Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 7, 1994 TAG: 9411080034
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. LENGTH: Medium
Let the churches say what they want about sex.
Financial accountability arouses more passion among American Christians when the collection plate is passed, according to a major study of religious giving released last week.
The national survey of nearly 11,000 Christians in 625 congregations found that denominational leaders' headline-grabbing pronouncements on sex have little effect on how much people give each week.
Instead, what makes churchgoers reach deeper into their pockets on Sunday is the sense that they have a say in how the money is spent and are kept informed of the finances of their congregations.
For the Roman Catholic Church, the study punches a hole in the theory that parishioners' notoriously low giving reflects discontent with church teachings on birth control and abortion. The study instead reveals a strong desire for a more democratic approach to parish finances.
In more than two-thirds of the Catholic parishes surveyed, the pastor had the final say over the budget. However, 78 percent of Catholics surveyed said laypeople and clergy should handle financial matters jointly. Only 9 percent wanted to leave finances to priests only.
``In the old days, it felt natural that the clergy ran the whole show,'' said sociologist Dean Hoge of Catholic University of America. ``But it doesn't feel natural to the American Catholic laity anymore.''
Researchers Michael J. Donahue of the Minneapolis-based Search Institute, Patrick McNamara of the University of New Mexico, Charles Zech of Villanova University and Hoge reported the findings of the 1993 study at the annual meeting of the Religious Research Association.
The Lilly Endowment-funded study, which Hoge called the most comprehensive look at church giving, examined 125 congregations in each of five denominations - Assemblies of God, Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In addition, 10,902 members of the congregations were surveyed by mail.
In a finding consistent with past studies, Catholics gave far less than members of other churches, even though their incomes were higher than all but Presbyterians.
The average contribution per household reported by congregations ranged from $386 for Catholics to $1,696 for Assemblies of God members. Baptist households gave an average of $1,154. Presbyterians were next with $1,085 per household, followed by Lutherans at $746 per household.
In the mail survey of church members, which was not a random sample because those queried were among the most active and the highest givers in their congregations, Assemblies of God members reported giving $2,985 per household, with Baptists giving $2,479 per household, Presbyterians giving $1,635 and Lutherans giving $1,196. Catholics were again last, with $819 per household.
As expected, regular churchgoing and high incomes were predictors of larger levels of giving. Giving also generally increases with age, with the biggest givers ages 45 to 75.
But the study also found that controversial positions on issues of sexuality or public policy did not hurt church giving. The only correlation found was that Catholics who agree with the church's stand on abortion tended to give slightly higher percentages of their incomes to the church.
Church members responding to the study did indicate that churches that want them to give more should be prepared to give them a say in how the money is spent.
Catholics, the lowest givers, expressed the greatest dissatisfaction with being left out of financial decisions.
For example, while approximately three-quarters or more of Protestant respondents reported a democratic process for reaching important decisions, fewer than half of Catholics said such decisions are made with open discussion by church leaders and members.
Similarly, more than two-thirds of Protestant respondents said members have enough influence in how church money is spent, compared with 48 percent of Catholics who said they had enough influence.
by CNB