Technology appears to be the greatest benefit and the greatest challenge of doing church differently during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a survey by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Research Services.
Just as congregational and mid council giving and budgets are being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, so will the current and near-term income streams of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Office of the General Assembly and the Administrative Services Group.
An April survey by Research Services of nearly 1,100 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and mid councils revealed some surprising responses on how they’re dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic:
Technology appears to be the greatest benefit and the greatest challenge of doing church differently during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a new survey by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Research Services.
The ecumenical U.S. Congregational Vitality Survey (USCVS) is designed to help church leaders understand the attitudes, opinions and perceptions of worshipers and leaders in congregations. Created through a collaboration of sociologists, theologians and Christian educators in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the survey has been helping congregations from many denominations measure their vitality since 2001.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s first-ever comprehensive Minister Survey, fielded in fall 2019, has resulted in some 680 ministers receiving information on Presbyterian Mission Agency and Board of Pensions programs that can help them reduce their current educational debt and tap into financial aid programs for their children’s education.
Although Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) members and leaders desire to address mental health issues in their communities and churches, many feel unprepared to do so.
In general, smaller- and medium-sized congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), together with their counterparts in the Episcopal Church, assigned themselves higher scores as part of a vital congregations survey than larger congregations.
A 2016 study conducted by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Research Services, “Gender and Leadership in the PC(USA)” identified two key findings: gender discrimination is still pervasive within the denomination, and almost half its members are not particularly aware of it. The study is a part of a larger research project assessing the status of women at all levels of the church.
