly (13

percent).

Common ministry activities like teaching the Bible and

giving spiritual direction came next (12 percent), followed by assisting those

in recovery (10 percent) and addressing workplace, financial and educational

issues (7 percent). Very small percentages answered that churches should be

inclusive and accepting of everyone (3 percent), while only 1 percent of

respondents said churches should contribute to their community by being engaged

politically. One-fifth of those asked didn’t give a response.

Among Kinnaman’s conclusions from the research are that even the unchurched

view churches as important to their communities.

“This positive view is partly due to the fact that most unchurched adults are

de-churched, or former churchgoers,” he said. “So, although they may be wary of

personal involvement, they have an understanding of the service and assistance

that churches can provide to their communities.”

Kinnaman also noted that most Americans don’t seem to connect serving the

community with telling individuals about Christ.

“Ministry-related goals — such as teaching the Bible, introducing people to

Christ and bringing people to salvation — are infrequently viewed as a primary

way to serve the community,” he said. “Even among many churchgoers,

contributing positively to the community is perceived to be the result of

offering the right mix of public service programs. Yet, this seems to miss an

important biblical pattern: you change communities by transforming lives.”