03-09-2009, 04:40 PM | #1 |
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American Religious Identification Survey 2008
http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/
Survey conducted in 1990, 2001, 2008. LDS in 1990 wa 1.4%, then in 2001, 1.3%, now in 2008 1.4%. So LDS are growing just enough to maintain "market-share." In contrast, Jews have decreasing market share. 1.8 -> 1.4 -> 1.2 There are more LDS than SDA and JWs combined in the USA. "No religion" has grown dramatically since 1990. This goes along with my previous statements, that it is my perception that the LDS church is doing poorly with missionary work in the USA, in relation to its expectations and mission. I think we are baptizing a lot of poor, uneducated people that end up being poorly retained, and not-so-frequently contributing to the pool of local leadership. I'll give you an example. Married couple joins ward. They are poor. She does some poor-paying work. He does nothing. Members donate countless meals. Church welfare system contributes. Members exhaust themselves, couple implores interminably for more help. Their attendance at church is infrequent. You wonder, if at a certain point, when this couple (and families like this) drop off the radar into inactivity, members aren't subconsciously relieved. I think the LDS USA missionary program is in crisis. Some might argue this is because the field is no longer white. I am not sure. |
03-09-2009, 04:45 PM | #2 | |
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03-09-2009, 04:49 PM | #3 | |
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http://www.cumorah.com/index.php?target=law_harvest This is his website or at least one for which he has supplied his arguments and data.
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03-09-2009, 04:49 PM | #4 | |
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But this kind of scenario is playing itself out all over the USA, as people marginally making it in society join the church. We've always operated somewhat among these margins, just because it often takes someone who is not invested in a power structure already, to break with tradition. It just seems like our capture rate of educated middle-class is declining. Probably the most success we have in this segment is college-aged kids, who are introduced through friends and romantic interests. In which case, this would argue for increased investment in this area. |
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03-09-2009, 04:56 PM | #5 | ||
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My experience in my semi-urban big-city ward is that the activity rate of new converts is extremely poor. And it is tough for me to remember a single case of a middle-class-type person or family joining the church. Most of them were the sort of people who were barely hanging onto their apartment rent--it doesn't bode for stability. And when these folks move around, and get switched to other wards, it often goes into the crapper. Our strict geographic rules, I think, get in the way of effective missionary work. "Hi, I'm your friend, and I'd like you to come to church, but you are not going to be able to attend church with me in the long run." WTF? |
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03-09-2009, 05:00 PM | #6 | |
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Well we have three middle class families currently investigating in our ward alone, but we're a suburban ward with some urban characteristics.
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03-09-2009, 05:16 PM | #7 |
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03-09-2009, 05:19 PM | #8 |
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Dr. Stewart's data, which is far more relevant than my anecdotes, shows your experience to be more common than mine. The church growth is stagnant at best.
Dr. Stewart does a great job explaining what is wrong with the current missionary program, in delicate terms of course. i wonder if economic upheaval will make us more or less relevant. i have given up the Jimmy the Greek role on this issue.
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03-09-2009, 05:24 PM | #9 |
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I don't think it is, Mike. Isn't it even prophetic? The meek and lowly are usually those in physical and financial distress.
Missionary work in Europe is like the US auto industry: shrinking. What does a wealthy and secular Europe need from a fringe U.S. religion?
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03-09-2009, 05:31 PM | #10 | |
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It's hard for a rich, educated person to jump from one faith community to another. Once you are entrenched abandoning one in favor of another requires substantial reasons.
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