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A UMNS Report
By Joey Butler*
1:00 P.M. ET Dec. 9, 2011
Jordan Bond and Laura Royer (foreground) of Lowman United Methodist
Church in Topeka, Kan., work in Gage Park during a day of service
organized by the Rethink Church campaign in April 2010. A UMNS file
photo by Britt Bradley.
View in Photo Gallery
United Methodists rank highest in favorability among five different
faith groups in a new survey conducted by the Southern Baptist
Convention’s research arm.
The research shows United Methodists are held in more favorable
regard by the U.S. public than Catholics, Southern Baptists, Mormons or
Muslims, according to LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
“(United) Methodists are well liked — and there is great opportunity
if (United) Methodist churches will seize the opportunity that this
positive perception provides,” said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay
Research. “If they will show and share the gospel with their neighbors
and plant evangelistic churches … they can turn a good reputation into a
gospel opportunity.”
The study was conducted in September after the president of the
Southern Baptist Convention appointed a task force to consider a
possible name change for the 166-year-old denomination.
A group of 2,144 online respondents was shown the names of five
denominations or faith groups and asked to “indicate if your impression
is very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, very
unfavorable, or you are not familiar enough to form an opinion.”
Sixty-two percent claimed a very or somewhat favorable view of United
Methodists compared with 59 percent for Catholics, 53 percent for
Southern Baptists, 37 percent for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormon), and 28 percent for
Muslims.
Because the LifeWay survey focused on gauging the need for a name
change, respondents were also asked whether seeing any of the five faith
groups’ names on the church sign would be an indication to them that
this was “not the church for me.” Other than nondenominational
churches, United Methodists had the lowest rating — 26 percent, meaning
the name is not a deterrent.
For the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive officer of United Methodist Communications,
the LifeWay survey reflects the impact of the church’s public
messaging campaigns. It follows research by other organizations showing
that the denomination’s media awareness campaigns have raised the
church’s profile in the past decade.
“The research confirms that external media are significant in
influencing how people perceive religious organizations,” Hollon said.
“Our efforts to reach people through these channels have had positive
results.”
The United Methodist Church was included in the survey to represent
the mainline Protestants among the sample, according to LifeWay
Research.
“Since the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest evangelical
denomination, four other denominations or faith groups were selected for
comparison. The Catholic Church is the largest denomination in
the U.S. The United Methodist Church is the largest mainline
Protestant denomination in the U.S. Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
and Muslims were chosen as examples of large groups not typically
categorized in one of those first three categories,” said Scott
McConnell, director of LifeWay Research.
LifeWay also found that “two-thirds of Americans are without strong
feelings in regards to all the Christian faith groups included in the
survey, with a third or less either very favorable or very unfavorable
to them.”
The United Methodist Church’s media campaigns highlight opportunities to
make a difference in the world. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.
View in Photo Gallery
Gallup research results
The Lifeway research reinforces the findings of a 2008 Gallup poll that showed United Methodists have the highest positive ratings of religious and spiritual groups in the United States.
The United Methodist Church has had a decade-long effort to raise
awareness of the church through its Igniting Ministry and Rethink Church
initiatives. The church began the “Open hearts. Open minds. Open
doors.” advertising campaign in 2001 to increase awareness and
recognition of the denomination’s basic beliefs and to promote
willingness to visit a United Methodist congregation.
Research on the effectiveness of the advertising reflected a steady
increase every year from 2001 to 2007. Acknowledging the need for the
church to reach a younger demographic, the campaign evolved in 2009
with the launch of Rethink Church,
an effort aimed at globally minded 18- to 34-year-olds to highlight
the opportunities available within United Methodist churches to make a
difference in the world — from literacy programs to feeding the
poor.
Making a difference
Global service events also serve as physical entry points for
seekers. United Methodist churches around the globe joined for
Change the World, a two-day service event in May 2010 and 2011. More
than 100,000 people from 1,000 churches in 13 countries hosted events
in which volunteers distributed food, planted gardens, tutored youth,
raised funds for worthy causes and more. In 2011, church participation
increased, dispatching 250,000 volunteers and serving more than 3
million people.
These events were organized by the denomination’s Rethink Church ministry and coordinated with public media messaging.
“We have to be present in the media-saturated environment in which
we live in order to reach younger audiences,” Hollon said. “It's a part
of their environment, and it influences how they see themselves and
others, including the church. If we're not there, it's as if we don't
exist. They won't know about us unless we make the effort to reach them
where they live.
“It's also a reminder that communication is about listening. We must
understand how we’re perceived and why. And we must give careful
attention to how we communicate with people. This involves listening,
doing careful research and making a concerted effort to speak in
language that’s relevant to them.”
*Butler is editor of young adult content for United Methodist
Communications, Nashville, Tenn. United Methodist News Service is a unit
of United Methodist Communications.
News media contact: Joey Butler, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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