University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Adjustment of large downtown and boulevard churches in Los Angeles to socio-cultural factors in the community

(USC Thesis Other)

Adjustment of large downtown and boulevard churches in Los Angeles to socio-cultural factors in the community

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content ADJUSTMENT OF LARGE DOWNTOWN AND BOULEVARD CHURCHES IN LOS ANGELES TO SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS IN THE COMMUNITY by Meric Edison Flan, Jr. A Dissertation Presented to &he FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Sociology) January loi3^ UN IV E R S ITY OF S O U T H E R N C A LIF O R N IA G R A D U A T E S CHO OL U N IV E H S I i V PARK LOS A N G E L E S 7 This dissertation, written by ........ under the direction ofhXS.Guidaitce Committee, and approved by all its members, has been pre sented to and accepted by the Faculty of the Graduate School, in partial fulfillment of re quirements for the detjree of D O C T O R O F P H I L O S O P H Y s'sf'Sf» ' ’-e( _ C - c.F.. : ........ Dean DelelL...Cl.F'.CtF.T.. GUIDANCE COM M 1 TEEE IL. C h a irm a n / r<?C* ^ 2yZt’ AA/X£ c o PREFACE For several years interest in the city church and its problems has been growing. The writer has arrived at an as sumption that the community lias a very marked effect upon tiie church, which the church has not fully recognized. It is this assumption that the church is being molded possibly more by the community than the community by the church that led to this study. The study lias been confined to three large boulevard churches and one downtown church in Los Angeles. The four which were chosen ai’e: the First Methodist, which is a "downtown" church, and three "boulevard" ehurches--First Baptist, Immanuel Presbyterian, and V/llshlre Christian. The writer is indebted to the pastors of these churches for their excellent co-operation: Dr. J. Richard Sneed, First Methodist; Dr. Gene Bartlett, First Baptist; Dr. William S. Meyer, Immanuel Presbyterian; and Dr. Hoke S. Dickinson, Wilshire Christian. The socio-cultural aspects have been highlighted in the study to test whether the writer's assumption of tiie community's effect upon the church is borne out by the find ings of his research. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE................................................ iii CHAPTER I. THE PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY . . 1 The problem.................................. 1 Statement of the problem ................ 1 Over-all assumption ....................... 2 Organization of the remainder of the dissertation........................... . 8 II. METHODOLOGY..................................... 10 Testing the assumptions .................... 10 Courses of data.............................. 12 Methods of research......................... 12 Limitations of tills study.................. 16 III. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE..................... 19 IV. THE CHURCHES STUDIED.......................... 23 Definitions of boulevard and downtown churches .................................. Delimitation of a r e a ....................... 23 'Why these churches were c h os en........... 24 The use of size as a criterion........... 24 V. THE MINISTERS................................... 2o o Their roles.................................. 26 Training anu background .......... 28 • Salary and a g e .............................. 30 CHAPTE VI . VII . VIII. O PAGE SOME SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMBERS OF THE CHURCHES STUDIED ..............> . . 32 Marital status ......................... 32 Age and sex distributions .............. 35 Occupational makeup of respondents . . • * 44 Economic status by income .............. 44 Educational status ..................... 47 THE SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT OF THE CITY ON CHURCH MEMBERS ......................... THE 50 Attendance frequency .................. 50 Length oh membership In present church • • VJ3 I _i How distance affects participation in church activities .................... 56 Physical proximity to one's church . . » * 59 Personal and social factors Influencing church members ....................... o 62 Effect of children on church attendance the parents ........................... of 68 THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CHURCHES ......... 70 Members' awareness of the changing community......................... .. . 73 The church's adjustment to the socio cultural factors ..................... 79 The members' Identity with the community 34 Inclusion of other than Caucasians .... 83 o o o o vi o CHAPTER o ° PAGE o IX. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS....................... 91 Summary....................................... 91 Conclusions.................................. 9^ a a BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................... 97 APPENDIX................................................... 106 o O o 0 LIST OP TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Number of Respondents to Questionnaire . . . 18 II. Comparison of Marital Status of Members of Pour Churches and With Population of Los Angeles, 1 9 5 0 .............................. 3^ III. Age and Sex Population Distribution of the Combined Memberships of Four Churches Compared with Los Angeles City, 1956 . . . 37 IV. Age and Sex Population Distribution of the First Baptist and First Methodist Churches 33 V. Age and Sex Population Distribution of the Wilshlrc Christian and Immanuel Presbyti- rian Churches.............................. 39 VI. Income of Church Members Compared by Churches..................................... ^6 VII. Comparison of Educational Grade Completed, 1950 Census of Los Angeles and the Four Churches..................................... ^9 VIII. The Relation of Church Size to Frequency of Member Attendance ......................... 52 IX. Number of Years Membership in Present Church 5^ X. Acquaintanceship of Members ................ 55 XI. Distances of Members' Residences From the Church....................................... 57 © viil TABLE PAGE XII. Affect of Distance 021 Regularity of Attendance................................... 58 XIII. Reasons Given by Members for Belonging to Their Church................................ 63 XIV. Personal and Social Reasons Given by Members for Belonging to Their Church ........... 67 XV. Members' Opinions on Church Growth .......... 75 XVI. Factors Making a Church Successful, Ranked . 77 XVII. The Members' Identification With the Community................................... 86 XVIII. Members' Racial Reservations ................. 69 XIX. Growth Records of the Four Churches, 1926 to 1958 137 CHAPTER I THE PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY O o • I. THE PROBLEM Statement of the problem. "Downtown" and "boulevard" O churches have faced constantly changing and, in some in stances. declining memberships. It is assumed by the writer that this is due in part to shifting population and other socio-cultural factors. According to their ministers, these churches have experienced problems relating to finance, mem bership, types of services, and programs of activity. "Downtown" and "boulevard" churches appear to repre sent a phase in the life cycle of urban churches. It may be that these churches have reached their ultimate growth and will now maintain their present levels or decline, depending on their ability to adjust to socio-cultural factors over which they have ‘ little control. According to a recent sur vey "made by the Los Angeles Church Federation, the average life of a city church Is twenty years. Therefore, the de- gree of longevity which the' church will enjoy seems limited to the adjustments the individual church makes in its insti- • . tutlonal forms, its program, and its building and equipment in terms’of socio-cultural factors and its awareness of them. The church seems no different from other institutions of so- clety in that' it must adjust or eventually cease to exist. Murray Leiffer expresses this thought also. The social group, arising out of the Interrelation ships of people, is primary to all our social institu-* tions. The community does not exist for the sake of the public school any more than man exists for the Sabbath. Similarly, the church owes its being to the community, and not vice versa. The Church, like virtue, can never exist in the abstract; it has its rise in community life and depends on the community for its support. Over-all assumption. Large boulevard and downtown churches which adapt their programs and services to the age groups and interests of the membership and are adapting to the changing socio-cultural factors in the community or area * from which they draw their constituencies az^e more likely to continue to attract people in sufficient numbers to sustain the church and its program. For purposes of this study the city is described as a secondary grouping z’ather than a primary one. It is impos-. . slble to* study the churches in the inner city without study ing them in the context of the entire city as their communi ty. They do not have a neighborhood in the strict sense of the term, and if they did dwell in a well defined neighbor hood, the characteristics of this type of church are ouch that this might be a factor of no particular consequence. • * It was Paul Douglass who pointed tills out many years ago in ills studies of the city chui'ches. • . • _ ^ p 1 Murray H*. Leiffer, City and Church ln_ Transition: A Study of the Medium-Sized City and Its Organised Religious Lifc {Chicago: V/illett, Clark, and Company, 193&), P* 125* Its [a church's] purposes have often little connec tion with the immediate environment of its building,o and there is no objective evidence that all kinds of church es should Invariably or even ordinarily "adapt" them selves to environment so defined.^ O On the other hand, it is not easy to define a communi ty. Dr. Neumeyer says: The community is generally thought of as a group of people (population aggregation) inhabiting a contiguous geographic area, functioning together in the chief con cerns of life, and with common centers of interests and activities, such as trade, educational, recreational, religious, and political. . . . As a secondary group, it is characterized by wider and often more impersonal re lationships, the people being less closely bound togeth er, with a number of smaller social units and sub-groups within the area.3 The city is often the setting for both personal and social disorganisation at all levels of life. Since reli gion is predominantly conservative in nature, it tends to retard social and personal disorganisation. Because the church has this characteristic, some think that it is not changed by its community. It is changed, but neither as radically nor as rapidly as some institutions. The city of Los Angeles is the largest city in the world in its geographic area, comprising some ^82 square miles. At some points, it is more than fifty miles across. The city also has many contiguous communities, some closer 2Paul h. Douglass, 1000 City Churches (New York: George II. Doran Company, 192b)", p. xvi. ■^Martin II. Neumeyer, Social Problems and The Changing Society (New York: «D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1953)> PP• ( — c3 • * to the heart of Los Angeles than parts of the corporate coin- o unities of the city. Hence, the churches studied draw some of their constituencies from other smaller cities that ring the city proper. The'community of Los Angeles,* then, would extend even beyond the incorporated limits. One in every eight people in the United States lives in five cities of over one million population, of which Los Angeles is the third largest. Nine-tenths of the American cities are growing, indicating that the urbanization process * is becoming more rather than less prevalent.. This study, therefore, should be valuable for the future of other large downtown churches in cities of over one million.^ Murray Leiffer^ has indicated some of the character istics. of cities tiiat Influence the church as an institution He says that it is a place where material culture comforts are accepted and sought, where there is loneliness and un certainty, marital tension, worry over unpaid bills, health ■ problems, and feelings of frustration over so many people and so little chance for recognized achievement .for the' in dividual. He cites that in .cities the population moves to ward tiic periphery,^ money makes the little oh the big man, 1 * • '• “ i— — i » ■« - - — i ■ ■ > « I . 1 Frederick A. Shippey, Church Work in the City (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1952), p. 19- g * / . ^Murray II. Leiffor, The Effective City Church (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press,” 19^9)'/ PP~ 1^" • and the city is marked by mobility, secularism, and conges- 8 • tion. o Man's goal in the city may be more inclined toward materialistic ends because this is his only means of dls- • * playing wealth and position. He seeks leisure by buying all the gadgets that will make household chores easier and quick er, thereby providing him and his family with the added free time which usually leads to the expenditure of more money. The city man tends to live in a money and thing economy. • • The church is an institution•of society, probably en compassing more'people than any other in the world in its over-all dimensions, with-some 700 millions.or more persons in its embrace. Though the -church as a'body has continued to grow stronger through the centuries, it has had to grap ple with problems in the way itp individual member churches' met the person am the -local level. . The city church is one of these problems, today, particularly In the Protestant brangh. ’ • . The' city presents • society in its most complex aspects. In many ways the .folkways, mores, institutions, and laws are in such a state of flux that chaos seems'to be the order* of the day. The city is testing all tire basic institutions of * * • society--the home, the school, democracy, and the church. Each of these is accommodating itself in tire means that seem to be open to it. „ 0 o ° ----------------------------------- ----------- . ------------------------------ Q r O O Q * 6 ° ° « The large city church has one aspect of its problem that Is somewhat unique In that It is tied to a location. The economic and emotional relationships are such that mov ing is extremely difficult. Homes, schools, and governments . • can close down operations at one location and move to anoth- 0 er with much less concern, particularly if the people they once served have moved. This is not so in 'the church. One generation may have invested so heavily in the property that to move would be a costly economic loss. On the other hand, there are emotional ties of families that have had births, weddings, funerals, and baptisms in that particular build ing, and even though they do not now support’ it they resist the thought pf its being'demolished. There is probably ncr institution of present uay society so.institutionalized as' the church. ' . It is apparent from this study that religion is more personal than social in its manifestations. The city 'church 'member appears to have a hallowed sentimentality at .the base • * of his feeling about his church not wholly amenable to.rea son . As a consequence, the large city church is more likely to try to solve its problem without moving its location. This ssudy will try to point up the areas where the church is adjusting and accommodating its program successfully, and other areas where it may be getting little return for Its * o labor. „ In carder eo begin this study, it was necessary* to e o o o make certain assumptions and then proceed to prove or dis prove them by means of data which the writer might collect. With this in inlnd, the following assumptions are put forth for testing. The roles, age, and salary of the minister are al tered by the socio-cultural factors in the city. The social*characteristics of members of the churches tested differ significantly from the general .population. Large downtown and boulevard churches haVe in their membership a disproportionate number- of elderly people, com pared with the census figures of the city at large, and the youth and children -are disproportionately small as compared with the census figures. These churches tend to be one-class churches, com posed chiefly of moderate income, white collar workers. The participation of the church member varies direct ly with the distance of his residence from the church. Religion tends to be subjective and personal in its use by church members rather than objective and social. People with school age children, not living in the neighborhood, tend to leave the church for their own neigh borhood's church, or become inactive. • . * The members of the local church are “ aware of the changing comolexity of the community in which the church re- * • sides and they, are willing that their church should adapt its program to the community, rather than the membership, as much as possible. They sense their jdentification with the community. 9 The churches tested tend to adapt their program and structure to their membership or to the community in which they reside/ an'd both are being done effectively in some ^ . • • ' cases. # *• • • . The churches are adapting their programs and struc-. * tures to tne changing socio-cultural fact'ors of the neigh borhood. and city. " . * . • • • * Some adjustments of- the church seem to make for its , growth and some for its decline-. ' ■ The inclusion of other than Caucasians affects the church membership adversely. II.- ORGANIZATION OF THE REMAINDER *• • OF THE DISSERTATION .The next chapter deals with the methodology of 'the study, the sources of the data, the jnethods of research, and. its limitations. Chapter III consists of a brief-review of' the sociological and .religious literature pertaining, to . tpls problem. ‘ ’ • « The fourth chapter describes the churches Ptudled, Including the definitions of boulevard and-downtown churches, and the* reasons for limiting the#area, why. these particular * churches were chosen, and the use of size as a criterion. w o The fifth Chapter deals with the ministers as leaders of the.churches, their roles, their training and background, their salary satisfaction, and age referredsto as an indica- 9 tion of their measure of success.- Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and IX are the main body of the.paper, consisting of the description and analyst*;: of the ' • • findings of 'the questionnaire mailed to the members’and the interviews with the. ministers.. The 'data are analyzed; in order of.the assumptions fnade on pages 7-8. • •Chapter IX deals with -the summary, and conclusions of the study. .Those findings which seem to hav-e ’ validity will be explored. ' An ‘o'ver-all evaluation of the churches studied wi'th suggestions for the future of the church in the city,' will be set forth.as they un-fold, from the findings’ . CHAPTER II • ■ • • • • * • . . METHODOLOGY . ' ' • • i * • • * I. ‘TESTING THE ASSUMPTIONS • 1 • * The assumptions to-be tested by the writer were used .as the basis for planning the questionnaire and Interview schedules. Questions were asked with, .the' purpose of getting,, the most’ information in the. shortest possible • t.Lme fhom those tested. Some questions were purposely put in to' cheek the accuracy of other questions. * • . .A population study was necessary to determine the so- 'cial characteristics/of the members 'of the 'churches to be- studied; hence, questions relative to this'were IpelUded in . the first section o'f the questionnaire, a copy of .which‘is ■included' in the Appendix!. Since no children here-quizzed, . it was necessary to get information about'the children in these churches by having each respondent report'.on the other members of-his household. Other questions related -only to- the respondent. • ' . ' » * *4 » * The'question in regard to r'ac-e .feelings tfas a’ ’ deli cate one; it was approached from an elimination, multiple choice type of query, designed to test any degree of nreju- • • * dice ‘that was raresent without arousing antagonistic- feelings . toward the questioner, ylt , 1s assumed that racial feelings • g & * of church members are somewhat covert in their expression. Gome objective means had to be introduced into the • © ® o questionnaire to determine the status and class* of the. mem- . . • bers of tiie churches tested. This was jdonc through means of* • • salary range, government census classificationd of occupa tion, grade level completed, and opinions of the mqmbers as- to the status of.the members of their particular church. . A means was sought whereby the impact of the, church upon the individual rfiember could be determined'. The-multi ple choice question was again used. Since the’.assumptions to be tested assumed these effects to be more covert and personal than overt and sdcial^ it was necessary1 once ‘again , to’ , inquire in such a way that the respondent would feel co operative? in- his answer: , ' , The ministers, ’ were extremely co-operative when made aware of1 the .study and its implications. An interview with each .o,f them made' possible 'the interpretation of the. roles of the ministers in boulevard and downtown churches, of a large city like. Los Angeles.' The interview a'lso .was. used to* fill 'in.some information and to enlarge what the question naire revealed,as well as to cheek accuracy of impression. The minister's co-operation was vital to a' study, of his-’ church .and’ made the study•official ’and more accurate in.i'ts ■ findings. Each minister is assumed to.know the’most about * ills' church and therefore he is authoritative. .II. SOURCES OF ]^ATA * ® a * , * * * • . . The ministers and the members of the churches#consti- ■ • tuted -the main source of- data for the investigation. Inf or- • • mation was secured from 'the churches as’ to their growth pat- tern at five year intervals from 1926 to*1956. The books*in. the field and supportive•data from current sociological pub lications ana periodicals .were used extensively. The special population census of . Los Angeles, 1956 was- the basis of the * * ■ • * • » . population distribution studies and comparisons. -.The writer also referred tq Ills own experience as a local -pastor iri the , t Los Angeles area for .more than fifteen’ .year's, and a lifetime of knowledge of the Loo Angeles area and its makeup as a*' ■ resident. • • • . ' . ' IIJ... METHODS OF RESEARCH • The main -method of research' was a questionnaire sent tp every twentieth member of 'each of the four churches. A. random sample technique was used. The Wl-1 shire Christian Church study started-with the. tenth member-, the First Bap tist Church y/It'll the first, thq ImmanUel Presbyterian with ■the .fourth, and the First Methodist with the sixth. 'Each •member over eighteen was t^ien counted until the -twentieth was•reached:' This gave a total mailing list of 123*peopFe. * from the First Baptlyt Church, op from the First Methodist, o o o 0 o ° o © O 4 f t 0 • .13 ft ft o a fl • Of a.total *churdh membership of 8,440 persons, 422 were_sent questionnaires. Jwo-hundred and sixty replies t * r * * * were received, a ol oer cent return. * . , • • Returns by churches were: 6l per cent from First’ Baptist members, 56 per cent from First Methodls.t, 73 per • ..cent fropi Wilshire Christian, and 62 per cent from Immanuel Preshy terian. ■ • . ' The procedure fdr.securing.these results-was as fol- » . • lows: Each person selected was sent .a personal lebter- ,’ writ.- ‘ten by haiid,’frOm the author. It said, "Your_ reply i’ s moot- . 1 • necessdx^y and Important. Your kindness is grea-tly .appreci ated." Enclosed with this letter was a- self-addressed, _ • ’ 'stamped, ret.urn envelope, anc. the questionnaire.... This first • .communication brought ■ ' from 45 to 50 per cent ‘ response. -At . the end of the second week, a postal’card was ‘sent to each person who’had not responded, with this message, ‘ again writ ten' by hand: \ "Your questionnaire is extremely important. Perhaps you have mislaid yours.-. If so,.'and I do not hear • from you within the week, I'will -send you another." .This brought another* five to ten per cent response. At the end of the week, “ if. these were not heard- from, a' secpnd copy of . the questionnaire was sent with a stamped, self-addressed ’ . « • • g • envdlope, with a simple note in pen at the top of the ques-- * » * tionnaire, "Your reply is most important." This usually • • • • produced about ten .per*cent more replies.; • * • Before* starting the study, a pilot study was conducted (G • — f t O f t f t o O € > at the V/ilsliiTC Christian Church. • This study followed the , 0 • same procedure, but by the use of the.telephone.it was pos- * • ’ sible to raise the returns to 90 per cent.. 'Froiji this’basis it was determined thqt the study could be valid at 60 per cent or more and therefore the extra- cost that would be en tailed in’ telephoning over a larce area like -Los Angeles, I ' ‘ * . ■and the irritation to the .people who might feel cpercion’ , • was not sufficient reason,to warrant it. The ministers were quite'insistent that the people feel no compulsion about the. questionnaire,■as. all but one’ had very restrictive rules in regard to the use of membership, rolls. ' ’’ ' ' ’ In’order to preserve complete anonymity.of reply for the respondents, the following system was employed: Each person was assigned a number in each church. This number' was placed inside the return envelope beneath the-flap, and’: also under the stamp. The questionnaire was identified as - to church simply by cutting off a different corner .for each- church. . then the reply, was received,, the‘number was crossed off artd the reply put into a box with the others from’the same church. -'Thereby.-; any "identifyinc mark-was'kept on the-, envelope and nonp’ ever appeared on’the questionnaire. The ’‘ questionnaire, a .copy of which’ appears in the Appendix, as surers the respondent of complete anonymity. 'The envelopes were discarded as soon as the notation of receipt vfas made • , • on" the master.list. * • * # * * s * • * * * . With the abovd. system, all but.one or two. of thd replies returned were received within four weeks from the be-0 e * ginning- of the' first mailing. • • ♦ • » « • • J\n interview was* held with each minister at n:’ .s*con- * , « venidnce; each of these'.filled from one to two hours* The’ • • • • * • * * * questions were memorized by the- writer and a copy.of the in- * i ^ terview notes was made- up by the interviewer and sent to eqch minister within tvjo weeks for his' approval" or change.. Hone of the ministers -were strangers to the author, so. a- spirit of, fridndly rapport characterized each interview. •In two o*f the Interviews, the assistant to the minis- i . * i «• ter participated. A 'copy of the interview-questions 'i-s -in cluded' in .the Appendix, plus- a- copy.-of the notes of ‘each In- * terview. * . • ■ • " A notice of the study being cqriqucted wls inserted in • * * * * * • the weekly news_ shfeet of two of the churches, and in a..third •the ministers mimeographed a short note qt‘ the bottom of the stationery of the writer’an'd signed their nqmes.- This 'gave adequate* sponsorship, wljich seems to'be very nbcessary -in this'kind of study.1 . • . . . ’ • • -A minimum o'f writing -and anticipation of all oossible. i P * " * * • • responses makes the questionnaire much easier to tabulate. 1 ® The Questionnaire," Research Bulletin of the Na-« tional Educational Association, 8: January, 193Q- 2 Ibid., pp. 17, 20. * . IV.. LIMITATIONS OP*THIS STUDY * * * * • 4 * t • • • * 'Only two specific * types of cj:ty churches are dealt • • • with in tills'study. This is a limitation, but a necessary one. There are several different types of city churches; * * * * • 1 evp.ry author'uses different classifications. ’ Onp of the uov/ntoy/n type of churches was studied because, the writer in- •eluded oply those co-operative with the National Council of Churches and other interdenominational 'agencies affiliated' with it. This eliminated three other large down.tow'n ; . • chur-ches. (The non-ccs-operativc type church is so different in many 'aspects- that it would involve a'separate study.) Only adult members of the churches were-.studied an'd only thp ministers were Interviewed. ‘ • '' • • • . Table I Shows the number who were sent questionnaires in eaeli church .and the number.who. responded. . • This study'was made in.l95&* However, due to'the "yearbook schedules end the population study of- the census, • 1956 war;' thp year1 used for these statistics. .There has'been very little change in the statistics of any of the -churches • • , • ’ * * n that are- Involved in tills study'during tiiis period.p ' • -Studies of each church going bade'thirty years at ' ’ • ' ■ • • • five year-intervals'from* 1956 ar.e inc.luded' in the- Appendix. ■ . • It will be-noted that there has'been no significant change . .upward; ea'ch church maintained a level oi* experienced a ‘ "'Gee Appendix, Table XIX, p. 13S® 0 decline in its membership in the past ten years. It io“as- « * 9 sumed that those which are more nearly stable are'more sue- • » * • • * * ■ cefesfullytadjusting-to,, socio-cultural factors in Los Angeles Immanuel Presbyterian showed a slight-upturn between 1951 and 1956, but not enough.to offset the ldss since 1* 9^16. o o° o • o ° o ° - • • 0 iy TABLE I • HUMBER OB RESPONDENTS TO QUESTIONNAIRE. Name o i ' Church- I ! ° * Ouoationeu. Respondents Number Per Cent First Baptist t o O J 1—1 7 5 6l First. Methodist, ‘ . ■ K j 5 6 Wilshire Christian ■ • 3 1 1 z> Immanuel Presbyterian 1 7 3 ■ . ‘ - 1 0 '/ , . 0 2 O o o o o o o ° Q O e , . CHAPTER III . . i • • » REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE + * * * * * * * • Books that'have appeareci on the city church have lim^ ited their studies 'to the general aspects of 'the city church more.than‘the specific. They have dealt wl.th the-city as any population aggregation.exceeding. 100,000.. Problems‘of a city church in. a city of more ‘ than a million’must be dealt with at the specific level of its problems. This study'has bought to be limited-and specific, rather- than general and comprehensive. Hence, the works that are cited, are not held, to-be authoritative except in a general way. The writer has used, them as a source of knowledge of the field, but his .own research has taken precedence in the body of the- paper both .as to conclusions and data. The city church flel'd'has been one long neglected-by protestant.lsm. There are s.carcely half a dozen comprehen sive books in the field', and these take in all kinds of city •churches.'"There have been numerous-limited studies'made and published, and articles have appeared in newspapers and peri odicals fpr the past few years'. • • . Writers in this field historically have b.een Paul ' Douglass, " * ■ Samuel i'H.neheloe,*“ ana" Murray Leiffer.-' Doug- O o lass's major works pre-date 1930, and Kincheloe's main book was written in ly3^-’ Of these three, only Leiffer has a re- * * • * • cent book .in’the field. Leiffer has made numerous studies of city churches,•particularly v;ith regard to sociological factors,‘ as-have Kincheloe and Douglass. Since it is those fqctdrs which’ .are most important to this s^udy, their works are-cited. Their works a-ve also based on research, which" makes them more valid for purposes‘of this study. • Insofar as the city church’ and its community are co’ n- /) • ' • cerncd, writers such as -Harvey L. Seifert, 'Frederick A-.*' r ; ■ (] Shippey-, .-and ' W Ross Sanderson also have been helpful. Seifert is■concerned with the methods, x-equired to discover the needs and characteristics of the cities-and the churches .'which will result in'community action-by theChurch. ' Ship pey states that his. book is written out of a background of . . ■ * ■ 1 1 . Paul Douglass, 100Q City Churches - (New York: George II. Doran-Company, 1926). ' • • 2 ' . Samuel C.. Kincheloe, The American City and Its _ ' Church (New York: The Friendship Press,.1936)• -‘ . • • “’ Murray H. Leiffer, The Effective Ci'ty Church (Mew York: Abingdon-.Qokesbury Press, 19^9 ) * • ’ ‘ 1 • ’ • . . ' • Harvey L. Seifert, The Church in Community Action (New York: Abingdon-.Cokesbury Press, 1952T- • • t; • . • *. Frederick A. Shippey, Church j/ork in the City (New York: * Abingdon-Cokesbur-y Press, 1952). Q • W. lioas Sdnderson, The Church Serves the Ch&nglng City (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1955)• o o o o o 21 experience in travel ing°oa^Ll over the°worl£l and" observing * e ® ° a* * * many churches in the cities of."the world. Sanderson .actual*- • . * ly takes specific churches j.n'se,lectfed cities of varying ■ • • • • ( » ■ • • size and des'crlbes^ the programs tha.t they, have devised to * * • • * • meet the.changing tides o'f the city. * • ‘ " • • • • Many of the large denominations now have• departments • ' • • . dedicated to urbaP work in the church; notable among these. • • * ♦ " /are the Baptls'ts,. the Disciples of Christ., the Methodists, the Episcopalians,' th'e Lutherans, the Presbyterians, and the National Council of Churches of Christ in America which pub lishes 'a bl-monthly.magazine called The City Chubeh under . * • . * * 1 i . its -urban department'.' ■ ■ ’ t ' ' K Other books from4 sociology and research are listed in the Bibliography because of the supplementary help they, gave in research techniques and descriptiqn'of the socio-cultural aspects of the city’ . Newspaper and magazine articles which, the writer has collected'over the past few years are included- in their proper 11 stingMany of them give a very, comprehen sive picture of the city church in its setting in a brief. '.. space- . Some unpublished studies that have been- valuable proin the standpoint .of procedure -have been listed-. • ' .’ .'The materials do'not, in the main>-‘hint at -solution; ' ■ time is spent in. analyzing • the problems,.• It Is'hoped that the present study, will be1able to point up some of the rea sons why some churches are'more successful than- others. •„Redevelopment.plans for large cities, as revealed "in many magazine articles, have be^n listed®as these may augur * • o •well for the future of the city church. Sociological period o ■ * e icals*of recent date with*articles pertinent to the study , * • • * * have also been included... % CHAPTER*IV o • • * ' • --THE CHURCHES STUDIED • • • • • . • : . I. DEFINITIONS .OF BOULEVARD AND. . . * \ • - DOWNTOWN CHURCHES. • The downtown ‘ church is located in or neaf* the busi- neps center of the city..- Ordinarily’ , i't was the first church established "of its particular denomination. ‘ Its con stituency usually consists of those living in apartments, hotelsj-rooming houses; and-blighted'areas, as.well'as the. residue -of old families and their descendants 'coming from •' the'suburbs. . ; • .... The boulevard church, like the. downtown church, draws its membership from the entire city. It is usually located' on a prominent'.avenue or-boulevard; It became powerful tin-' der strong ministerial leadership.when -its surrounding area was Inhabited by the type of families "who could give strong lay leadership. ' Though fighting the tides.of population, It frequently continues to be the leading church of its-commun ion .because of its large membership and type of leadership. 'II. DELIMITATION pF'AREA ' Protestant churches .were chosen which .were co-opera- . tive with, the National Council of’.Churches of Christ in t • • • • * • i America'in the area from Hill Street-to Western Avbnue, and Ullshire Boulevard, to Eighth Streeft, and »each church had ap- « proximately one thousand or more members. * * • * * .III. WHY THESE CHURCHES WERE CHOSEN * » * * * * * ■ -These churches share many of the same? problems; and to a great 6xtent the same neighborhood and community. ' It was thought at the beginning of the study that the problems . of the downto'wn and boulevard churches were practically iden tical. They arc in the sense that the problems of. the one , downtown church studied seemed to be but exaggerated prob lems being faced by the boulevard church; ' Each.of these churches is likewise considered the leading church.of' its denomination and is often used as a focal point for the communion13 gatherings and special pro grams. They are the churches which the visitor most often frequents, and are usually the best known to those from oth er parts of the nation. National leaders more often speak from their pulpits, and their ministry is widely heralded as superior. IV.- THE USE OF SIZE AS A CRITERION 1, "Smallness'in .the.city 'means, weakness1 writes Frederick Shippey, and ,thd? wrlter_is inclined to agree that .the present- survey bears this but. Shippey gpes on to'say:. 1 • Frederick A. Shippey, Church Work in the Clty (New .York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1952), p. llS. A downtown church of less than one thousand members has noticeable difficulty in sustaining its ministry at the'required quality' level over a long period of time. * A city church can be too small to function effectlvely.2 From 'observation, even one thousand members may be too small; perhaps the membership .should be as high as tw<5 thousand. This is believed to be so-because eac.h of-these churches studied has a property whose yalUe_would exceed one million dollars.' ' Each has a greater investment, in-the si.te . • it now occupies than, it could realize at this time by sell-. *• . * ing and moving. The economic factor, If there were no other, . « is great enough to cause the church to try to maintain it- » . self. .Yet, to maintain' a property of this size is■difficult. The First Methodist Church is a case in point, for with a multi-million dollar investment it is.able to raise from the 1700 member congregation only .$7^*000.00'per year.. The min-( ister must find additional resources of at least $1,000.00 per week to keep the church going and to pay conference al lotments which are as great as- that of any other church its size in the denomination. ■ . Limits were' set'-at approximately the one thousand • member level as this- seem's to. be the-lowest figure at wlilch most authorities set-a'large church. 2 * Ibi’ d. f p. 12b. « r CHAPTER V ' THE MINISTERS 'I. THEIR-ROLES . "Role conflicts are p basic , root problem of the' min isterial 'profession.11' 1 ' This is brought out'in'the inter views v/itii the- four.-ministers who head the churches studied. "The 'roles of the urban ministers are characterized by dif fuseness rather than specificity. Role, ambiguity, therefore Q ' • ' is Inherent in the'profession." Each of the■ministers was asked in his interview for' Ills evaluatipn of the importance of the preaching, pastoral, and administrative roles of his ministry. In each case the preaching role was felt to be primary, with'the pastoral second, and administrative third. Yet, in actual practice, .each felt that the administrator role was the one most ex pected of him and the one which took up the greatest amount of time. Each deplored it, but found no way out due to the tremendous needs of a large organization to have.administra tive .supervision . • Under.tiie administrator- role there seem to be ■ .fSamuel W. Blizzard, "Role Conflicts of. the Urban Minister,.". The City Gnu rich Y:13', September-Oc tober, . 1956. 2Ibld. . indicated 1 ;wo sub-roles that might be characterized as (l) .* , public rel-atipns representative, and (2) business man. The * • minister must represent’the church in the community in many types of functions that may b.ear little relationship to his real -job. 'Because to the community he is- the- church,- he is a public relations man who is exp'ectca to be overjoyed to pray, elevate, humor, entertain, bury, marry and baptize' •those who may have no relationship with his church whatever and desire .none. : . ' ' As a business man, he is expected, to find ways and means to make up all deficits and to finance all.projects. Dr. Sneed.is expected to raise .pi,000 per. week himself for his church and Dr. Meyer felt that the fact that his father had been .a bank president had helped him eo understand bet ter the business aspects of the church. The role of pastor is not a pressing one for the boulevard and downtown pastors of large churches.- Most'pas toral work is carried on by other ministers on the staff. However, the men-miss this role. .One remarked that in the city a minister does not have the. opportunities during the day- to cross the.paths .of his.parishioners as he often docs in a' community or smal.I tc>wn; consequently, lie. becomes some what distant from his people. All the minister's do make ; • ' calls in cases of emergency or.critical Illnessbut ’ feel that i.t is not exp.eeted -of’‘them except, in .these extreme e ° • • in all parishes except a very l&rge one the pastoral re2a- • «, • • i « tion is one of theo fflost important^ factors and one which of- • * • • * ten brings the greatest satisfaction to his occupation* A. • . • man who likes this relationship with his People should prpb- * • * 1 • * * * • ably avoid the large bity ohurch- parish. Ten calls of a • * f • t pastoral nature in a vie die were "the most that .any of the men claimed and, practically all of these- were hospital calls.. ■The' preacher role seems, to be- the one• which is most highly prized by the city church pastor.. He has, generally been brought to his present charge because of this' ability, and all seemed to relish this rqle. Each decried the fact, that lie could give so little, time to it due to administra tive tasks and felt that the■only way lie could fulfill his ' , preacher role was at the expense of the pastor .role. ' ' Although the question of.the minister's role as coun selor- was not asked in the interview, indications seem to be, .that very little of'this is done -by the minister in charge . ■of the . large churqlr of the types-.'which were studied’ .' . ' 11! .TRAINING AND BACKGROUND " . •. • . • • ' Without exception,, the preachers interviewed had -not come to their task.with’ -any sppc;Lal preparation for'city' church work. • For-ull, this -was their first adventure'into' inner city’ type 'o.f parish work. _ All did express the feeling that they could have been 'better-'equipped if in thei,r semi nary training they could have taken.courses specifically designed for the inner city type <3£ ministry. • ■ *' • • ■ • Seminaries cannot predi.ct the-tjfpe of parish into • * * *• • • which their studentsf willkgo, so it is important that the. basic tools of .-the local pas.tor.be-provided wi'thout too* much specialization-, just .as the coll'ege of -liberal arts', equips its students primarily for well-rounded.living,.then-expects them to gain the specific • tools for the branch of--life which • - ' * * * they choose. Today, however,- most city ministers- seem to- be feeling their way. The.books prepared to date have been notably lacking in specific help at the point of the large ■downtown situation in a large, city.' By comparison there are so few churches that'would be-considered large'churches 'in i • the inner city with a population of over one million that ' • the demand for such a studywould be. scarce. . However, there is a definite-need for such a study.. ' All these men in the inner city parish-have learned much through experience--ex perience-that needs-, to be ".shared .with . those jus t starting out. • . . . ■ ' - - . ■ ’• ... - • -. .In-all .the books on the subject;, the material on the background and training of. the minister for the inner city •' parish is woefully, spar'i-e. • It-is* assumed that a church- takes a minister .from somewhere and'puts'him in thb inner- city pulpit," and it is Ills jpb to try to find'th'e answers!. . This is exac.tly What .has been happening, 'but' one might well •question tho. efficacy of this procedure. Men. are now in’- • * * * *• * , • 4 * « * » * training, in many seminaries for work j.n rural churches-. Why oo O 0 30 • o o • n*ot also train more iflen to work in city parishes? • • • * • 'One minister suggested that although the«main minis-0 . • • * • * . > * * ter need*not be chosen for any'special talent in the city * . church .field, his staff might well come to the job with.spe- . • * • ' ’ • . ' ' • • cialized training. * * , * | •••• 1 • 4 • • ' . .III., salary and AGE * ' • •Each man was aske'd'lf he_ thought that his‘salary was adequate ‘fc?r his job.’ .Though’all seemed content, the feel-’. ing was expressed that'they could certainly fare better e,co-_ .nomlcally in some' other field of endeavor. None of the men' seemed to fe’ cl '.that salary was necessarily- a crucial item In his work.’ In -comparison with other ministers, their salary stale is higher.. .The. city - minister in the large church'must Carry a much greater- burden of responsibility than a. local- pastor in a church of less than a thousand members, yet he 4 is paid only a few thousand dollars'more per year for assum- ■ ing this burden- • . ' ’■ . .On the basis of the budgets studied, .the salary’range ran -from ;pl0,000. per year'upward, With, none _ receiving--over $18,000,- including-housing,' allowances, etc. .Since many* > , , • . . •neighborhood.and community churches of 500 to'1,000 members pay'-from $5 >000 to $10,000 per‘year, the premium paid to .the- t r large church minister is'not great. ‘ Also the large church •minister has t‘ o assume a great many more expenses for.items, such as entertainment, clothing, books,, and social standing. The age of the men was from forty-five tcT fifty-five. * • • » The chances of a younger man.or an older man being called t*o •a* large city churph are not very great*. Kach'of .these men . • • . . • • • • • • * . * had a background of at least fifteen years in a local, pas torate, with better, .than average re.su-lts in h;is ministry,', be fore being called to : ther larger church. '-The .physical demands ’ .of .the task are too great for an older, man, and the wisdom i . , • and 'high 'level professional demands' are top great fdr a -young • man. Hence- , the large, pity church minister-must be charac-. • terised as a middle-aged’man. . ■ . . . Because .the opportunities for. advancement are. few. ■ when one has achieved - this station in.life, most city church ministers in .large churche's either, stay until retirement, and hence have'long ministrips; they .take a -smaller1 church .when the pac'e.' becomes too great; or they may- take' some type of job on' a regional, or "national level -where their organisa tional genius and speaking ability can be put bo good' serv- • CHAPTER VI . • • * • * . SOME SOCIAL- CHARACTERISTICS* OF MEMBERS- • # OF THE CHURCHES STUDIED- •The assumptions to be tested in this chapter are: • (l) The social characteristics of the.'churcHes tested'.differ significantly from the general population. (2) Large boule vard and downtown churches have in their memberships -a dis- • proportionate number of elderly people "as compared with the ■ census'figures. (3) The boulevard and downto vm churches tend to be churches composed chiefly of moderate income, white-collar workers. Social characteristics, .such as marital status,•age and sex distributions, inoome,- and educational level of_the members of the churches will be explored to determine, sig.--” • niflcant differences betyjeen these members and .the city. I.' . MARITAL STATUS ; ‘ . Of the 200 respondents’ t.o _ the questionnaire, 236 an-^ • ' * , * . * » * * » » * * . ’ .'swefed -.the question of.marital status. Of thesq respondents, .[37 per cent were married, 20 per cent were single,. 17 per cent were Widowed, 6 per -cent, were divorced, and none were- . separated-. The First’ Baptist Church, and V/iishire .Christian • Chqrchvs married members constitute 65 per cent.of their re- ‘ spective rolls. -First Methodist-had per cent, and Im- • • • manuel Presbyterian had ‘ >1 per cent married.members. » # There was no appreciable difference in the percentage . • TDf single people, all of whom-fell in the 19 to 21 per cent group. .Among*the widowed, there were significant differ- * * * • i 4 • 'ences. First Methodist had ^by far the largest number,- with * • • * 27 pen cent .of the members reporting widowhood. Next*high est.was Immanuel Presbyterian,*witH.'lG per cent; and First Baptist and-Wilshire lowest, with 14'.and. 11 'per cent, re- . spectively.- . . . . . , ' - • Among the' divorced, Immanuel Presbyterian had the- highest rate., with 11 per cent; Wilshire had 3 per oent; the' Baptist Church, half. ■ that number;'and-the Methodist had none.- Table II shows this distribution as. compared'to the city, population. ' . ' . ' -Both Wilshire'Christian and.'the First Bdptist Church .show'the lowest.percentage of people over/sixty, which’’ may- acc'ount or- their lower widoWed rates'arid higher married' percentages. ' The-'high proportion. of aged people seems-to be a-characteristic of. the inner city- church, a'lso’the- lack of.' pre-s.choo-1' . and grammar-school age children. • , ' ■ Age-seems, to be. the main determinant- In the", marital . • status .distributions 1 being at-variance.-with the city mari tal distribution. Wilshire Christian-and the First Baptist’ Churches are distributed within one point of difference with • * , * * \ the city.. All the churches tested show a ratio of single • * people to the city within one percentage point. However, * * *‘ . First Methodist and Immanuel Presbyterian show a decided COMPARISON GF MARITAL STATUS OF. MEMBERS OF FOUR ‘ CHURCHES ' AND WITH POPULATION■OF LOS ANGELES, 1950* " Marital Status • • Name .of:’Church. Combined Average Los Angeles Population, 1950 . ’ First Baotist First ■ Methodist ‘ Wilshire Christian I mm ?r anuel esby • • 1 No. No. 7 No. ’ .£ No to ' No: ’ ‘ N No. ^ . Totals * 69 100 • 41' . 100 ’ '28 ICO •S3- 10c 236' - l'O'O • ’1,573,110 -100 • * .Married '45 •65. . 22 * 53o ' •18 - ’ 65 50' 51 135 . 57 . * .•1,01-4,645 64-3 Divorced *1. . '1 • 5 u • 0 1. ■ 3 11. ; 11.2 '13 .• 6 SI,'430 *5.3 * ■ 'Widowed . *10- 14.5. ' 11 27- ” ’ • * ' 3- . 1- 1 ' 16' 16.3 • ; to' 17 153* , 020 9.7 • Single ' 13 • 1? .• 3 1.9 .'5 6 12 21 21o ’ 1 1 ■ r ~ * • to 20 ‘••3i3j865 ‘ 20.2 ' * ’ , , • . ’ • U. -S. .Department of Commerce, Bureau .of the Census, United States Census of Population;. 1950,'! Bulletin’P-C5-/ ’ ? • 216.”. ' • .Note: . The‘-19-56 special census aid not give' anything other than pop'ulation age, ana sex. ••Therefore, 1950 figures are’used. o Q O f t 35 variation from the city norm in the married, divorced, and. « a widowed categories. The widow<jc\ and married differences ap- • . pear to be due to advanced age.' • • . • * . Immanue’l Presbyterian, shows 11.'2 per cent o’f 'th: e mem bers to be’dlvorced as compared with 6 pel- cent city-wide., ’ *.*•’’ :v;hi‘ l.e they show only 51 per- cent married d’ s compared’ with * • • *• • * • . 64.3 per cent‘ .in'-the city'.distribution-* ‘ .The churches with. the .largest number .of elderly people’-have the highest per centage of widows, and all the churches exceeded. the city in .the percentage of..widowed people.; indicating a direct ratio of age-to widowhood. . . ' • ’ ■ • • ■ • " ' -Il‘ . AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTIONS. . Each respondent to’ the questionnaire was ashed to • fill in the sex and age of each of the other members‘qf his- household,•and•235 respondents hid so.' A total-of'541 peo ple were classified as. to age. and sex', providing'a more'com plete profile of the constituency of. each .church.- ' There ' wore 2.30 males • arid • 311 femal-es on which .data were 'gathered. However, it is the writer'.s' Opinion-that* .these* statistics are probably’only approximate and n'ot .truly accurate,'so they will only be used for the purpose -of pointing up trends ” ' * • • • . It appeals that the statistics are inaccurate -at the older * * * * • age levels because over 20“qu’ estlohnaires were returned with • • • * • the .notation of "too old or too feeble to fill out." .There , • • * * • • • * were probably others who weije noi even a-ble to do this much. Also, a 'survey made at the First Baptist Church two years * * a * ago, including all members, shows some variation with the . Writer's findings. Tables are. used 'to. show, triese. breakdowns on the following pages. Table III'shows the pppulat’ lon. breakdown -Tor the city’'as a whole according to .the special ■ 'i census, of 1956... * Compared.with the city Is.‘the population. distribution of the. four churches' combined into the • same Table. Tables IV'and V. shpw the -population distribution for • * * * * * / ' • each church stu.died. ‘ • It will be npted by a Comparison- in Tabie III' that . the Combined population * of . ’ these churches in the sixty-and-■ over age- group,- percentagewise, is almost .twice that of the ‘city as a who.le . In the' churches, 23-.4 per cent of the men .'and 32.4 p'er c.ent of the women are In the sixty-and-over category, while for,.the city it Is. 13:and l6 per cent, 're spectively. .Also, a.t the other. end of the stale, ages' G' through 9 ‘years, t the churches .have approximately ha-l'f • as grpat’-a ratio as the city. - -Males in this age are‘12.'2 per . • cent of .the total, as. against . 20- per -cent. citywld'e;- females are 8.9 per cent against 18 -per cent ‘ in the city.- In'the' 10 to-19- group, the'males in the churches match the city', while females are under'by 1'. 3 per .cent. In the 20 'to*‘ 29- age group, the churches lag behind the c'lty bjJ 2.4 and 3-.9, • • 1 . ’ ’ U. S. Department 'of ’ Commerce, Bureau of the Census, ‘ "February, 1958, Census Population of Los .Angeles,” Current Population Reports, Special Censuses, Series P-23, No. 927- . : • TABLE III • •’ . . . . v AGE ATJD SEX’POPULATION DISTRIBUTION’ OF THE COMBINED MEMBERSHIPS - OF FOUR CHURCHES.. ‘ * COMPARED WITH LCS ANGELES CITY/ 1956* • * Age (yrs) . * • Los Angeles . * -195o Church Memberships , 1958 Total‘ . Male* . Female Total Male Female No . ** 0 • . No.** No. **' • ^ No. C\ ' Mo. Vo No . 2 Total 2244 . 100' 10S4 100 lloO *100 •5^5. • 100. - •230 100 . . 315 100 # 0J9 4l4 18.3 .211 20 184 .18- 56 10.2'- 23 _- 12.2 28 3.9 • ’ 10-19 . -256' ' 11.3 126 11.7 132 ' 11 ' : 67.. • ' 12.2. ' ' ?6 . 15.7’. 31. 9.8 20-29 • < .29*4 13-1 /139- ; 12.8 . 1. 62. ; 13. 54 ■ 10.2 24 10-. 4 30-- 9.5 30-39 ' — , — 1 J ( O ' ir • ; 183 '17 194' ' 17*"■65 il • 5 31 . 13-5 .-'32- 10.2 40-49* • 302- * 14*. 3 1-58 ■ 14/6 156. 14 79 _ 14.5 - 34 14 : 3 ; 45- 14.3 50-59 259 11:4 . - 1'23. 11.4 ' 130 11 ■ 70 .12.3 23* : 10/ 47 14.9 60-up • .32? 14 v6* . 143 - 12-5 . 203 ' 16 156 ' 23.6. 54 23.4 102 32.4' • *u. s.- Depa-rtment. of Commerce, Bureau of .the' . Census "February, 1956 i Census PoDulation of Los Angel'e's," Current Population Reports, -Special Censuses, • . Series P-23,.No. 927- * ' •* . . . . • ♦ ’ • .. . **In thousands.-" ■ • - ■/ - . . ; . - ' TABLE IV" • . ' • . AGE AND SEX POPULATION DISTRIBUTION ■' "OF THE FIRST BAPTIST AND’FIRST-METHODIST CHURCHES. ‘ Age ‘(yrs)' First Babtist Church pirst Methodist Church *( Downtown) * Total Male Female- ■ ■ Total Male Female No. • - > -No. . No. ' - / ■ > No. N>’ No. ci p No. p Total • . ..173 * 100 ' .30 ICO ‘93. -100 : 81 100 30 100* •51 - 10.0 • O i o 22 12.3. 15 18.7 •7- 7' - 2 • 4 5 • 2 ‘ .6.7’ - 2 .4 1* 0-19 22 12.3 . . id _ _ r ^ i ’ Ip . d; .11 11.2' - N 0. 10 4 ^ 13-3 ; 4 * • 8 . . * « 20-29 . 20 11.3 • 5 6.3 -15 15-3 r " . O • - 7.. 9 2‘ . 0.7 4 . 3 80-39 20. 11.5; 10 12-5 10 ■ 10.2 6 *7 - 4. 4 .•• 13-4 2 ’ 4 • 90-49 . .27. 15.2 ' 15 ‘ 18.7 12 . 12':.2 12* •14.3 5. 16.6 7 .‘13-5 50-59 23 '12.9 ■ ' 5-. -6.3 13 ' 18,4 - 11 "•13:4 4 ■ 13o •7. 13-5 *6o-up 44 .29.. 7 i3-., . 23.7 25 25-5 .39. 42 ' ’ ' Q .* 3'° 25* ‘49* * « e — ' ■ • ‘ . • • . • • ’ • * * • . * * « « . » . • • • • • . • . • o • * * ' < • • • • » • . . • . * * • ’ - LOo . . . . • CO • - ■ . .. • e . , ■ • • o o * * • . . . ' TABLE''/ • ' .AGS'AND SEX'POPULATION DISTRIBUTION • ' * OF THE V/ILSHIRE CHRISTIAN AND IMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES a « o © o • Age .(yrs) Nilshire Chrl.stian Church Immanuel Presbyterian Church • Total ! •lale .female . Total Male Female No. No. . /J - No. ^ 0 ' No. “J •Mo ^ - > • fj No . * r, ; 'Total • 62 100 24 100 : .38 100 '210 ■100 82 '100 128 100* o. ‘ i. VD 4 •• . 6.4 1 • 4.1 • y .0 26 ' 12.5 1-0 .12.2 •16 12..5 10-19 6 ' 12.8 2 . 3.2 < 0 .15-3 '20 9-5-. 10 ' 12.2 *10 • 3 20-29 i 8 ' > ’ ’ A • I0..7 • 1 ■ '2.'6; 22 .; io-. 5 23 ' 15.6 • 0 > i ^G-39 8 ‘ ' 13" 4 • 1619 4' 10.5 29 13-8- 23" 15 -6 16* 1214* * 90.-49 . -9 14.5 ’ 1 . 4". 1 ■8' . 21 ' 23 : 13.3. 8 " . 1 0 * 20. 15-5 50-59- 12 19-3 O 25 r Q •15-8 24' 11.4. 8 ‘ 10 ' * • 16 12*. 4 60-up. 16 .* 26 • 5 25. • 10 26.3. . ' 6l' 2'?- 20 24.4 41 .32.2 CO CO 9 e o 40 • • a per cent; but they*lag even more In the next category, 30~39, • * being behind*3-5 and 6.8 per cent--the age group that would • * • normally contribute the children under 10 years of age. In the 40 through 49 category, the churches are in * balance with-the city population. In the 50 through 59 group; the churches. have a 1.5 margin, but in the 60 and above, as has been noted,‘they dre almost double that of the ' pity. ‘ It is interesting to note that the points-at t/hlch' the churches- are most out.of balance with the city distribu- • •tion are'at the extremes-.-the' very young and,the very'old. . Among 'thp individual churches, the First Methodist ' . leads ih older people with 30 per cent of its males, and.-4’ 9. per cent-of it's' females reporting. over 60 years' of age, for . • an • average of 42 per cent. The Immanuel Presbyt.eriah Chpr.ch ' has ?4.4 per cent-of its males and- 32.2 p'er cent-of* its fe-' • males in this.segment of the population, for an average of 29. per'cent. .First Baptist and Wilshire Christian are-al^ most equal Ih sex distribution at the 60-and-over. level, with 24.7 per c-ent males-and 26 per cent females. ' . - • ’ * • ‘ * * t . * The First Baptis't Church seems .to have .the population distribution most comparable to the city, being the most like-it in four of the seven age categories. It is tied Tor th’ e 'highbst percentage of 0-9 year olds with Immanuel' Pres- * . * * byterlan. It has the greatest percentage in the 20-29 and . the 40-49 year brackets; and it has the lowest percentage in « • * the 60-and-over gi’oup. Immanuel Presbyterian most closely * 0 9 O 9 * e * o approaches the city average in the 30~39 year old group and o o ties wi^h the Baptists ‘ in the youngest group. Wilshire . • Christian has the largest percentage of-members in t;he 10-19 and the 50-59 age groups. •'The First Methodist Church, the . • • . . only downtown Church;'does not compare a-s favorably in-any • * • age grouping as the other churches with the citywide profile. This may account for much of its difficulty In supporting . . its program. ’ ' • •The‘minister ‘ of the First’ Methodist Church, Dr.' Sneed is trying-'to appeal to yo'Unger people through, the type o'f •sermon he preaches, which he .explains is not aimed at his membership but *at people who are' in .the forefront ■ of' life) . . ■ Q . • from 20 to 5° years '.of age. 'Onl-y a study of population ages over' the past teh years in that church could- tell if this-apphodch . has‘‘ brought more people'. - Ministers of the other churches felt .that .their messages' vjere , aimed at no' particular age group, but- simply dealt with peopl.e and their problems at-whatever.-level • they might, fall. The First Meth odist Church might profit fr.om a profile study o'f age of . ' members over the past ten.years to s'ee if fire re has been a • • * • • * • * , decrease i'n aged peoples, if there has .not, some other meth ods could be enlisted toward this end.. . . ‘ • •* • • « * . Population .distribution of a community is one of the', most important socio-cultural measurements.. It appears that t the churches.which most nearly approach the population ~ a • 2 , See Appendix, p. 11m . distribution of the city as a whole are doing the more ef fective job in securing an adequate membership to support the church program. ’ • • * A study of* thd profiles of the churches shows that . ' * • , • Immanuel Presbyterian is. second most like the distribution * * • • of th,e city... The Baptist. Church leads, however.; in -the per centage of males, which is usually considered an indication', of virility and effectiveness, for a..church. .However, the-’ difference .betv/een th.e two churches' is-hot .great • These churches,' also,' have not- experienced as.great-a decline in membership in. the’ last ten.;years as both. Wilshire ’ Christian ■and First Methodist; in. fact,.Immanuel has- shown a slight' upturn-in-’ the past five 'years., which may. indicate 'that they’ are doing an increasingly effective job. The Christian Church'wen.t’through, a -series .of- short pastorates, during'the. past ten years which has -no- doubt contributed somewhat to its decline in membership.' If the-.next few y.ears show an upturn in membership and more younger people'join the Church .the Wilshire Church may be able to maintain itself and grow. It probably wi'll need to s-eek people to* replace ’the 50~59'- age group of people who. now.comprise, almost -twpnty pe-p cent of the-members’ hip and undoubtedly contribute a- large share • • . • • • . • . •• . . ' of the leadership. . Jt .leads the.other churches ;ln the teen- age 'group by a slight margin. ; . . * * » * • * * « t • • The study bhowed only 57 per cent of the members of , . . i — - i i . 1 . ■■ ~ 4 , « 4 ^.See Appendix,* Tbble«XIX, p» 137- • • all fotlr churches to be married, 20 per cent were single, 17 per cent were widowed,.^6 per cent were divorced) and"none. * • • • were separated. The. church' .with the highest divorce rate ip t * • • . * • • • 'the study also had the smallest percentage of married people • ** • • * * ■ • * * With 4ust over half’ the people' of the. city church married, evidence would.'be that at- least two* of the city churches . • • * studied are.not primarily' family type ‘ churches, largely duo- to the advanced-age qf their members) resulting, in greater widowhoqd. * . *. ' • - p • • • • ' . • • * . * . f v • •' . • , ■ The type of churches, studied shows that the. member ship; distribution tends ‘to invert .the’ , distribution. of the' city.. There is-almost twice as large a percentage of.people •over’ 60 years of age, and only, about half a;s large 'a- per- ■ centage'of children under 10 years-'of ago • The age dlstrl-’ •bption -between -the ages .of 10 and 60 does not show as much • variation-from the’city distribution'as the- very young and- the old. .The ci’ ty• church distribution may be' characterized • * « • * • * as mature. ’ . " ' •• • '' ■ • . . As to distribution’ by .sex, it was discovered that al though thdre a’ re proportionately more femalep than males' in 'these 'chprches, the difference-Is small except ip the pO.-'-'- • ’ * * * * * an’ d-over category. The 30 to 39 age -gr.oup also showed-a' 1 • • • • ' » marked variation', particularly in a. smaller ..proportion of females, which would appeal td correlate the lower number of • • • • ’children in the 10-and-und.er ages. . . . • III*. OCCUPATIONAL MAKEUP’OF RESPONDENTS • * *Zi * • * * In the questionnaire respondents were asked to chepk » * . • • t . . ' • | ■ • • the.'type of employment. they held. The’ nine categories used v/ere'based-on those of the .1950 United States. Census.. . . Eighty per cent of’ the respondents checked white, collar- classifications. These con'sisted'-of approximately 40 per’* • cent-professional,'technical and" similar wo.rk.ers; '1.9 per »" * * * t , , * * cent clerical and .related workers; 9' per. cent sales workers; •and 12 per oen.t proprietors,- managers’and officials..' 'Anoth-, er 10 per cent indicated that they were craftsme’n, 'foreirjdn . • and-related workers in the'higher echelons of-blue collar • • .work. ' • ' ' • ■ • " ' * * ' • * . . . . * ’ .'Immanuel Presbyterian had-a startling 8o per' cent‘in. • the white collar, classifications, followed by ; V/llshire,' 7-6’ ; Baptist,- 73; and Methodist, 68-.. The Methodist' Church w-as probably. Iovj due to .the’number 'of aged "and- retired.- This • • study would tend to confirm- what has- often been said- that the protectant church is largely a white-collar church. • ” ■ .■ IV. .-ECONOMIC STATUS BY INCOME ' . •’ ' ■ '.. 'Surprisingly; members of these churches have a low; . * income. Fifty-seven per cent indicated incomes- below 15,000 t • • # * ' • per year. The highest in 'this category wa's the Methodist . • * * ( • i which has many on pensions-’ -?^ srcr certt. .The Baptist had • • A • « «•* • * * • * « * ’ ' ' ' m ~ • * • * • >BSep Appendix/p. Iu2. ‘ . / ’ o « o e o © o : ^ •’ the lowest number with 50 per cent, and the Presbyterians • • • . and Christians were between withj, 59 ancl 52'per. cent, respec*- f | * tively * * . • ' * . ‘ ‘ in the over $10,000 category., Wilshire Christian placed fi-rst with 17 per cent, First Baptist was neict with • 10 per cent, First'Methodist with 8,.and Immanuel Presbyte rian with 7 per.cent. : • The Baptists had 40;per cent signifying incomes of $5,000 to $10^000 per' year. . The other cihurches varied from . • ■ 18- to-35. per cent 'in .this category with Immanuel' Presbyteri an at the top and . the Methodist Church at'.the lowest figure. Table VI shows comparative figures, on Income by "churches. ..A surprisingly high correlation exists between' Income 'and the’opinion of the members as tp the.economic status, of the church members. Five..choices were given oh .the ''quch- . . ' . tlonnaircr upper. class., middle, class, lower- class, all .. classes, don’t know. 'By combining the number who checked . . ’ •middle'class'and all' classes., ’ a ' figure • of- 65 per. cent is’ reached • while actual figures qhow that 68 per-cent- of the . people who answered flie-question on page one of the ques tionnaire-had Incomes of $3,000 to'$10,000' per.'year. ’ Twelve per cent of'the respondent’ s felt-that their membership 'was * •, upper class, and 10 per cent 'actually indicated incomes .over' $10,000 per year. This-may indicate that, most people tend • * • ‘ • • • * * to p’ lacq the rdsfof the members’where they feel they'belong • * • • • • • • • • economically. This is only economic, however, and there are TABLE VI INCOME OF CHURCH MEMBERS COMPARED- BY CHURCHES Name of Church income . . • First Bahaist’ -First Methodist. ■ V/ilslilre Christian Immanuel Presby. ouiiiuxrieu .Totals • ’ • No. / ■ ? No. No . • 3 No. 6.. No. 3 . ' . • Totals . •.. • • • '72 100 . CO rd : 100 ■ 23 - 100‘ ' ' ■ "97-. 100 • • 230 100 .$0-$3,00G\ lo. 22.2 : 13- ."•34 ’ . ' 3 35.3- 27 ' 27.7. ’ 64- .CO OJ •s34 000-^5 > ooo • " 20 . 2 ( »<3 15' . 35.'5. 4 17 .'4 ■'29 3° ; CO • 29.5 $5,000-07,506 • ' 20 ;• 27-3 * > 0 15 • 3 1 \ 17 • 4- 22 22.7 52 22.6/ •37,500- ■ - . . $10,000’ ✓ * 12o 1 ■2.3 ■ ' J 13 • 12- 12.4 25 , * * 10,9 • Over .pi0,000 7 c 7 ^ * 1 0 .O • 1 , 3-7.4. ' 7 7-2 21 0 • i C T \ o o 0 47 • « other criteria that take precedence or are at least equally » * Important in determining one's status. • • Most of the members indicated that they were of the • * • • # opinion that the p’ eople "joining the church were on about the. .same economic level as those who had been members for some •’ years." There were four times as many-who though't -that peo ple of lower_ economic status were joining as thought that ..those" of higher economic status' were • joining; so there may 'be ‘ a feeling-'that there is a slight -downtrend . ' Vi; EDUCATIONAL STATUS'. " * . . * 1 * . * , ’ * ' 1 . • ' ’ The churches, showed a .very high educational ’ status . as • .compared -to the population -as a whole.- The results showed that- 25 per-cent had completed college,' .while 2-1- per cdnt more in'dlcated . some college . training. The figures .show 46 ' 1 * . ' ' • s . per cent of these members have had some college training--' The llilshire Christian Church had -the -highest .percent age, wi tb .5^ • ' per cent having college training and .2$ .per cent of the members .completing college. . First 'Baptist' -had-'tho highest number of college graduates' an.il p'apt-graduates, with 30 per cent; however, .only "an additional 17- per ee'nt ha.d nac-i some ’college-. As might be expected, due ‘ to the advanced’age’ of the- First I-lethodlst members., they had 34 per" cent with some college; IP*per cent of the total had'completed college. • • • • • « J • , ♦ • • • • " *. * .They also had 3^ oer cent who had not finished high scjiool . * • ’ . * * * ’ . . * The lowest per.centage of those not completing high schobl were the Immanuel Presbyterian and Ivilshire .phris*- ’ , • • tlan,»with 16 and 1Y per cent, respectively. The Baptists had 19 per-cent who failed* to finish high school. • The educational -quality of the city churchestshows them# to be* churches that require Intelligent preaching and program. Even the lowest, First Methodist,'stands'abovp-.the a’ vefage. in .college graduates'and college trained. gee Table VII for the comparative figure.s with ‘ the city population. ' « • • * * * f * In comparing the populations of the churched with the population' of Los Angel'es, 'the 'contrast is startling- in' 'the field of education,. In the city distribution, according to the 195° census figures, only-6.5' per cent of the population completed college; The four''church-average-was 29 per cent, almost three times' as.great. -In addition, .only 13 per-cent of thq people in -the city dia'd some college training, -making a total of'21-. 9 per ceqt'of the city population with college education.’ For the four churches tested it was .46'per cent.’ The- census alsq reported 'that 49 per cent of thb city, popu lation had not .completed high school, while the churches re ported only 20 per cent.-•'in .this soclo-cultural character istic of education the church members tested- can. be said, to' differ.very' signiflean'tiy-from . the. general population'of the • • • , • • • o * e • * 0 * • • • • • • • * * ' • * ** •• 9 * * • • • « • . * . - • * * * .. • • * * o ° 0 • / • • • ’ TABLE *VII. ■ • ' . ; •' • 9 O • • • • « COMPARI 1950- CENSUS SOM CF OF EDUCATIONAL* GRADE LOS/ANGELES AMD’THE ! Completed.„ FOUR CHURCHES • * 0 0 Grade .of • • • . Marne of Ghurch Combined • Average Los* Angeles Population o0 # Education 'Comoleted • * Hirst • ‘ First BaDtist • Methodist Wilshire Christian Immanuel. Presby. Mo. 7 ; mo . 7 Mo. 7' kO. ' - . 3 M-o .- 7 • ' - •Mo . * 7 Totals • • 7-3 * 1.00 • 47 100 24’ . 100 •104. 10G* _ 248 100 . • 2§17 100 0 c . ‘.0-11. & 14 ' 19-17 -33 ' ' .4. 1? • .17 ..16' ■52 *20 0 •1333 * 49 Completed c High Scnool 25. * • t • / 34'- 14- ' • 28 7-29* '.•35 .” 34 • • 31 34 8l3 29*5 Some College *12* 17 ; :7 15 7- 29 27- • 26 • 53 ' .21* • o53 13- Coll’ ege or ' Beyond.- 0 . * 4 22'. .•3*0-. • * 9- *19- • 6’; "25 •25 ' 2*4. ' 62 _ *25 ‘ * • • e 241 8.5 • • . *In . ® • * o • e • * • t o a • * t.housands.' • . • , • ■ ■ * • • • • • • , » ,0 • • • • • • • 0 . • o 4 • • e • * • o * c® • x v •* *• •' • • • • » • • • V O * 0 o o CHAPTER VII • • o THE SOCIO-CULTURAIt IMPACT OP THE CITY ON THE CHVRCH MEMBERS . ‘ . • * • • • THe assumptions to be tested in this chapter aro. * • * * * * those•relating to .how the city modifies the* relationship of • , • . * .the individual hyember to' the Church-, particularly as it re- • . * * * * * .iates to distance from -the church and to the- personal.. and social pressu’ rds of his lif.e. It is assumed also that the. • • * * * • age, -of the children has an effect on the. ..attendance patterns of the members.. _. • “ ' I. ATTENDANCE FREQUENCY ’ . The. rehults of the' 527. persons who 'were checked by ' • ■ • * ***••*'." • • • • the'respondents in regard to•church .attendance show that 51 * * ' * ‘ per cent attend ’regularly j 20 .per cent’ attend ’ half the time*, * • * * •*! .an.d 2JI per cent seldom*. Only 5 per ’ cent’-admitted that they * • never Attend. . • * • • • * . I t is. interesting' to ,note, that the larger'the' church* ’ * the smaller’the_ percentage of those in regular attendance..’ * 1 » • 1 , This' has. always, been s’ aia to be true of churches and the'1 - . . • . . . .... .study would tend to .emphasize it. V/ilshire0 Christian- church * • • . • ... has 5« per’cent’-regular attenders; the. Methddi’st, $6; Bap- * • 0 e • • tlst, 51: “and Immanuel, A8. The smaller1church has more e 0 ® * ® • . o • regular participation by- i°ts members*. • Tills may* be due to a • \ 0 ° • . • . • - feeling of more dependence upon the individual, so he „ . „ u « o # o Cfa responds by taking more responsibility; .it may be due to* e more friendliness in’the smaller group, or any one of a num- ber of factors. It is significant that there is a .ten per cent drop between the regular attenders at' the church of 840 • • * t members and the church of 3,440 memberb--from 58* to 48 per * * • • cent. Table5 VIII* graphically portrays -this. • •. . . II- LENGTH OP MEMBERSHIP IN PRESENT..CHURCH . Length of ‘ membership is probably ’a clue to, much of t-he -strength of the’ city church. A -very high, percentage of ‘ its_ members hav-e ,'bedn members more than 15 years,' w’ lth about half the members, in each.church exceeding 10 years. ‘ .Most neighborhood churches could.not claim • this. ^ ’-It also* indl- • * * ' • ’ • , * ’ cates’ a, rather-.slow ra.te o-f growth because many merjiberb .ne’ v: ’er get past, the 5’ year. mark. This- is indicated by the v.ery hlg'h percentage ,of member’ s who have’been members less than’'5 ybars in all the churches. . Since’20 per cent of the-popula tion in Los-'Angeles changes residence each’.year, . it probably shows’ that chu.rch members-are no different than non-church ‘ * * • • . * mppibers in. this respect’ ,* " • • ■ ’ ■ • • * , * , . ' It .also may* indicate change's ,in pastoral leadership. ' * < . All except the First Methodist Church’"have had, ehangep of* ' . • • • • • * • • * • • • • • * • . • , ... • 1 * *••*.' In tho/writei;'s own church of a thousand members> not'more* than 5 per cent of the people could claim member s ' l l Ip *‘of this "duration. Most'neighborh@od churches are not 15 years .old,, and neighborhood cliurches do not seem so have the drawing power of the large downtown or boulevard* type of church outside,* of their own neighborhood. TABnE Vj l ’ jli ' • THE RELATION CF CHURCH SIZE TO 'FREQUENCY -OF MEMBER ATTENDANCE ' ' • • Name of Church • rmmanuel '.Presby. ' ' First • Baptist '.First Methodist V . r il shire Christian OUHLUJ-iieU Totals Membership Size 3440 . 2460 • 1700 • - 840 o440 No-. c ,o ' '• N o 0 . : No. 0 No. • ^ p No. £ •No., of Replies' 202* 100 * 177 100 77 ’100 71 100 ' 527 100 Frequency of •Attenaan.ee ' • Regular ■'97- . 43 ■39 *50 / '43 ' p6 . ' s •% 41 ~ - ~ s po 270 51 . 1/2 tine • . 41''"20 .35 -19 14 10 14 ''20. 104 20 Seldom ' '■ 45 . 23 ’ ■ • '99 ;28 _ 14 l3 : 16 22 . 125 24 'Never .13 : 9 • .4 ' 3 8.. 3 0 'o • 23 5 0 o o o 53 leadership In the last six years. Whereas the First Method- e o 1st growth pattern is the same for the 5 to 10 year interval < as for the 0 to 5 year* period, in all the other churches the 0 to 5 year period exceeded the 5 to 10 year interval con siderably. This may again Indicate the Importance of the ministerial leadership to the growth of a church. : * As shown in-Table IX, the average of the churches surveyed points out that 39. per cent of.its members are of ■more than 15 years' standing. '.These people should feel a closeness of ties to each other and the'building.that newer members-have not yet achieved. ’ ' There is--a'comparatively high, ratio . (Table X) of those who know more .than ■ 25 members by name-in each of -the.' • churches, according-, to. responses to the questionnaire. More than fifty per cent of.the respondents indicated such a high degree- of acquaintance. • " ■ . - . . ’ The results appear to indicate .that with about-one - half the membership having a comparatively long formal rela tionship to the. church there is assured a measure of success • In keeping an Institution alive.- This should be - coupled with an aggressive reaching out to"new people because of their high mobilityparticularly in members of less than 5 years1 standing. • • • • . . . o • • • c p oo * * ■ • • * • • NUMBER OF Y&i . T'ABnm i.RS HEH3ERSH u ’ IF Til PRESS:nT- church • • * • ■ • • . * Years o f ■ .Membership Name of Church Combined •Totals First- - Ban ti s t • 'First Methodist •V:il shire ■■Christian Immanuel Presby. « • . * • * * .! Totals- ' • No. No. ^<0 • No. No. 5^ ... • 74 100. 43 100 ■ 25 100 104 100. •*251-' 100 • . 0-5 . . *1- 26 15:' ' 27- 3 33 ’ 37 ■ '36 • • 4 ..77 .... 9 31 . • 5-10 11 14 13 27 4 17 h . ' 17 \ • 9 33 . • 10-Ip ' ' .13 •lo 3 . 2“ D 4 . . 17 5 5 25 12 15 -or more •■31 42 ■ If ■ 40 ■ ' 9 " 33 43 41 ' 102 39 * . . . 1 p v_r ■£r TABLE' X ACQUAINTANCESHIP OF MEMBERS 9 No ..of Members• Known’ by. Name ■ Name- of Church Combined Totals • * • 0 «« • First Baotist First ' • Methodist Nilshire Christian Immanuel Presby. • ‘ No. $ No. £ No. . £ ; No. £ No. . . ♦ © "• Totals '71 ICO'' 43 .100 27 100 '100 100 238 100 O * , a • * a S ' 0 •■ ;6 . 6 -.14 ■4 - ■ 15 * 17 ' 17 . 33 14 0 0 • • • 6-10 • . . . 8. ii.'- 5 ' ■ 12 2‘ 3 . '17 17 32 13 0 •• ll'-25. 14 20 8 19 • 9 •33 . 13 ' 18 49 21 e * « 26-50 14' 20 10 ■ 23 ; 5 ' 13 ’ 14* 14 • 43 • 18 0 * ' ‘ * • . ' '.Over -.50 . ; 29 ■4i. •14' •32 i ' . 26.. ' 31. 31 • ’ . 31 34 * 0 0 \ _ r . vn O o . • III. HOW DISTANCE AFFECTS PARTICIPATION- • • • * * IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES . • . . One of the fundamental questions .to be tested in this study, was whether distance adversely affected the partic'ipa- . tlon of the members in. the activities of. the church. Each of the ministers interviewed thought that it did* although’ each could cite notable.examples'where it did not. The .study does bear out this assumption as 'shown!in Tables XI. ■ v. * ' • ; * * . ' and .XII. -HoweVer-, it 'is not proved hearly so conclusively ■ ’ as was expected .by the writer. The first line Is the per centage of members- living. within 5 miles of the church'. It •is interesting to note that 46-.per cent do live that close. ' The second line includes those who live 5 to 10 miles away, ■ third line those 10 to 15 miles distant, and the fourth line those beyond 15 miles. • Tile population of'.each church studied Is deemed to be too small to bear-.out the hypothesis that the greater the distance a member lives from his church the less Is his par ticipation, but the'combined figures of the churches do tend ■to bear this out. The writer feels that even larger popula tions would bear It out more clearly. The survey also -showed -that 42 per'.cent of the re-' spondents or members of their.families" held official'posi- • tions-in the church, .while 4.6 per cent_indicated that they . . attended ‘ some other 'activity of the.church regularly beulde • • • TABLE.XI DISTANCES OP MEMBERS' RESIDENCES FROM THE .CHURCH • . Miles Name of Church „ « * Combined Totals • From ’ ' Church ' First ■ Baotist First• Methodist V/11 shire Christian ■Immanuel Presby. o o • Ho. 3 ■ . iiO . . . ; o Ho . . £' * No . -1 9 . ‘ ’ Totals ■ 72. 100 ■ 43 loo '23 100 ■ 102 100 *245 100 * c o o • o 0-5' • •27 3.7 • .17 ■ 35 10 ' 43 _ '60 ' ■ ..59 .-114 * $-io_. ' • • • • 'IS 21 . : ■ 20 '42 . .5 22. ■ 20 ' 20 .7 6 Or . 25 • • , e O .10.-15 IS 18 ’ i i -t ■ 0 ■ 6- 26: 7 7 ' • 30 • • • » 12 • . . « 0 15..or more.. : It • . 24 ■7 14 2 0 ■15 "14 41. * ±1 * 0 o 9° o O 0 p o o ; ' TABLE XII AFFECT CF DISTANCE OF REGULARITY OF ATTENDANC2 # • • ;-II I e s •From Name.of Church nrsr .* .Church Baotist First Methodist I nun A nu ei Presbyterian Combined Totals No. .tending Total No. At- < 3 No. tending 'Nilshire- ‘ Christian'____________________ ___________________ Total No. At- $7 Total No. At"-- . Total No. At- fj No. tending • - Mo.- tending; No. ’ tending Totals ' 72 e o ■53 • J'-1 48 ?o Si 23 15- 35- 102 . 72. 72 245 1T£ •, 73 D-5 27-’ 23 85 - 17 ■ ' 14 ., ” 82 10 ’ ■ ' ■ 9 .90. 60 44' •73 Hi* \ 90 80 « 0 5-10 15 .12 30 20 '15 T5'. 5 2-. 46 . .20" 15..'. •75 ‘ 60 44 73 ® 10-15 •13. • 9 ; '69 •' ■ 4 • . 4 -" 100 0 ' 4 60 •'' • 7 6 _ '36 . * • . • 30 23*' 77 - « 15’ or. more. •17.- • Q ‘ ■ * -F 53 ' 7 6 ‘■"36 - • 2 • . 0 ' • 0 ' 15: '■ - 7. 47* 4> * « * e • 22 054 *° » . * ' « .. * • a 0 O • « \Sl co great deal of volunteer leadership inB addition t°o its em- . ployed staff and that its program beyond the worship serv- . e ..aces appeals t© almost hcflfthe members. In some bases it . . . . • . • • • * * . .may be the .chief reason .for attendance, due to.a 'sense of •responsibility to one's office or‘ .g*roup. * * • . * ’ ‘ . ‘ • * * •••••.■• IVV- PHYSICAL PROXIMITY'‘ .TO. ONE VS CHURCH *’ • ’ ( 1 ' * , , • 4 . , ’ ' . • « • The city Church• is affected by the proximity of peo- 1 pie bo.it, just as are-other churches i r'egar.dieos. of where* , they are located.'- Ninety-one per cent of'--those questioned as to' the distance they-lived from the church when they . . . joined it said- within • ten miles;' Gy. per-cent were within • fiveniiles, and 23 per cent were-within walking distance. '- Five per cent lived ten to fifteen-miles away, and'_ 4-. per cent lived over fif teen miles away when they j.oined. .This Indicates that beyond the ten mile radius, -city churches will get'meager results for-their efforts.,- with the possible exception’ of those who show evident interest over, a- long pe- . riod of time in trying .to win them to membership. ■ • In evidence of the-mobility of-the city church's mem-' • . beiship . is the ■ fact - that. although when 'joining only-' 9 -per- . - cent lived; beyond ten miles; .when questioned as to ‘h'ow far' they, lived '.from .the church now',- 29 per cent Indicated mox'e - than ten niiles, and of these, '17 per cent were bey'ond the 'fifteen mile distance. . • ‘ • . • However, tl\e church .evidences some ‘ pulling .power upon its constituency, for it is noted” that wben’asXed tfhe farth-. * • • • o • • * . • . est distance they had *ever „Mved< from the cburcji, 22 per * • • * . * • • cent indicated fifteen or"more mile-s", ‘as against 17 per* cent • . * • . ‘ * .living that far away how. ‘ There was no. ch'ange’in. the per- . * ' * * • . centage of tHose living from 10 to 15 miles. This /nay’ indi.- cate .that trie -members wrio move- beyond fifteen miles feel , ’ that they must move closer-op join othdr criur.ches.’ The pull ing -power of-the- city clutrch beyond the' fifteen mile radius sc'em.s to be, negligible. ' It i-s significant that the minis ters also senbed . this ;in their-'Interviews, though most of the ministers indicated that • some kind of personal contact; is'sought with ^embers no. matter how. far .away they' live. ■The pulling -'power Is even evidenced among those who live, closer than ten mi'les.- The: percentage of- those-who ■have ever, lived ten miles or-less from -the church w.as 6l per cent, but at -the present’ time ‘ 7-2 per cent live within-the' . ' • ten mile radius, indicating that 11 per cent fel-t .compelled to move closer to -the'.'church. - This would indicate, th'en,. ■ that the attachment -some people have ■ to -their 'church 1-s suf ficient-to bring' them- ipack from the suburban areas into the. city. ' As such, it- might-'be called a centralizing 'force upon ‘ » * • • s ' | • the city- population. Fif'teen'per cent of • those questioned indicated that, they, lived. closer to the church’nov;’than they had lived previously. * Eveh if we"-take • * . into account the • ” * . * " • ' • fact- that- there are many other‘factors causing "people to ( • ' ( move, "the church is probably also a factor. • .... • • • « * The ■church, therefore,, appears to influence Central!- * • • • * f ♦ • * 1 * • Nation .in* the* city,, an observation.of sociological signifi-* • * i » . * . canqe. a < * # " ' * * . Distance--is a-primary factor in the relationship. of 'a member with -his church!’ .The active church membe-r tends to live within fifteen-miles of'hi's church and he has a" tenden cy ’ to try to be nearer. •Those' living beyond-fifteen .miles ■ become noticeably less active, while' less than 9 per cent of the people who joined the church-lived over ten miles from' it when'they joined. .After.joining,, members may move farth er away;-.29 • per cent indicated that- they now live .more than ten"miles from-.their; church. ■ This would- tend to show that the church has good pulling power'.on its' members'-to remain as members when they move, but there ‘Is relatively 'little • such influence.on- non-members becoming members if'they live, beyond .the ten mile radius; ' •' • • ••.*.* The city church-member is- characterised•by stability of•membership- because 39' Per cent have been members of- their ■.church over fifteen'year's and more than half have been mem bers’more than ten years. --On the other hand, the. more re- . ,cent, members of these -churches appear to be characterised by mobility; ''.one of the most prevalent marks of the city. Al most a third'of tile, members have belonged less than five years, and it’ appears that ’ this r Ls a' fairly constant ratio,.* for each of the ministers Indicated that there was about a • * * ’ • • . • *. . * * * • * teh per’ cent,.turnover 'in membership- each year. * • 62° o o V. PERSONAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS. ® ■ INFLUENCING*\CHURCII MEMBERS* * ' There ha-s’ been a .great-.dfeal of. speculation-as to why • * • » * • . • * • people belong .to a particular church. .Though the reasons ' , • • ' * * * • given by the people .questioned may not reveal motivations,.. 'at lea-st there is an Indication of "why • they, feel they attend. . The writer has weighed .the reasOrip.given for•belonging to'a particular church- pn page 2', question 11 of the question- • nalre . . All the responses have been computed by’ percentages of those .who indicate some influence on the respondent.in . each of the twelve items that are listed/ The results, are .given in. Table XIII In order of the-.importance given them by- the ■ respondents ■ The.order of importance for belonging to a particular church was found to.be:- Denominational preference, the preaching, -the minister, ■ the’ - worship service, friendliness' of people, the music, family connections, the .church's role . in community improvementconvenience to one's home, a fami-. ,-ly’member already belonged, and-, tied for last place, for the" salce of one's children • • and-, attendance at the request-of a, friend.. . • " • . ’ . ..... . ’ . . * • 'In the.'modern day church' the denomihationalism of ; peopl'd i’ * o assumed to ber waning. ‘However-, .it- stood-far ahead.- 'of all other reasons for belonging.to a particular church, 2 See Appendix, p. 103. ' 'TABLE X.U.I ■ • . REASONS- GI-VEN 3Y MEMBERS FOR BELONGING TO-THEIR CHiJRCH . Reasons . ' . • First' . First HiIshire immanuel -Combined ■ • -Baotist. '•Methodist■ Christian Presbyterian' Totals • • Ho. £ Ho. ' S - No 0 No. £ No. 5 Totals bo 100 •.43 100 ' 30 ' '100 ' 107 •100 262 100 Denominational preference '59 To 24 d ' - ' 16 • • 53 ' . 71 170 66 The preaching 49' '65 ■21 . . 43.” - 7 23 •’ . 43 95 . 1-26 49 The worship service • ‘ 45 60 ’ 30 ' ■ ; "53 10 33' . 44 41 ‘ • • * « il6 45 The minister • 44- ■'59 1.7 ' • '35 9'.' 3Q • 47 44' • 11*6 • 45 ' A friendly church ■ 36 47 22- 45 . '7 . 23 ’ 40 37 : ' 104 41 The music • ' 32 .42' ‘l-3 ' ' 27 3 . 27' • ' 44 '53 ‘ 97 ’• 33 • My family church ' ,26 34 '.12 • 25' 3 ' 27 ; * . 25 : 73 2.8 : Leads in community improvement 2‘ 4 32' . 9 . ' 19 4' 1-5 ' 2° • 19 •57 . 22’. * • Convenient to • • my home Family member already belonged For the sake of my children 1.3 13. - 14 17 : r (- 19 10 ".3 3 10 ■ ' 0 .. • 6 ‘7 ' 4 5 _ '■'23. ' 13 l3 29 : ’ , 17 ■ 10 .'27 ' .16 • .-9 • 54 21 • 39 15 • • 32 ’ 12T5 * • 0 A friend asked me to come 9 12 -3 6 ■ 4 ■ :i3_: 16 15- * 32 . .12.5 Other 2 ' 3 2 4 ' ' 2 ' i' . 4 ‘ '4 10 . 4 as pbown by <Table° XIII; *67 Per cent felt that it had some o o o ° bearing on their decision. • F. • . • • • ■ • • • • . * * • * * * , .The minister again’showed up as being of prime impor- * • • * * • • • • • tance in attracting pqople* to the church. Forty-five per * • * * . * • « * # 4 •cent of the responses 'indicated that this is*the case, and only two' people signified that he had'no importance whatever. . His prepching rated even higher/ with 49 per cent checking it as Important. The protectants * have been known ps preach ing people arid.’this tends to bear out the • importance at- . tached to sermons. • This.also- indicates why these-churches, -seek men who can preach and "the reason why ministers felt, that it Is- .of great importance... The- worship service, also,- which is. presided over by the!- minister, was ranked'by 45 per cent as having much to do with their membership being where 11 1 s. ■ ■ ■ • - • ; . ■ . ( • Even though 28 per- cent of the respondents felt that • It was their ’family1s church, only. 12 per•cent'came for. the sake of their children. Music had a-rating Of 38 per cent, which'may 'justify the. city church-in-allocating a; goodly amount of its. .budget for .'professional* quality music, Forty-five per cent checked the friendliness of the church’ ’ as a factor of Importance % The protestant church, lays great store, in its--friendliness, whereas, the _Catliolj.es achieve their ministry 'on a wider range of stratification'‘ . • • ' * within each parish*church by an almost complete.lack -of • • * * * * • * * * fellowship. Evidently, the number placing this as an influence bespeaks that protestantism must be alert to its 0 friendly relations with peoole. * " • 0 « o Some important differences showed up between the churches-In this section’ .* .'The Baptists had• the* strongest' ' * t • • denominational‘ties,'nearly 80’ per-cent indicating it as a ‘ ‘ factor.. The minister, likewise, •was strong as a reason, given By almo'st 60 per cent. The preaching ranked high at ‘ 65 per cent.'-The' Presbyterians were _strong in denomination al ties with 66 .per cent indicating the influence of this • . factor.'' The. minister,'the preaching and.the worship service ; were credited.by 40-to'43 per'cent of the members as impor- • tant.- • ' . ■ 'The Christian and the .Methodist Churches ' showed -some significant-'differences here. -Denominational preference was 53.. and 50 per cent, 'respectively. The. minister • ranked -35 ’ . - and 30 per. cent as reason's fof belonging. The preaching ranked'as a reason for 23 per cent at. V/ilshire, .an'd- for 43 ■ .per. cent-at F.lx'St 'Methodist 1 Music■ was. just 'half as imp'or-. tant a.reason in these two churches -as compared with the ' members of. the' Presbyterian and- Baptist-cliurches. ' ' . • . The!majority of church members.tepted, 72 per oent, felt the church to 'be most helpful *ln ‘ strengthening .their » * • • oersonal faith.' Following this were 63 per cent, who- felt-. ' . * 1 that it helped to* know God'.s love for them- . * • * * * * / * * ’ * Wext in ..order, .ranging, from 5^'to ^1 per cent, were • ’ • ’ * •.•*'• thobe who felt the help from the church was in the meaning of* life, meeting personal problems, making right decisions, o'.® meeting the right kind of people and”awareness of others' • * * * . needs. These may be seen in Table XIV. • . . Thir-ty-seven per cent felt that the church helped • _ them.to. understand people of different cultures and races, . • * * and 3^ Per cent felt it. brought the family closer together.. In every. case, it will be noted- that the issues .that' involve .the personal life of the individual are the most frequently Indicated as .points‘at which the church membei-s .seem to expect and do receive help.' The" social, aspects‘of hi's 'life which involve his-fellow man'are ranked lower by • him , in-his. responses to the questionnaire. . . ' There were two- potable exceptions. The Baptist •Church showed that its family relations were- stronger than any-.of the other churches tested in that -56 per cent.'thought that the church brought the family closer-together;•this was more than double ' that .of any other'church’. • The "second. ex ception was ’ that the members of the’Christian Church'placed •the 'church as making them aware of -others' needs in first • place with strengthening of .faith.' This church gives more, proportionately, to mission and benev.olent causes than any ' of the 'other churches tested ahd this stress may have cre ated a .greater awareness of. this qmong. the people.. * • The writer, has classified the ^results of the forego ing.material on the.basis of p’ ersohal 'and-'social in the fol- * * lowing’manner: • • . • • . . • TABLE XIV . . O ’ - 1 . * * , * * • •PERSONAL AND SOCIAL' REASONS GIVEN BY- MEMBERS FOR BELONGING Tp THEIR CHURCH Reasons . .•First . .first V/ilshire- Immanuel . Combined • ■ ’ Baotist .Methodist - 'Chri'stian Prefebyterian Totals ■ No. No. £ No. '‘ .No,. £ No. £ * Totals •' ’ . ‘ 75 . ICO 48 ■ICO '• 30 ’ 100'- -107 , 100 • 256 100 ■±n strengthening my faith ' ‘ 53 ' 73- • 37 •76 " M ' ' 46- .37 :‘ 72 • 0 CO I —I * • 72 To- know God-' s -love . ' for me ' 55. " 76 '31 ■ §4 - 13 43. .'74 . 7C • ’ 173 • 69 The- meaning of life * ' ‘ • 47 68' 21 . 43 ■ . 1.3 •• .43 '••54 . 51 135 54 In meeting personal • problems • • '44, ■ 63 • 27' '5.7 8. : : .26 .54- ‘ 51* . 133* 53 In making/right . • ■ ' decisions . >5 • 63 23 ' ' 47' ‘l2 39. ' ■ "49 46 ’ 129 52 In*meeting right .kina of people . • • "33 . 44 . ■ 23.. 47 ' 9 : 30 • 4/1 41 - 129 52 Av;areness’of others'" ' needs : 45 • . 65 ''•23 '■ -47.'• i.4 • .46 45* 42 • 127 e 51 Understand people 'of • • ■ " • different culture . 40 . 53 1-5 . . 31. .8 •26 29 • 28- ' 92 37 and race "Bringing family closer tnfzether . 39 56 9. ‘ 13 ' •26 •29. 28 34 34 . Under the personal classification are lis°ted: In strengthening my faltli, knowing God's love for me, and meet ing personal problems. In the social category have been • • placed,: Awareness .of others' needs, understanding people of * • different cultures and.races, meeting the right kind of peo- • • •pie, arid bringing the family closer together. Finding the • • meaning of life and making right decis-ions w.ere Influences ' which might be-interpreted in either category, so -they are not put-in- cither division. • . . " '* • • • With this,classification'it would’appear that the as sumption that-religion is subjective and personal more than social in the life of 'the individual church member is borne out: . ' ’ ' . ' . ■ . ; . . ' . . VI. EFFECT. OF CHILDREN ON ■ . . • • CHURCH ATTENDANCE 0F-‘THE PARENTS . That school' age children affect the membership of the ci'ty church adversely is Implied by. Inference rather than conclusive proof. There was not; a large 'enough, sample to. de termine this, nop were questionnaires -sent to people who' might, have dropped out-of the ’ church -recently. - Therefore, only the population distribution and the word’ of the minis- • • t ? * •• ,, * * • * * • • ters can be relied on at this point. The fact that the per- ceutage of children,, ages 0 through 9*> und adult3, agps 30 ... • » .through ‘ 39, show a disparity, would tend.’to* reflect that*. • * this result has In fact occurred.. When parents move out of o o o 69 • • the neighborhood of the church, the children seem to bring o pressure to attend a church close to home where they know • • their school chums. ’ O Chapter viii THE ADJUSTMENT OF -THE CHURCHES ’• The factors which ’cause churches to .adjust to social * * * . • « ’ ( changes in 'the communi.ty are not markedly different from those of any other institution/ They are fighting, for-sur vival.- The statement of the' problem at the begihning of ’* Chapter I cites this- as the- reason for ‘ the study. . . ; . Grow/or die -‘ seems to be. the law in all. realms o'f lif.e The far-sighted poliby'Is to keep an institution open minded, prepared to-makd-modification in method’and or.-. . . • ganizatl6n;' able • to slough ol'-f ancient and -outgrown ele ments that Impair Its efficiency, and to keep it -elas- ' tic and adjusted., so that it can continually be 'fitfed, • to changing conditions.-^ 1 ' , Paul DouglasS has defined churches according to ‘ their adjustment, or lack of it; in the following categories: •. . ' ' . According- - to this hypothesis, .the "unadapted" type is • -to be-regarded, as essentially -the hold-over of a’ rural . institution which has not-begun to make distinctive ur ban adjustments.- The "slightly adapted".- type is the • product of. a -struggle between traditional and novel forces resulting in a small degree of adaptation. The ' "internally adapte'd"' type shows’ the.- church committed to urban attitudes and adaptations but limiting their' or- .ganiked expression primarily within .its own.institution al sphere and wl-.th respect-to its own. constituency. -The "socially adapted", type., on the contrary, molds itself up-on phases of' service -to the city beyond its original . constituency ' and • fr.equen’ tly adopts .a spe'cia-1 constituen-r cy on the .grounds of its acute social-, need. 1 • • " Joyce' .0. 'Hertzler, Social Institutions. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.., 19 2p)"TypV*.; ‘ . • e * , ' * * ? * * • Paul H. Douglass, 1000 City Churches .(New York:’. \ George H. Doran Company, 1926), p . 91. , ‘ * The internally adapted and the socially adapted meas- e urements suggested by Douglass were used in the study and also in the interviews with the ministers. • ° i Culture is simply the name for all behavior patterns • • • • . socially .acquired and socially bransmi.tted by _ meads of sym- * * • • »f i bo.l-s. It is all "that is learned through inter-communication. • . . • • ' ■ • . . • It includes language, tradition (which'is i-ts’, core)‘ customs., ' . • ' * \ . • and institutions.. The social-includes all our- k'nowledge., ideas, beliefs^ values-, standards, and sentiments, lienee,' the .socio-cultural aspects of the s’ tudy’have been.*stated ‘ broadly enough so that 'all social' influences that shape our lives,, including‘ urbanization with all its1 , attributes, haVe •been Interpreted as those factors--which are lnfluencing---the church just as the churdh is .iii some- measure’ affecting .them.-. . One’ of the. Influences-‘ affecting the church is its in creasing secularization. This is-noted in the many organi- * .zatlons, Interest and 3tudy groups, social groups,'and other activities which ..the church'.provides. in addition to it's wor-• ship and. p-rayer services’. . It is felt ‘ -that peopl-e .will not attend the -church unless' if ministqrs to more than the’ fr • •. spiritual, needs, .-or. that .the spiritual needs arp-greater '• than those of worship and prayer.. • Whatever reasons may be • t • ■ • advanced for these innovations, they havp been*made a part of the church' program because of the socio-cultural batterns • “ * * ** : of'the ciiy in whTch*. the church has. dwelt. The allowing of • * « 0 t * o .lipstick and rouge for women members and the acceptance of adornment in jewels and clothing are examples of responses « ° ° ° o ° to the changing culture in which"the church* has* found itself. o • Boys' Scouts and Girls' Scouts troops, °Y.M.C.A.° a>hd Y.W.C.A. groups., club activities, square-dancing,, ando othep * ( . ° • innovations are all adaptations ^t.o’the culture of the com- ’ • • • * . muni.ty of -which the church .is a part. • . * “ • * * * * ** In return, the -church has had some Influence on the ' • • . * * socio-cultural .aspects of the city. Sunday‘ is still a day > * . • * * • in.which the .majority of people are free from daily toil.- Historically, '.the .church' s efforts to keep the. day clear, os tensibly to worship God,.has had it's impact.. .Reverence-is ' ' expressed in'the printing on our money, "In-God We Trust,"; ■ .and the ‘ inclusion’in our flag salute, one. nation "under *Go‘ d.1 1 The church helped.to bring about the cessation of.-.child' la-* bor and.was instrumental'in the enactment .of laws to protect children-. ' It' influences -motion pictures, 'fashions, - ‘ morals', • " * , . i • economics,- and world relations•through .pressure -groups and service organizations.' Through, the pe.rsonal faith of its • • * * # * • • * • •• . • * ' * • * # members, it brings about unmeas'ui^ed changes in human-conduct * * • • * * * • • 4 .in labor, Industry, government; and all facets of human en- * • : * • • • « * . • . • • • : • : aeavor. . . " - * • * . • • • . ■ ‘ • ’ • . * ■ • • • Each-individual member o‘ f a church 'has hi s’ --own opin-’* • . • * * * % * • * ions about the kind of church .to which he or she. belongs, • • * • • • . • , % •• *. the kind of. people that belong to'it, and. the-charactehis.*- • • • * » * • * 0 • • • * * e# tics of* the neighborhood, 1ft which" his church is lo0 cateo d. C O . . e < , * - • I Facts may prove him ok her to be wrong o*r right, but his O f t o 4 ° Q ° opinidh is “important because it determines in some measure • # • how the church will adapt itself to thfe sociorctiltural and . •o.th’ er aspects* of the cPmmunlty. * • ’ * i *• » * T*ho first'part of .this chapter_is an attempt to re cord the--'reactions and. responses on the part of‘the indivld- •• * . * * * * * . uals in the churches■ studied. In a measure they also re-. fleet their attitudes ‘ and values. These are'simply answers to questions that.vipr.e given on the questionnaire. . * • * « . ' •* I. -MEMBERS' 'AWARENESS Oft TllE CHANGI-NG COMMUNITY . « , • * * * * * ' • • ' Of those who,' expressed ah .opinion' about- the- status-of • t , • ' * * . • * • • i the .church neighborhood- during the ’last' five .years, the', ma-’ . jority'opinion was that very little ■ change held' -occurred;. . . • • , i * • / , there was a slight•indication that-it was changing -for the • * * ‘ 4 * ' ■ bd.tter. The closer thb 'church is to the* inner city, the '■ greater .sbems to be • the-impression that 'the neighborhood is deteriorating. First‘M'etho'dist'members ■ expressed"this' feel- • * * • , * * • f ing the strongest and also the majority felt that the area • ' * * * • > • • * • ► * • was a. rather poor’place to .live'. The First baptist Church,' • * * * * . _ . •which is relatively close to'the downtown area, also-had' * ' * . • , .* '•...••• more' members who thdught the neighborhood was getting- worse ‘ ’ . . .’ * • • . . • rather than better. . However, the. predominant, feeling was • • * • , • »* that it.was still" a fa-irly’nice place in which -to live.- "• ' * « . t » • • • . 1 • • ^ t • • .Both Immanuel Presbyterian, and Wilshlre Christian . ° e • • • " • « * ' ■ members showed a higher regard .for the community- and’ f.elt ° . ° * • o ■ o * * ,# " that i^was podSiblyogetting°a little* better.- .They are in © 9 e e shire Boulevard where many new office * " bulldin'gd are* risirfg; they* seem hopeful-that this will bring • • i more people of the class that would.-fit into ‘ the church into » • ' ( * t < the neighborhood. . . ' • . A high percentage of the' respondents ‘indicated that •they felt, there had b'een. a. change'in the .type, of • people 'liv-- ing in the-neighborhood of the church. There was no way- to indicate'whether this.'was good-or bad, ; but it does Indicate an awareness on the part of the members of city churches that' the corjimunit’ y is somewhat fluid and change' is taking' • place. ‘ . The- members of the First Methodist Church seemed to' be -the only one's who sensed a -loss' of membership on the- part ' of their church. The Baptist and Presbyterian•members more often expressed the •feeling.'that the'ir churches Were -growing. The Christian 'Church-members were not' sure; just one mOre person felt.It was. growing than those who thought it was- , losing. ■ 'For-all-these churches, there was'.the greatest.re sponse .at the'point of the church" maintaining its.* membership level (spe .Table‘XV'-This .would seem ‘to indicate that-the ’ , / . , • • members are aware that .the ‘ city church is not*'a growing so- . . clal institution, 'but is-simply maintaining itself. The * ♦ • • * * * * * •*'* statistics ’ of the churches contained In ‘the Appendix would tend, to* beah out .the contention *-that two‘of .the churches ■ are * • • ' • 'fairly stable, but-with a slight dropping-off-in the Method- * * • * • • • . • 1st an,d Christian congregations over the past few years, and the neighborhood on Wil TABLE. XV ; •• ..’MEMBERS' OPINIONS. CM CHURCH’ GROWTH • Church '.s • Growth JFirst' . Baotist First Methodist V . T il shire Christian Immanuel Presby. Combined Totals * • •'No.. 7 , • No. ' ■ / - ? ' No. ' , 3 •No 6 No . 2 * ' Totais- 70 100' 44... 100 27 ioo .102 : 100 •243 .100 It Is growing 25. . 36 ' 3.’ 7 . 4 ’ 15 30. . 29 6a 26 It' is not changing 33' ' 47‘- 25' . -34 ' '11 • 4t . . 44' • 43:.' 103 • . 42 * » It is losing members• . 2 . 3- 14 .32 3 : ■ ’ ii ■' 3 . ’3 ' 22 Q ’ Don 11 knov; •10 14- 12 ‘ 27 • o 33 25 . 25 56 •23 o o 7.6 o an alarming loss over the last ten years in these two churches. Part of this loss of the past ten years, accord- • * . ing .to the two pastors, is due to a better system of records* * * * keeping..* There has,. howe.ver, • been a real, loss in both of « * • • • • • • • • • • * .these bon^regatlons. * . * ' . • . * * ' • * ■ . * •. • • . . ‘ -‘ ■ The Opinions of the church members as to- what makes . .’. ‘for the success of the • church • ranked the minister of; great- ' est ’ importance.,' with 60 per. cent ranking -him 'at the top of the list of .factors, making fop the' success, .of. their church (see Table'XVI). . An_additional 19 per• cent felt that the! ;■ .var.led program was of the’ -next greatest .importance. The ' _ ■ ' only -significant.variation'on this point 'was- in' the First' Baptist Church where th.e.varied program' received 2 % 'per' cent ’ and. the minister per cent of the' vote.s..- This v/ould.indi- 7 • cate-that' the’members of this ohurch. feel-more'.strongly than those, of 'the other three that the varied program is impor’ -’ ' . . . . *, * ; , tantThere.'v/ere-' few 'significant ’ differences .otherwise . The. Presbyterians-gave the' -least _ importance to the church ••ihtere.st in its members, as-a factor-of sucoess.- Only’.3 per cent of their people-thought, it important as against lffp,e.r V cept’ for the- other churches•sampled/ .It is signiflpant- that • • •• » ' . . * . • • • ' • • • • services to the community received.’only 5- pe’ r' cent of the '.votes, 'and the music, less than one.-half of one per cent. . ' * ’• • • ’• . ' . . ' * Some Interesting comparisons might be made be'tween ' * . * * * • "*.* ' ’ the findings in .phapter VII concerning the reasons*why peo- .* * ...* « • , ■ ’ * , e * pie belong*°to aochurch as oontrasted with factors “which they 0 ° O o • ■ TABLE XVI ' . FACTORS MAKING A CHURCH SUCCESSFUL, RANKED Factors of Success First First V . ’ ilshire ■ . Immanuel Combined Baptist . Methodist Christian Presbyterian- Totals * * * •Mo. . .ci Ho-: G Mo. r . / ' No. ■C3 .No. . . ’ TooalV • ; • 71. ■ ICO . 43 ■ ICO ■ 23.. 100 S3 •100 232 100 . • • The minister ' -34 48 27 ' 63- "l5. - - 65 ' .64 .67- i'4o • • , . 60* A varied program • - - • - W ? 18. . 25 4 * 0 . * ■ 4 16- . ■ ' 13 20 . 44'• 2l) . Hersonal interest -in members'’ 0 • 13 5' \ 12 3 :.!3 ■ ' -3 3 ; ' 20. m • • * • • s Services* to zhe ' community _ / 3 4 il 0 0 5 ' 5’. 12 ♦ * * • ’ 5 The .Church* School 3. ' • 4 3' 7 . 1 4 . 2'' • 2 • * 9 3 • • The music . r ~ 0 ' 0 0 ' 0 ■ O' . ‘l*. 1 ; 1 . . *.5 Other ‘ ' - 4 . 6 . 0 0 0. G 2 ' : j C O 2.5 O o ’o o o « 78 p 0 6 e think are the moot important in making it successful. Whereas 38 per cent.listed the music as a reason for attend- • . ing their particular church, less than one-haTf 6f one per . * •Cent thought of it as a factor making* for the success of the' ' * * • • . * • • • church. The minister received 45 per cent.of 'the-votes in . * • , • . • ' * the reasons people attend church, but 60 per cent.ranked .him • * • • • * * • as a factor'of importance to> the success'of .the church. . • * * . ' * • * * * * Evidently public -transportation, is no longer;of any • • great-.consequence to the'church'since only l4 per oent'indi cated. that they used it; 76 per cent came by 'private auto- mobiles-and 10 per cent walked. ’ Taxi"-cabs have -literally no business when it cbmes to church attendance. The Methodist members 'showed the greatest use of. public transportation, witlT'28 -per cent using it’ , and 66'per cent coming by. private cars, probably due to the higher number of elderly people in •■the Methodist co n gregation■ .' • 'The reasons given by the.members .of the four churcheg •for not ’being as active in -the church 'as formerly are -listed in order of x’ ank from ques.tionnai-re tabulation: live, too- • fap away, 33 per cent; health is n.o-t good; 21 per cent; feel * * * * * • ' ♦ * too; old, 10 per 'cent; have .just. lost interest/ 9 per cerit. • \ * * Other reasons were list'ed-on the .questionnaire but'each * re—• , • • • oeived.less than 3 per cent of'.the votes;' henc.e, they are1 ’ •not listed as major factors. ' . * • ...***• These yigurqs would again seem to indicate* thdt dis- tance is a threat tq the city church. • Ever*o 0 tllough the o 0 • o • o o 0 7o9 ® o downtown and boulevard churches do draw from the total city. ° o ° o O O the statistics In this study ^end> to bear out the finding • • » • * • • • • that beyond* the fifteen mi 15 radius members. tend to lose in-° •*•* • • . •• * . * * * * tere'st apd. that the highest drawing power of the church is • * • • • within the -ten mlle-radius. . . . . . * • II. -TH& CHURCH'S- ADJUSTMENT , * •. . * • « • •• » * . * i . * * * ‘ TO THE'. BOClO-CULTURAL F.ACT0RS ' ' * • . * * , • » * • • • • • ’ . .The church'ih the e.lty is primarily'one that-is ma- ; ture in its ministry, and.its members and .program reflect • thi-s maturity. Because- distance is a .factor limiting par<- ticipation-by . ’members, the city churches, make an -adjustment • * • * • * * * * * • * • • 4 • in time schedules and programming to provide as -rfany church- ’ • • * * ' ' . 4 * • • • ’ * \ Wide.activities as.possible at the regular hours while' the- • T ' * * * • . . members are .at-tending- the services-,, in-order to Avoid unnec- . es-sary 'trips*. . ’ . , ..'••• ’ „ ' . • • •• • * t ^ * * • • The'-Flrst frethodist Church has -even devipeU .a* .system • * * • * * * • 1 i ii , • • • * • • 'for blacking " o ’ ut its sanctuary in six secbnds - ’ and provides'- pnoviesV an'd sli<,l.es"o-f missionary worlc on certain Sunday . morn.-' * * • • . - * •ings for tensninutes or so in order to acquaint its member- . ■••• • i » ' * * * . • • • • ship wit'll the work of the ghurch in its wider areas, and in . . . . . . . • . . . • f-lplds-where ’ it feels there 'would‘‘ be no .opportunity, ih spe- * ' % • • • » » clal meetings .dup to lack of .attendance. ‘.%he *lVlls.hlre Chris- - • . • . ■ • . . ■ tian Church .now lias all its committee meetings on’ Wednesday 6 # © • 0 o • • © • # nights, along with* 1 ts* mid-week dinners, in order "that the 0 • ° Q * O 0 ■ work of the chui*cli may be done when members are present for e© O o other purposes. For many of the members, the Wednesday night dinners have become a tradition, thereby setting aside " « • this night foor the "church. . # * Those four churches make use of»a* longer announcement • • » • period than is in use. in most other types of churches be- • • « « * • • » « « # • cause so many of their*people are ’p’ resent dnly’ on ’Sunday* • • . " • . * , jnornings• and v.isitors may not read the announcements or • . • • • • . • • * • * * • realize the scope o‘ f the church program.1 From five to-£i£- teeh -'minutes may bb Used for this period.’ Some- ministers use tho* time particularly’ to'-call attentio.n to the coffee . • • • • * • t . hour, which has .been an adjustment’to-the city situation. • * * * * , » . The coffee hour-has become a tradition’with all but.one of these churches.. .Mcjst people have become accustomed to "cof- • * * * " * * * fee breaks. J!n/business .and. seem to weicom’ e’ _ this familiar ■ ex perience-in ’ the church .as ’ a- mean-a of getting acquainted- . * That, this is an’ adjustment to our culture- is recognized when • • * • * • • * * it ’ it realized .that before ’the ‘ turrt of the century many of . . - • ♦ * * • * • * • • these- 'churches-waul’ d ha.ve opnosed the us’ e of’stimulants ’ of ’ any’ -Jclnd.’ ’’In one church, the. minister-paid high tribute .to’ • • ■ * * , • .its many’coffee’hours by the different groups’of the chunoh . • ’ • ’ • . - ’ as one of .its most effective-means of gaining*-now members’ . . *. | • • ^ a • • * * ” - - * . ’ All the- churches now use- registration cards ’ for all’ * ’ . •. ■ : • ’ * • # • * people* present’ at least one .Sunday a month. In t;his way. • ...... •. * . • ; * . . . , . • . • they are abl.e to ’discover who 'the new prospects might b*e and • - * • • • , ; . © * * ( * also to keep an accounting of membership partlclpatioii. • © a O 0 © °© O D Thib is done durin-g the announcement oeriodo Some of the o ° o « « o o o o o o c31 o » churches also ask all visitors to stand. • Significantly, the church appears to be a centrallz- ing force in the city. It was shown by*the results of‘the • * questionnaire that 15 per cen£ of the members live’closer £o* the church now than they have ii^ the past. • One .of the fac- ' • • tors which seems to account for this i-s the varied program • * * • * » i • . which the city church-is able to offer. .The neighborhood • ' *. - . church .does not nearly provide the- variety of.program 'nor • 1 » • * • • • the stimuTatlo/i *6f thought.-that the‘city c-hurch is-able to . . . •prpv-ide. . A varied program- to attract-all ages an'd-int-erests • . ... • . . . is;One of the'most far-reaching adjustments which.the chyrch lias-made to the el’ ty. * . > . • ' ' ’ ' ‘ • • ‘ ’ * '• ‘ Even the ’ size .of the.’city-church indicates -an-adjust ment'’ to the socloscultural aspeot.s_ of the city.” People are. .'accustomed to doing’ things in large groups, such as dealing with large Corporations and to the lack of personal contact • in- these dealings/ -Hence, the'-large, downtown and' boulevard * • * * * 'church i.s Jan-accepted part of the bigness of the vity. • • . These trend’ s' account, in part .at le'a’ st, .for the tendeney’ to . 'allow and expect its mi-nlstpr £o become an executive and- .spokesman. The'-city has caused its’people to feel that • * * * * * # their .church has a greate’ r’ "status in the .community with a . • • * * • • t •big man at its-head, confronted with* responsibilities in £ne • • * . * * • * * samp manner as the other large organizations, of the city. * • * • * . * • » o . .* Some churches even hire .specialized workers for spe- ° • ° 0 o clfic tasks. One city church has hired a°social worker O 0 instead of an assistant minister, feeling that he v/ill un- o derstand the city better and be able to minister'more effec- f t o tively to the groups of people which the church desires to serve. Many of the city churches have business managers, in order that the minister may be freed from the mundane task * • • • * * * * . . of keeping members-paid up and all bills paid. * * . • • A specific example of a* unique form of adjustment to city conditions is'the Immanuel Presbyterian, which'has « • .bought unany of the ’ old large-houses’ in its block- and has leased .them or' repted them to members and others who are . willing to operate them as homes for roomers who' may be ■ -pro'spects or members.-of the’church. Many-members'would like to live close to the church but cannot'find reasonable ac- • commodatlons .close- in,, so the church is using this means of' providing such access.. The. First Baptist'Church has devcl- , oped an'all-day Sunddy plan for single young'adults.' .This . is frequently a lonely .day for these single, unattached peo- • pip. ’The day begins with. breakfast, and'th'ls i's followed'-by •a'Sundqy.school class, a church .worship service, a light lunch, -a joint'excursion,, and the program, pf the day' close's ' 'about'four o<-c],ock. Many of•-the young people are students- who must study; others have jobs that require a .good night’s ' * ' * • * . • * * . t . * * •rest, so that the early closing.time*seems to be the accept- • • . # • * * • * * • ■ able adjustment to .their schedules,. 'Another group has begun * • ■ * • all.-day activities for 'all tnet children of the community,* • . • O 0 • • „ ° • regardless of race or church affiliation. This plan began o « 83 with one group, but there wan such a demand for it that there are now three Saturday groups serving about 100 chll- d’ren who, in the main,’have no* contact with the church other * than that day. : * * • * ’ • * • • . • • * . 0n6 oY the adjustments which the city churches have * ’ . • * not yet'made, but pne which is being considered, is the use of multiple worship services on Sunday mprning. Evidently, • * * * t ' * this demand has'not.yet been felt, sufficient to Warran.t s^ch ah'innovation. ■ • ’ • • * . ^ • . * •Two' of the four churches tested had the.'announced in- * • * • tention'of trying to be both socially adjusted t‘ o the com munity in which they reside and Internally adjusted to their memberships. One minister confessed that -hi? church, was primarily adjusted to-its membership, while-another suggested that his was primarily attempting . to adjust to 'itscommunity’ . The two churches that appear .to be most effective and are the larger churches of the Tour-are attempting' to-make ad--.' justments.both'to the members and to the .community.. That they are doing a-, good job i's attested, to by the fact that. 37 per cent of'the members ''of one church-and 59 per'cent of the other•church's members live within five miles of the church. The most .effective city church, .therefore, would-seem to be . . . **••• , * * • * #■ .the one v/hlch tries, to adapt- itself both* tp its community..- * • • • * • * • • • and tp .its. cons*tituency% • ' . * •* . : . . . * * ; The churches‘have a tendency* to spend their *mortey on 0 revision o0P kheir staff and® program more than on direct 0 service to their community. o This seemed o to be borne out by 0 * o responses to the questionnaires .and interviews. The church members seem to feel that this.is‘the* church 1s responsiblli- • * ty. What the chufch*does in the community is not nearly so • • • • . important as what it*'dops within its own. structure to -help . • • . ^ • the people who may seek its aid. .-The ministers point to the • • * • • ^ * " * * ’ • • Gargantuan’ -task that would await, them if they went*, into so- * * . • . . • * • * • * * cial 'service wprk directly. -All the churches do is to 'pro- • • * * * • • • • . , * ■ ■ vldp counsel.<to persons, seeking bid. and to. show -them how to. « • * ♦ • • • • got it in the public or. private agencies. Approximately 90 . pel* cent Of those inquiring regarding some aid simply want * • * * • the. church to-solvc 'their problems. It' wo.uld .'seem,', there fore, that there is a tendency to expect the church to give . .'diredt aid to- the people of the community, while the church • itself' does • not, see this to be.its role. . . . . ' ' . III.'- . .THE.MEMBERS' IDENTITY WITH TlfE.COMMUNITY / ' • • . ■ v . • ' • . . Leo. Si'ol'e developed a scale of anomie in 1951- it was hoped that, th'o scale- might prove’ of value in the find- . ' • ings .of this study,', so question's were' added to", the end of . thd questionnaire on an optional basis.’ When -the findings. •were evaluated, it was decided that '.the material galne’ d. ■ .. • . . * . • •• • . • • • . should receive, Inuch fuller treatment than wa's possible- in « • • « • • . * • * * « *"» • • • e • 4 -^Leo Srole, "Social Integration and Certain Corollar-* ies: An Exploratory Study," American Sociological Review, 21:709~7l6, December, 1956. 85 e this study, so the scale is not used in the scoring method .for which it is designed. 0 e » o Anomie, a concept originated by Durkheim, is a French . . . • ° word meaning* normles»sness . Srole cites Robert Maclver'.s definition of anomie as ."the breakdown of the Individual's 4 * * kerfse 'of, attachment to society." He goes *on to say that it • ’ is sort .of a.spiritual isolation.that makes man feel cut .off • * • • * . * • • from’ his fell9ws, even unloved and unwanted--withoub value/, ’ In Table’XVII the- res’ ults of-the tabulations are’shown, giv.- • • * ' * * ln-g the number and’percentage of. responses.’ The total rer * • * • suits of.all the churches are computed together because it • w&s discovered that the’differences of 'score’ s vVere .very _ ■ . small,’ varying.only ' a few per cent’for-each of the cate- gories ‘ • • ’ • * / • - • . • 'It appeal’s' that the church members. tested have a sense pf values and norms that swings decidedly away .from anomie.. Only five per cent of.the total’responses.indicated’ the highest lack' of identification with the community by' a * ■ , • • * * # * • ■ • "strongly dppr.ove". reply to the four questions-asked. How-- . • * • » • • , •« • • ever, these replies varied from eleven per cent to one per1 * ’ . * * * • • • • • cent and showed the greatest anomie at the "point of lack of • . • Identification with public officials. There was an almost total lack qf.p'ronounced anomie when*the question.regarding chl’ld^en"being brought into the world was raised; only two . a s o 4 ° a Ibid., p. 712. . • TABLE XVII ’ * *• * * • ♦ * • • * * » • * * THE flEHBERS IDENTIFICATION WITH THE ’COMMUNITY" Questions of identi fication With Community Strongly ADDrove' Approve •Undecided . Disapprove ' Disapprove Total Ho. Totals 42 i.O . 5 64 Li. Ho Ho Mo. Ho 7J 66-’ -3 .340 44 -271 .35 *773 ° 100 There's little use writ ing to public o’ fficials; they aren't really in-’ teresoea in the problems, of the average man 22 11 -26' 29 15' . 63 42 37 16 . 199 • o 100 Nowadays a person, has * * to*live pre.tty much 'for today and let’tomorrow take care of loself 14 • * * * • * In spite of what some., people say, th£ lot of the average man is get- ‘ ting worse, not better, . 4 It's hardly fair, to bring children Into world with ’the way . tne 2o 13 3 o ' ‘ 3 55 .43 21 ±1 ■ i/o 4o 64 -33 193 100 73 • 37’ 19 9 100 people from •Sill* the churches were deeply pessimistic. • t > ° o Thirty-five per cenl! g>f the replies fell into the * ’ • • • • * * "strongly disapprove" category,, showing an integration with . , • • *. * * •. ■ * the, community.* Another. 44, per cent of the responses Indi- • • • * * • • • « • cated that there wa£ gcrod adjustment and Acceptance•of iden- * * . • • • • * * • * * , tity’with the .community by showing that they disapprove of the.negative statements made. • • . " It would -appear that no-conclusive generalizations . c-an be made' from the data obtained from the four .special items inserted lft. 'the questionnaire. There-would-probably. be: some correlation or association between specific, persons answering- the.se questions and their responses -to Certain . ' -; othe'r of the-specific questions.in the questionnaire, but to. test fully • the -.reactions- of-individuals .to. questions de signed to test the"degree of identification of individual •rrtembers'with the community would require a more comprehen sive set-of questions -covering a greater■variety of items. . . • / ■ . * * The writer feels'that by computing and correlating the ,- anomie scores of 'Individuals 'relative to a variety of ques- • tions, such'as thosd Inserted at the'-end of' the question naire which was-.used., .V.'o'ul-d.'be- 'hel-pful. In .ascertaining the • ’ extent of> community •identification by 'Individual church mem- ♦ * • * * ' ' bers, but that problem-might woll.be a* subject for a special • * • * i study. ' # . IV. INCLUSION OF OTHER THAN CAUCASIANS o o ° • 0 o . ° Church members who were tested seemed to be more gen- • m • o erous in their approach to the economic status of persons" in * ’ ' • ..*• • • the *ndighborhood *of. the church than ’they were toward race * . • • status. Ninety-five per centtof those’ fespondirrg’.to the, *. questionnaire felt’ that' the congregation should acti.vely ■ seek to .bring into membership all the unchurched people in the immediate neighborhood,,regardless of' their.worldly cir- .-cumstances'. • • • . ' ftadl'ally, the meinbers we're a little more "dxoiusive.- Sixty-bi,x' per 'cent ‘ thought that all. races phould be welcomed equally;. '11 per cent' thought that \vhites- only should be ad- ‘ mlt'ted; 13 per cent felt-that some other 'races should' be. of- •. i * ... fered-membership; '2 per.-cent .thought some Npgro.es -should be- "admitted; ;and 7 per cent.thought all but Negroes should be admissible. -This'would .indicate that 3^ per cent of the persons tested -do’ .have some'reservations-in regard- to race, , since only those who -replied that, all should be admitted 'really, expressed no*prejudice. The .other responses would ■‘only diffe.r . in hdgree of racial' exclusivene'ss. Table XVIII shows the results. ' ’ . • * ’ i ' * a * • Significantly, the First Baptist m'embe.rg showed the • • ’ least.racial exclusiveness, hith Y3 per cent’feeling that * * all should be admitted; the other three*churches all had 63 o * • per cent. The First Baptist Church is the only one that has o o o had a racial crisis. Out of that experience has grown more o o o • • . . TABLE -X7III ' ’ . . MEMBERS ’ RACIAL RESERVATIONS „ Should All Name of-- Church 0 • Combined .Totals * Races Be 0 Admitted to First .Baotist • First” • Methodist . . Ch ilshire’ ristian Immanuel.• Presby. Membership? . No. vj No . " J No • No. V No.. cj 0 .Totals « • 0 . 7° •ICO' •43 • ice •27. .TOO 0 h ✓ 100 , O .234 100 * . . • 0 0 0 Admit all 51 73 27 . ' .63. .17 '-O. . .59 63- • 154; 66 „ 0 V . ’ hites only 2 10' 23 • • 2 •7- 11 12 • •• 25 11 e • „ Some other . races 10*' .*14’ •3 . 7 ' 4 : ‘ .15 ■ 16 17 • • 0 • * 33 -13* * ° Some Negroes - * > 0 4 I' ‘ 2 ’ .• 0 0 • 2 2 . • . 0 •6 3 * * 9 • * All but Negro •4* 2 5 . • '4 . 15 • ' . b ■ 6 1 " * - * 0 lo { • • ' 0 O 0 O • * • ■. • . • ■ • • . • • 0 t • •• • * • • • • . . • . . • • • 0 * 9 0 « • ; • * 9 e * • e • * • . . co VO 90 9 understanding, . . * . * * ' . • It would seem from* the responses that the four « * • * * • * • * ' churches can (integrate 'to a measiire without making bn issue. In fact', all the churches- samp'led have various races repre sented 'in "their memberships. -To say that they are inte grated might be go_Lng too far, for each- of the 'ministers in terviewed indicated that none of the Negroes•were taking a very active.place in the church. Indications are that the city church of the future will 'probably become more inte- \ grated'and less racially exclusive. Thoi’ .e seems to. be a .sort of "token integration."'. ' . ' " ’see Appendix, pp. 121 ff. O 0 o CHAPTER IX < • * * ' * ’ ‘ ’ ’ . • SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS t • • ► • • ' • • • , ..I.. . SUMMARY The assumptions with which this study started have been borne out in'-some instance's and partly**.in pthers. The ■main a-ssumption does appear-'to be true. Large* boulevard arid' downtown churches which adapt their programs and''services, to the age groups and interests 'oi* the membership and to' the changing socio-cultural factors in the community or area fro,m which they draw their constituencies are more likely to continue tQ attract people in sufficient numbers to 'sustain.' the church and its program. ' . ■ * ' The other assumptions, .tw’ elve- in ‘ all, brought .forth the following iTndln'gs : ■ . ’ . ' . * ' \ * ' ' • • 1. -The roles- , age, and salary of the-minister are • . .altered by the socio-cultural "factors of the* city. ‘The ir\in- ' ister finds himself to be primarily a preacher and. adminis trator, to the virtual exclusion of the pastor role. * He is . a middle-aged man. His salary: tends to be higher than other ministers because of the size an.d Importance of the institu- tion lie represents. * 2. The social characteristics of the members of the 0 • . churches differed significantly from the general population. This is true in the percentage of married people, which is •smaller than"the*iity average. Income was about average. \ • '• - . ’ • . * • • . . *As. to educational, level, the .thui'ch members ranked Very high, • * •• • , * • * having* three times as many col*lege graduates Proportionately * • * * * * » a * as the city, and two and one-half.timefe as m'any’college * ” " ' * * trained'people as the city population percentage. ’ • • • . . * • . 3» These churches, have an'elderly population that is • * , 1 • *• • , • ' * # * twice that of .the city distribution,, and have.'only hal.T as many children in the'church distribution as.in .the city. In* * • ♦ , * * • the ages between ''20. dn’ d 60 the distribution is less dlspro- • * * * • , • . portlonatc. ’ ’. ,. . ' t A.. The memberships of the. downtcJwn and'boulevard' . churches • studied *;ihowed * th'emselves to; be largely ..moderate ' * . * * • . • • . : ! ‘ income/ vjlnlte collar workero, . * . • • • « • • • » ♦ * * t < * * *. .5* Tho participation qf* the average church’member ; * / , . “ , * varies* directly’ .with the'.distance he‘liv.es from the church, * * • * * * • dropping off considerably beyond the Fifteen mile dlstance-i • * * • • ‘ The* church lias good.'.pulling power on those people, both mem- ■ • • • bers'and non-members*, who live within ten miles. Its appeal ■ * * * to’non-members.beyond'the ten mile distance drops off con- * slderably. • * • . • • * 6. The expression of the members’ religious faith • • 9 • * * appears 'to be more personal and subjective, than objective and social in its implications. 7. It was not conclusively proved that people with school age children tend to l°eave the city church for one in O O the neighborhood, but it does apDear from findings cited 0 O that this' is” so. • . . ° . 8.’ Members of the churches stucfled appeared to have • * a *good.rapport, with ttfeif community and sensed "the cons'tant- ’ • * * * * * ly. changl-ng population and other problems of .their, church * . . • . • • • • • . * * ‘neighborhoods. They seembd to evidence a. desire.that their * • * * • church’ serve its community-as 'well* as its membbrp* who plight • * • # * * * * * * not live, in the community*. ’ ‘ ■ .' * • , * • • • • « « t • • • • • . . ' 9- Of the churches te-steel, two'are trying to adapt* * * * their programs.both to the community in whioh they reside • * * * * and to their membership. .Of the'-cxthe’ r two, .one is.attempt- * * » • * * ’ * " * . • * ,ing 'tp adapt, itself primarily to the community .rather than * • * • * . ' « • ■ .to'the membprship• which comprises it-, -while the othcr’ls* * * • # * striving-primarily, to adapt to its’membership rather ' th'an. -to * * • 'its community.* * . . . * • * * • , * . * ' * • * . • • * * • • 10 .• ^ Churches are ftelng changed by the sbci'o-cul tural ’ * . * *; . . * * • .factors 'in the community. In . some .cases ft’ is a conscious . * ' ' . • • ’’ •*. adaptation, but In others It appears* 'to be quite unionsclous • • • • • * • • • * . so that th*e. church i.s* not aware of the adjustments \Vhiqh' ’ . . * • * * . have been made. . . . * * " ’ * .**•..* 11. ‘Adjustments which'.the churches make to the*com- • * » * munity that hinder them arc mpinly those over which they have little control, such as a high proportion of elderly • * ■ people and a sparse number of children. The adjustments * * which they are making consciously seem to make for an enrich- • « ment of program that attracts new peoole and keeps the pres- * 0 9 ent members because of its yariety. « o o 0 o 0 94 12. The Inclusion of other than Caucasians as mem- • • bers of the church has not become a live issue due to the « paucity of other races in the neighborhood. Indications frqm the ‘prejudice measured v/ould indicate that any large . ' • number of non-white members might cause * some problems. ’ • ■ • * . . . . • * II. CONCLUSIONS. • • • * • a * • * * i • , , • • * • • . . ’ A number of conclusions have .grown'out of this s.tudy. • • • * * • • •At’fi-rst-glance they may ’ seem, quite unr’ elated to., the study but:' have growp out of- the evaluation of.’ the d’ ata that were • processed. .Accprdingly, the following^conclusions are set forth ' ' ■ • 1. A church of lbss than 2,'QO'O members of. the’ d’ own- ' •' • • . . ■ • • . . * * • + * , * # ♦ , town. of. boulevard’ type in Los Angeles, cannot- do- effective • ' • • • * • • * • ..enough work* to continue-to maintain its membership.. • * # ♦ . » 2.. Secularization in tfte church, creates a tendency • • , . * • * • ♦ • . • • . . * • . , .. to make the minister into a."general manager" of.a church as • • 1 , * • .an.institution. ’ . . • • • • 1 3* Naclal prejudice is not an acute problem, but it is a nominal one in the churches studied. ■ 4. The large growth for these churches is over. » ‘They will not be able to remain static in their program.or • # • e efforts and grow. Negardless of what they do, there is lit- e tie chance of growth due to tiie soclo-cultural factors in o the community which limit them. There is no indication that • ° these factors will change much In the foreseeable future. 0 o o o O O o o 95 5- The age factor appears to be the most important Influence on success. More m'iddle-aged people are needed to • ° balance the large number c?f elderly people and the lack of children as *well as to provide new leadership.” • ' • " • 1 6. These churches emphasize and minister more to the • • • # .personal religious faith q>f the members than .to the social . • . * ♦ implications of that faith. • . • . . . . . © o o BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS Abell, Aaron Ignatius. The Urban Impact on American Protes tantism. Cambridge. Harvard University Press, 19^3• Abbott, Sister M. Martina. A City Parish Grows and Changes. Washington, D. C.: The Catholic University of America’ Press, 1953- . . ’ * « • • Douglass, H. Paul. 1000 City Churches■ New York: George-H. ■ Doran Company, 1926. - ’ • * * * * The Springfield Church Survey. New York:.George II Doran Company, 1926. * • The .St. Louis Church Survey. .New York: George -H.' . Doran Company, 1926. Ericksen, E. Gordon. Urban Behavior. New York:’ -The Macmil- • l.an Company, 199^ . ’ • . • . ' Hertzler, Joyce .0. ‘ Social' Institutions. . NeW York: Me Or jaw - . ’Hlll Book Compahy, Tno . , 1929- ’ Hymen, Herbert H.' Interviewing•In Social Research. Chicago The .University of Chicago P.resc” 1-931'• • Jahoda, Marie, Moft’ on Deutsch, and Stuart W. Cook. .Research . Methods In Social Relations. Vol. I. K'ew York: Th.e Dryden Pre.ss, 1951- ■ . ‘ . ' . ' Kincheloe, Samuel C.. The American .City and. I t's 'Church. -New York: The Friendship Press, 1936- - ^ • Lee, Rose’Hum.' Trie* City*. New York: J. B. Llppincdtt ^Compa- ny, 1995*- ‘ * • • * « • • • • Le'lffer / Murray H. City and Church in Transition: A Study of theMedium-Sized City and Its Organized Religious • . .. Life. ’Chicago: Willett, Clark, and Company, 1938* • * • The Effective Clty Church. New York: Abingdon-* Cokesbury Press, 19^9 e * Lynu, Robei-t S., and Helen Herrell. Middletown. New York:. Harcourt, Brace and Company, I929. 98 o Lynd, Robert S., and Helen Merrell. Middletown in Transi tion . New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1937* McKibben, Robert A. Methodism Looks at the City. New York: Board of Missions, The Methodist Church, 1954. Neumeyer, Martin H. Social Problems and the Changing Socie ty . New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1953. Sanderson, W. Rosp. The Church Serves the Changing City. New York: Harper .and Brothers, 1955- ’ • Seifert, Harvey L. The Church in Community Action.* New York: • Abingdon’ -Cokesbury Press,.1952. * * t Shippey, Frederick A. Church Work in* the City. * New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1952. / . Smith, 'Thomas Lynn. The' Soolology o‘ f Urban* Life. New York:. Tile Dryden Pres&,’ J951 • Young, Pauline V. Interviewing in Social Work. New York; . McGraw-Hill Book Company, .Inc.,- 193*5. _______ . ’ ; Sclentl’ f 1c Social Surveys* and " Research . New York: Prentice-Hall', Inc., 195^3 . * • ' . * . • B. ••’PERIODICALS . ' "Gan the. Big Cities Come Back?"-U..S. News and World Report, . July 19,. 1957, PP • 72-91. ■ - ’ ' ' The City . Church, Published Bi-Monthly by the National Coun cil of Churches,' • Vols. VII, VIII, • 1956, 1957 . * * Flanagan, James M.' ."Frontier in Chicago," The ’Front Rank, . • June 16, 1954, PP- 5“9* . * • ’ • • . . • Marty, Martin *E. ’"Renewal* in the Inner City." The -Christian Century, December 5> 1956, pp. I4l7“l420. * • • i * Parsons, Waymon. * "How We Made Our Church Community Con scious, The Christian-Evangelist* , January 4, 1956, pp.. 5, 6, 15- Q • t * c "Population Pressures," Newsletter, Welfare Federation of" Los Angeles Area, June, 1956- „ O * Pugh, Samuel F. "Fifty Marks of an Effective Church," The Christian-Evangelist, January 4, 1956, pp. 5; 6, 13-o o o "The Questionnaire/1 Research Bulletin of the National Edu cational Association, 8:14-24. January. 1930. Ruoss, Meryl. "Urbanization Paces the Church/' The Chris tian Century. October 16, 1957, PP- 1230, 1231- "The Rush to the Suburbs," U. S. Nev/s and World Report, No vember 25, 1955, PP• 44-4/. "Trends in Church Membership, 1916-1952," Information Serv ice (Bureau of Research and Survey, National Council of Churches), Vol. XXXIV, No. 15, April 9, 1955- Van Bosklrk, J. J. "The Problem of the Inner City Church/" The Scroll,.48:7“17, Autumn, 1956. • * • "What Is an Effective City Church?" The Front-Rank. April . 22,. 1956, p. 3-. * * . • Whelpton/ P.. K. "Too Many People in the World?" U-. S. Me.ws and World •Report, ‘ July 13‘ , 1956, pp. 80-91.- ! • • • # t * "Why. People Move Out of the -Cities/' U*. S. News and World1 • Report, August IQ, 1956/ pp. 69-72. • . - * * , ‘ ‘ . • • • • • * . . • • • • . " ‘ . . C. SOCIOLOGICAL PERIODICALS. • • • * • • • ‘ Chapin,’ F*. Stuart.. "The Optimum Size of InstitutionsA Theory of the -Large Group/1 The American Journal of So-* .-clology, 62 : ’4497460, March,-.1957 *. • • , • • * Eister,. Allan W. "Rel'iglous Institutions in Complex Socle- tle's . ' American Sociological Review. '22 : 387“391-, .-August, •1957- • - * ‘ • ' ‘ * . . t , . * • / 1 Hoult', Thomas F. "Functional Theory of Religion,"- Sociology and Social Research, 4l:277-280’ ,. March-Aprll, - -1957- . * Jordan, Robert H. "Social Functions o.f ‘ tho Churches in Oak- • • ’ ville,."* Sociology and Social Research* , .40:107-1H, No- - vember-December, 1955 • * • f* . • * * • • « * M . . . * * Maclc, R. W./R. J. Murphy, and S. Ycllin.. "The Prptestant Ethic*, Level of Aspiration, and Social Md'bllity," Ameri can Sociological Review, 21:295-300, June, 19$6. . „ . . 0 Slocum, W. L., L. T. Empey, and H. S. Swanson. .."Increasing Response to Questionnaires and Structured Interviews,"0 American Sociological Review, 21:221-226, April, 1956. O o • • 100 * Smith, William C. "The Group and the Church," Sociology and Social Research, 41:349-353* May-June, 1957* - . * Srole, Leo. "Social Integration and Certain Corollaries: An Exploratory Study," American Sociological Review, 21: 709-716, December, 1956. 0 . • o • 0 D. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS \ • Mitchell,^James IV. ."A Guide 'to Planning*.."* Prepared for the . Firs-t *Mqthodist Church of'Los .Angeles, to help in their . Youth. Program.with Young Adults. • • • * . • • • • Mixon, Mrs. John L. '"The- Presbyterian Gh.ur'ch, U t S. A., .in the In'ner City of Los Angelds." Prepared ‘ for the Inner •City Commi.ttee of‘.the Los Angeles Presbytery, March, 1956.‘ ..:•.* • :* • ‘ • ‘ ; E. NEWSPAPERS •« • , * * • » • * ‘ Dayton Journal Herald, May 20, 1955, £. 26. • •• • • Los Angeles Times, March".13, I956, part 1A, p. 13.. ' . ‘ October 22; 1955; .part II,‘ p.. 26. . . Thrapp, Dan L. "Downtown Church Held in-Need of Resufrec- .tlon," .Los Angeles Times 'interview with Rev. •(].' Paul ; Mussclman.. . - . ' •' . ‘ ‘ . F. PAMPHLETS ' Fact’ s About- Our Churches and a- Changing America. . . A Disciples of Christ • Publication for 1955-T956.' Indianapolis; The United Christian Missionary Society. . Groat Churches of America. Chicago: The Christian'Century Foundation, 1951* • ’ • • * • • * • . * Method!sin in Los .Angeles and Vicinity • . Trends and..Charac-ter- * ■ . istics, I9OO-I95O. Hew*York: Board .of Missions and • • • Church 'Extension, The Methodist Churclj, 1951- (Mlmeo- •graohed. ) ’ * * * . • • ‘ * * . Report of’she Inner City Clinic. • Los Angeles: Presbytery of Los Angeles, Department of Missions, 1952*. O o o o o 102 C IT Y CHURCH MEMBERSHIP STUDY City Churches today arc facing many changes. In an effort to discover Borne of these changes and their meaning, your Church is cooperating in this study with the Sociology Department of The University of Southern California and Rev. M erle E. Fish, Jr., a doctoral candidate who is conducting the study. Your church has been selected as one of the churches to be studied because of its strategic location and prominence in the Downtown and W ilshlre areas of Los Angeles. You, along with some other m em bers of your church, arc being ashed to fill out this questionnaire. Because you have been selected, it is vital that vou return this questionnaire im m ediately or the findings w ill not be valid. REMEMBER YOUR PARTICULAR ANSWER IS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE STUDY. The questionnaire should be returned in the reply envelope which is enclosed for your convenience. Replies w ill be kept strictly confidential and information you give w ill be used only for statistical p u r poses, Since you are not asked to sign your name, at no time w ill names of Individuals be identified with the answers. The success of ihis study depends upon your willingness to spend the little time necessary to complete the questionnaire carefully, and to return It prom ptly. We hope you will think of this as a form of Christian service. Our sincere thanks for your help. TEN M INUTES SHOULD BE AMPLE TIM E TO F IL L OUT TH E QUESTIONNAIRE. , To begin, here are some questions about yourself. MOST 01-' THE QUESTIONS REQUIRE ONLY A CHECK lv) ANSWER. 1-eel free to add your own comments. Ignore the numbers in the right hand .m argin s. They arc for statistical purposes only, _________ ___ ___ _______ J l. M arital Status: M arried (I) Single (2) Widowed (3) Divorced (4) Separated (5) Please list below- jJI of jhotnem bcrti of_yqur household:_______ ' i Age j Sex j Relation h Mcmbersh Church Attendance . _ ro you ..................... _ 1 ,Rcgular iTim c Seldom Never Yourself ■ XXX _! Other _ j .. j . “ T members , j J... of vuur I . ._! ___ * t 6-8 9-12 13-16 17-20 ! 21-24 25-28 J'. Wliat is the occupation of the HEAD "OP YOUR HOUSEHOLD? The classifications used are those of the U. S. Bureau ol Census. (Please check one of the ten types listed tfblow.) • • * CLIII I’V.l, A N D R ELA TED H O R K E R S : bookkeepers, Klenoiraphers. tushicr*. tiyil carriers. . , st.ti iiluc clerks, secretaries. ticket atolit*. telephone operators. olUce iruchliu- operators, ,tt. ( ) (1) 29 ■ C R A FTS M E N , P O H E U K N , A N D R ELA TED B O R K E R S : t iiismilh*. buker*. carpenter*, m asons, slionr-akfrs, • > o 1 vt-1r 1 ctan*. inspectors, cement wrker*. tirselers, machinist*,, painters, etc, " , f I. (2) • | L A H O R K It.S : garage lulon-rs, rar sashers, stevedore*. lurbeimtn, teamster*. , • ‘ unskilled it.-lper* in'rousttuctIon, Kanufscumna, Ilshinu, etc, * . < ) (3) OPERATIVES A N D R ELA TED B O K K E R S : ciiaujleurs. delivery m i-n, laundry »orkcr*\ apprentices, , ’ neat-tuttei s, Hi-m i. ski 11 ed and skilled <stploji e* in nanulacturini: establishments (biker*, , tobacco, U -itiles, ele. |, »liole»nle aiui retail aurkers, mine* I aborers, bus drivers.rotorniti,etc. I ) (4) | PRIVATE H O U S E H O LD B O R K E R fi. servants, laundresses, em ploy ed lousrkrrpi rs * . , < < k i net include uneicploy ed hnuseslvesi f • t ) (31 PROFESSIONAL. TECHNICAL A N D SIMILAR B O R K F R b : teacher*. editors, dentists, cl ereymen.p rch-ssors, Itist t ntlm *. nocim s, lasjers, nursrs, architects. 1 tbrurl an*,, suet al aotker*. accountants, funeral dll "i tors, plioiomapliers, dancers, optometrists, avulor*, surveyors, chiropractors, athletes, etc. I , > ) (G) , PROPRIETO RS, M A N A G E R S , A N D OFFICIALS: pub] Ic olllcl ul s. credit m en, buyrrs, Olllci-rs, flour I manaiters, prcpnetors, railroad cnnductors, etc. * * , ( ' , <2' [SALES B O IIK E K S : Sal eerier, insurance and real estate brokers und acents, ^ o rb •and bond salesmen, [nrasLoys. dcnonstruior*. etc. - ( ' tB > , SERVICE kO K K E R S , EXC EPT DOM ESTIC: lire, rolire, barber*, beautletuns, janitor*, porters. 1 »r,tiers, ushers. practical nurses, etc.' , * , * 1 19 1 , O T H E R (»rit<> in): • , :4. What is your . under 53000 • ( 1) . ' 30 APPROXIMATE 1 * * S3t)00 t0 SM )0° (2) ' vcariv income) 45000 to 5,7500 yearly incom e' ^ . 57500 to 510. coo J T I j - l ’ ' ovel 510.000 (5) o 103 5. What is your education? Did not finish high school Finished high school 0 to 2 years o' college 2 to 4 years of college graduated from college 1 year or more graduate work 6. How many years have you been a member of this Church 0 to 5 years 5 to 10 years 10 to 15 years 7. What is the farthest you have ever lived from the Church? ■ • • Less than 5 miles 5 to 10 miles 10 to 15 miles 15 or more miles T I T 33 • 8. How far away do you * live now? s * • • Less than 5 miles 5 to 10 miles •r 10 to 15 miles 15 or more ____ 0 ) ___ (2) ____(3) (4) s 34 ' Please check any official positions you or any member of your family hold' in the Church . Elder, deacon, deaconess Officer of the Church Member of a Church committee Officer of a Church group Officer of the Church School Church School teacher tl) ( 2) ~ ( 3 ) (4) (3) JSL 10 . 1 (we), attend the following Church activities fairly regularly; Midweek meeting Class or social group Choir Others .0) (2) . < 3 ) J«> Great .• <l> Much (2) Some (3) Little (4) None (5) • , . . • • Great (I) Much (2) Some (3) Little (4) None (5) * . 35 3d 11. Why do YOU belong to this PARTICULAR Church?. • Please Indicate the IMPORTANCE of your reasons'. Denominational preference t . Worship service Convenient to my home Leads in community'Improvement For sake of my children . _ . The minister .. ...................... A friend asked me to come . Family member already belonged • . Friendly Church ’ ' * My family Church . . The music . ' ' • . " The preaching . . Other (write in) 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 45 47 •48 49 12, How much HELP is your church membership to you in the following areas of your life? To know God's love for me In meeting right kind of people ’ Bringing fam ily closer together In making right decisions Makes me aware of others' needs Understanding people of different • ■ culture and race In strengthening my faith Meaning of life Meeting personal problems 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 O WE WOULD L IK E NOW TO G ET YOUR RELATIONSHIPS TO THE CHURCH — ITS FELLOWSHIP, YOUR REASONS FOR COMING HERE. YCUR THOUGHTS. These answers require only a CH ECK (V ) M AR K. 13. 14. 15. 1’ 6. When you joined this Church, how close to It did you live? To how ninny organizations of your church do you belong? Approximately Jiow many members of your congregation do you know by name? • * Of your five closest friends,- how many are also members of your congregation? Within walking distance Less than five miles 5 to 10 miles 10 to 15 miles 15_or more _ _ _ ___ None One . Two * ^lirea or tjiore Five or less 6 to 10 • , i 1 to 25 26 to 50 Over 50 None One ■ Two Three Four Five .... 0) __ (2) (3) ;„(4> (5) . 0) ( 2 ) (3) ..." W ~ ( 1 ) ( 2 ) (31 ' " (4) ’ ‘ '(5> . ( 1 ) . ( 2) (3) (4) _ < 5 ) (6) 17., Do you think your membership size is: Too small Just right Too large . _ ( 1 ) (2) ( 3 ) 59 I 60 61 62 63- WE WOULD LIK E NOW TO GET YOUR 1MPRF.SSIONS AND OPINIONS ON SUCH THINGS AS THE MEMBERSHIP O F'YQ UR/CO NpREG ATlON, AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS 7 0 THE CITY AND AREA IN .W HICH IT R E S ID E S .___________________________ ;___________________ ,____ I__________________ L _____ 18. I low would you describe the present economic level of your church mem bership' 19. Du you tlunk the people who have Joined your church in the last few years ^rc of , a higher or lower economic level than 'lie older members? Upper class Middle class Lower class All classes Don't know Higher Lower About the samd Don't know _ . . ( ! ) _(2) ’ • (3)* (4) ... (5) ( 1) ( 2) •____(3) (4) .64 65 20. Some neighborhoods change very rapidly, • others very little . What is your impression as to what has been going on in the neighbor - hood of your church over the past 5 years? • m J V1IUI Wli VI V i UIV |/UU 1 el | V U 1 li . 21. O ver the past live years, do you think there has been a change in the kind of people' • lvmg in the neighborhood of your church? Changing for the better Not changing very much Changing for the’worse . Don't know. ( 1) <2>. (3) (4) 66 22. What is your opinion of the neighborhood • ,m winch your CJiurch is located? 23. lio you iliink that your congregation should Vcuvely scelj to bring into membership all • the unchurched people In your immediate t neighborhood, regardless of their wor.Idly • circumstances? ' , Yes • (1) No ‘ ’ . (2)” Don't know_________________ '.(3) A very nice place to live ___ (1) ‘ a fairly mcc place to l i v e _ __ ( 2 ) A rather poor place to live (3> 67 Check the ONE answer that best describes your feelings: Everyone (1) Middle class (2) Thu rich . (3) The poor ’• (4) • 68 69 e O o O o 105 : 24. Do you think that your congregation ] should receive Into membership I people of all races? j 25. What do you think has been happening | to the size of your church in the last few years? • ; 26. Wh.ft in your opinion'is the most important factpr in making your* * church successful? • | 27. How do you.gut to vein- Church; 28. Mf yuu arc not as active in the church as you once were -* is a because Check the ONE answer that best describes your feelings: AH (1) Whites only „ (2) Some other races . _ .(3 ) Some Negroes (4) A ll but negr o ____________ (5)_ It’s been growing (1) Just holding its own (2) Been losing members ___(3) Don't know ________ * ___(4) ^ The m inister * The varied program t _____ The Church School • _ Services to the community • Personal interest )n members'_ _ Its music Other (w rite in)______________ ' _ ^ " W a lk ! I (1) . •P rivate auto (2) Public transportation (3) Other m e a n s _________ (4 ) _ Live too far away • _____ Feel’ too old •_____ Children "prefer to attend • church closer home, dotting the whole fam ily there is loo complicated Health is not good „ Have Just-lost interest* Have not been asked • Other (please stale)’ .0) (2)’ (3) (4) (5) ( 6) (7) 70 71. 72 ( 1) (2) . (3) (5) (6) -(7) ‘ ( 8 ) _ 73 74 T H E FOLLOW ING STATEM ENTS ARE SIMPLY TO TEST T H E CHURCH MEMBER'S OUTLOOK ON MIS' C O M M U N ITY . Thbuglt this question if not mandatory, it is hoped you w ill answer it. , CHECK _ ( V ) ANSJVER closcst'to your own feelings. You have all heard these statements. 2f* T here's little'use w riting to public officials because they, aren't really interested in • .. the problems of the ’ ' average man Nowadays a person has to live , pretty much fop today and let tomorrow take care of itself In spite of what some people soy, the lot of the average man is getting worse, not better It's hardly fair to bring children into the world the way things look for the future. Strongly approve (I) - •Approve (2) Undecided * (3) • Disapprove (4) . . • * * , • ' • .... ........ 1 r .1 • 1 • disapprove * ’ (5) ’ ! 75 76 77 78 30. If vou have any comments which you would like to make, please.feel frye to use the back of the questionnaire. - T h An K YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. . • . SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR O o • • GUIDED INTERVIEW WITH THE*MINISTER • ♦ 0 • * . • e • e « ^ *• • o # • • * 0 • • • • * * • . 1. . How long have you Been*in the .active ministry?’ • • . • . * O * • • • Now long have you'been pastor here? If- les.s thqn ten years/ ' * * • • # * * . • what yas ' the tenure of the three pastors before ^ou. or back • * * •• 4 » thirty years? . . . • • * * • ♦ 2, What would J/ou say’ are the. greatest c.banges you; 'have noticed or'are noticing In-your parish, particularly • * • • * • * * • •with reference to .aopiai' and cultural* 'factors- irt the hast » * quarter century?.’ f • • * * • • • • * t • • . j. • Do you really like tiie city-type of parish such.as you. have? . What are. its compensations ■ and .draV/ba.cks?. Do yoq feel Lt .requires a specialized technique? Do you l'eel ;your • * » . • • • , • • , . • * * • salary is adequate? • • ' : ' * . * . . . . . ‘ ; " . * 4. -If. you Were to sank in' order of importance th,e . . ■ • executiveK preauhing, and .pastoral' aspects- of your ministry, in what order Y/ould .you rank thcln? Would the 'time you.. spend ' o r ; them reflect, this order? - '• 5- 1 have noticed that many. of. the downt.dwn- and. \ • • * , * boulevard churches' .tend to spend a comparatively Iqnger vlmQ \ • , , * ' * ■ * * * # • ' (more than five minutes) in welcoming and announcements. Do4 . • • • * you 'do‘this /na do you feel it is necessary ip the best in terests of the church,. Und why? * • . . ' • • * * * • ’ . • } o. How many new'members uo you hav& to adm’ it each year to maintain 'yb^ir. inenibership at present levels9 O 0 o " .7 . ° Do you feel that your laymen are alert to'the < o problems of the city church and willing to face them aggres- • 9 « • O l • , 0 • • sivcly? * * • o . O • • • • • t 8. What*are the'chief means and methods by which • • • • * i 4 you arc attempting to keep your church strong and aopeal to new people? What has been most effective? What has not » * • a • i been effcdtiv.e? How. is. the Church program changing to meet * * • * • * • * * . • * the changing tides of the*‘city? * * • • I). Is-a- sufficient amoUnt of money ’ and time forth.- • • , ' ♦ ♦ * • • cqming from your people to do the job that yoy fefel th'e* com munity requires? Does t'he paid staff‘ have to-carry most *of • * • • » * * * * * * •the burden-for planning-and program? 10. What would-you estimate, is the average age of your congregation? ’ How many of 65 years -or 'older*?. ‘Are any ages noticeably lacking? ' ‘ . ■ ,‘11./ Is your, preaching and prpgram mainly aimed’at the av.erdgc aged people of your congregation? If at another ago level?' Why? ; _ • • - • '• .‘.12. What is the main problem or problems tha't the* • t t * * ’ 1 , , # i* city-church-parish .presents, in* your opinion? * . 13- How. many races -afe represented in your congrega tion? Have-you experienced any ra’ ce problem? -Would ydu.if. you had Hegroes' Join? •’ , • • «*• # * * # # 1H . i!ov/f i'ar would you estimate your average * member - . . • . •travels to attend tills. Church? What is the. lpngest distance • • • » , . o 0 4 ® , ' any of* your members ocome? *„ . * • ’’ 15. Do you have a hard time getting competent staff people? Why "or why not? 0 0 16. In Paul Douglass's hooks on the City Church he o characterises some as "internally" adjusted to their con-, Btituency, and others as "socially" adapted.to their cormjiuni- ’ • . • ty. How would you characterize your church? Plainly adapted • • tp your membership*; to* the community in which .it resides, or" to the whole city? • * * • * • * • • . Do you feel that, the people living in the immedi- • * * * * • * • • • * a'te neighborhood .of your church would be welcome to services ' * % • . *•*. * and to participate in membership and-leadershlp? What 'type • • • * » * or race of people reside in the- neighborhood'of your'church? ’ 18.. Do'you feel that your church i - ’ s ’ friendly?. How . do 'you .promot.e. tills? What do.you feel will happen to‘your * " church’ir;’ the -next ten -y’ ears? Twenty-five', years? . ’ • 19-, What- do-you feel is the biggest Ta.ctor irt caus ing people'to. leave your church? Too far away? Children wishing to’.attend close to home? Lack of activities for-a • t * ' * particular age group?-• * Others?1 , ’ 20. ’ Do you think the distance people live from.the church affects their ’ attendance and church activity? ’ ,-t -.21. 'What would, you • ilke to see. come out. of this* INTERVIEW WITH DR. J. RICHAREP SNEED AND REV. OSCAR B. JENSEN * • . ■ Dr. Sneed has been In the ministry 22 years; he has .been at First Methodist Church in Loo Angeles 10 years. Be fore hiln had been Dr. Donald Tippett, now Bishop of the San * Francisco area, and Dr. Roy L..Sfnith, editor of the denomina * . . tien's national paper, The Christian.Advocate., . * • The* gr.eatest changes in the community have been in’ terms of the membership. • The.War and g£s‘rationing forced • the first great loss in membership from which the .pbdrch did not. reco.ver after the war. Since the present edifice was built 35 yeabo ago by Dr. Elmer E. Helms* the church'has been losing .membership1 because.'of the ' building of neighbor ing churches, but members we re f orbed', particularly during the rationing, to attend neighborhood churches',, and many • • members stayed with .those-churches. • ' • ■ ■ . From 19^6 until‘the .freeways were completed, along about 1952, there was another dropping away. One ’of the- 'most difficult ’ cbihes. came in 195Q when 3th Street was sud denly transformed into a "one way street." Until that time, the Wilshire buses coming from Santa Monica, Westwood, and .Beverly Hills through the Miracle Mile into the city, passed • • . the’church and stopped at the corner, ’one every eight mln- * • ♦ .« * * uteo. Dr. Sneed said he noticed a drop of almoat 200 people * * ’ 0 e the’ very first Sunday. th°e street was changed and the buses * • quit, .running. .Thet particular loss0 was never* regained becaus o o o 110 O • the bus traveled another street some two and one-half blocks •away, according to the new scheduled arrangement. He as- o Burned these people worked downtown or visited downtown dur- Ing the week and rode the same bus, passing the church, read ing the bulletin boards, and therefore when Sunday came, they took the same bus to church. How, with the buses no longer passing the church with loads of passengers reading the bulletin board, it was g. bit equivalent to removing the • • • .church from the busiest avenue of its traffic. » * * . Also, the .residential community is movi/ig farther and * « * * farther” away from the church 'in' all directions. '.Many* of the.. • • • church•people ‘move at a single hop up'to- 20 or. 30 miles’to .places, such as • Lakewood, West Covina, oh HortlvHoliywoad. There are many apartment . dwellers nearby, but‘their tra'n- sien’t nature makes working with them'very, difficult. 'Al’ so, the church has not been able to pledge its budget from Its own members, for at least the' decade that Dr. Sneed has'known' the church, and lie has had. to go out and to raise about. yl,.000 -each week'to meet the requirements of the Church pro- •.gram which extends. beyond the church to serve the needs’of thd community. ‘This becomes increasingly difficult as the. average age of the people' increases and as the move-outs to , * • . * * ' ' • ’ * . ’ # the suburbs' continue to occur. . ’ . , • • • • » • * , ♦ » * , • * Dr-. Sneed and Rev. Jensen both seem to* like the city-* .type parish; however, it lias borne aspects for which ’ Dr. Sneed * • • * * would like to .find a remedy'. T^e constant pressure to bring • • • o 8 9 09 , 0 in an extra . pi,000 every week keeps h^m “from performing, Tie o « feels,Q many of the functions of preaching, personal contacts, 1 and other work for which .the ministry is customarily trained. • He feels that the downtown church provides a ministry to all Methodism throughout all Southern California because of its central location, but the Methodist denomination as a whole has- never offered any concessions to the First Church by re lieving any of its - apportionments (which are upon the same ratip astfrom the other 365 Methodist churches in the Confer ence), or to support any specific portion of its downtown . . * • work even though the downtown church is under heayy financial drains, which. 0bvi9usly.it canpot handle Itself; since Confer- • * • • • • . • .ence expenses and all benevolences'are assessed upon member ship and other factors without r;egard to. the fact that, this • is'a different type'-of a missionary center church, necessi tating a program.designed primarily for the community rather ■ • * , , * than simpl-y' for members. ( , ’ ■ ’ . ’• . • » ,.Dr. Sneed holds that.many of the' Courses hq took in * ' • * * • Seminary -should rather have .been.in business -administration, advert!sing, • ahd especially in income production', for the 'downtown church increasingly' requires much of this, for ■ 1 t ' which the ministry in general,.he feels, is 111 prepared. • * • • • • * » The- salary scale for. Dr. Sneed and Rev'. Jensen 'is not con- • * sidered’adequately.commensurate wi^h the -job. they aj;e calle'd- .upon to do in an accentuated .central parish of this kind, * * • * • 1 but perhaps from the standpoint of the*income of their * * • o o © O o 112 .0 parishioners (many of whom are on pensions of various kinds ® • because they are over 65),*the salaries may seem adequate. • Dr. Sneed is privileged to do but a minimum amount of a pastoral work "because of the pressure of these other duties; * • hence, he is responsible primarily for preaching, adminlstra- * tion, the budget, and income production. The Rev. Mr. Jen sen does most of the pastoral work of the church, vlsiting_ • • • ■ in every part of the Southland every day*/ and he does it . well, according to* Dr. Sneed. Dr. Sneed's full time is*tak- * ‘ en up with the executive responsibilities, and he feels he * •• would like much more.time "for the Preparation of sermons and * * • • . other pf the spiritual tasks of the*church which are denied him'due.to the- intrusion of- financial, organizational, admin- • * • • istrative, and other pressure^.’ However, Rev. Jenseli seems to feel that the sermons ■ » • • * are excellent, and the two men work,very well together,, each • * , * • • * * • * * • • • respecting the other's talents- and contributions. Rev..Jen- * * • • • * sen hap dsked for a city assignment. ■ Dr. Sneed said that -a* * • * . * . " * . member of the Pastoral .Relations Committee who came to inter- * a • . • view him in the East about -the Los Angeles ministry informed • * ' 1 • * • . • * • • • him how lubky he was ,to be coming to tills great downtown • • church v(here all he would'have*to do was to preach. Looking back, he replied, "This man forgot fo mention that the ^ • * preacher personally iiad to raise the budget whlfch means * * * * o * < . * * " . . . $1,000 a* week beyond what is subscribed by the members.." 0 e • 0Dr. ‘ Sneed spends* from five fo eight minufes each C • B e o * • o ■ o 0 „ • o Sunday in welcoming visitors and i*n announcements. He has found this to be necessary in a downtown situation and has discovered when he does not announce events from the pulpit, people just do not turn out for them. This is also the only opportunity that the church has to communicate with people ■ about its organization and program and it is the "one" occa sion to drive home the elements of the program. Newest Innovation is that the .church is able to- dark en ifs sanctuary in six seconds through a-series of curtains. * • * ' The skylight and the* windows are-all quickly blacked- oqt, and often after a sermon, of somewhat shorter length than usual^on a Sunday piorning, colored sl-i-des of the church's missionary activities in fields-from acros-s -the wo fid are. .presented to the entire congregation. ,Lay activities of the : - church are not well supported, 'due to distances invol-ved, travel, and the ages of• the .majority•of the people. First • • • • * 4 Church 'needs to* receive 120 members each- year just tp k.eep • 4 • ' » its Membership at its present level. • * • , Dr. Sneed.and Rev-. Jensen both .felt that too much- * • • f i f work was bor’ he by too few*here, so far as the laity is con- * * • cerned, and that mdny of the laity are of the type which have • • grown up with the church and a#re not necessarily alert to the • o o "crisis" oroblems of today's changing city chuj*ch°, nor are * o • > they willing* tb face them aggressively. More and more lt0 * * ■ seems to become in and around the church pret'ty much a matter O of what the staff can do. The ministers feel that the churdh is ribt gaining « • • O ground rapidly, even though "there are some areas with great possibilities for growth. These, however, do not necessarily add membership on the church roll. A "youth minister made a i *» • t survey a few years ago and discovered that according to the census tract findings there are several thousand -young people in the area; hov.ever, it was not felt he was able to envelop • • a program to attract them. Later he moved away.' The "churfch program is 'changing •in'-many significant ways, attempting to * * adapt Itself'to the changing, tides of the city. The. form of- worship has been modified rather uniquely to include promo- ■tional activities in the ldng.announcement period and. the use of .pictures to inform the congregation of the wider flblds of Interest in the church. ' . " • # I ♦ • i * • The ave'rdge age of the congregation; 'as a guess, is.. 4 . estimated by the ministers to be ‘about. 60, with about l> 5>per ' . . * • • cent tp 70 per cent .being past 65. . Thq ages, noticeably•lack; 1 - * ‘ ing are those -under. W. " * • • i • • . ’ The preaching is not aimed ’ primarily at the average • • • age- level of. the congregation, acc.ording to "Dr. Sneed, be-" . • ‘ cause he is. appealing regularly to a younger element which he feels the church must attract. The main problems which#the (Aty parish present are ' ' ’ * . • "the lack of young and'aggressive people who stay put, the 0 0 . ^ lack of ability to pay .tho> bills for the type of program® ' 0 . •• oWhich the church should have in a dcyvntown situation, thq, o o o o o ° 0 « 1 1 5 9 ® O lack of families with children, which means the lack of a ' ° c o young people, and the ever present problem of the overcoming of distance with l*ts poor, bus service and-not too good park ing facilities. Children, more and more, seem to wish to at- » • tend churches in their own neighborhoods. The highly tran sient nature of the downtown area brings many people on Sun day who are in the city'merely for a few* days or a fe'w hours • * * • --at a* convention, o t on busines-s. The church gets a major • • • • ‘ . • • • . . ' • . . • • • * ♦ • • portion o f ‘its prospects by asking-people upon .many.occasions (usually- every second;or'third Sunday of each month.) to reg ister on a card at the. time of announcement, period. There is-no particular race" problenV in the ' corfgrega- tlon; several■races do belong' and all are. welcome. ' The staff seems to be very competent... Dr.-Sneed' men tioned •that when they seek secretarial,help 'they usually find no one in the .congregation, and the professional secretaries * * • * * * • depend on so many- hours' a week and resent* often having to be ' « « * * * in church on Sunday as a part, of thfe church job. The whole ’ ' ' • question of the staff and what l^he church can pay', as" against" i « « * * the type of. opoortunity which It X'aces, is a difficult one. ‘ . • • * * * • « * * * • • • • * Thfe ministerial staff‘seems to be doing a good job but l-s ^greatly overworked.- . • ' . . • The church is'trying to -adapt itself more and more t o h * # * the community than to i*ts constituents, feeling that the • ° s o'lder members will carry on their present activities most adequately but that all the while the church must appeal to • O 0 o o o o new people and to younger people. 0 9 # Both ministers felt that the people living.In the im- mediate neighborhood would be most welcome in the church and ’ • • e • a e ,f many of them already belong.. For the most part, these peo'- * # * • ' pie .are either working pe.ople or retired .people living alone. _ • ***** .1 , ■ • • • Most of_ them 'are white. . ’• 4‘ The church tries to be friendly and invites all* peo-. .pie. to a visitors' - tea after church'.’ The Young. People “ nave * < + • * * • » . . • Coffee Hour. ‘The church also specialises in programs- on Thanksgiving Eve, elaborate’ Christmas Eve with movie stars and .others participating, to which people in the uownto.wn area are invited, especially-those who have no family and ho place to go. The attendance -is usually fabulous but, as Dr. Speed points out, these events never pay their way; they must be subsidized from some other source. They have dlTfi- ■cul'ty in getting enough'of their' own people to-be'present to * run these .programs and to make.-others feel welcome. The Rev. Mr. Jensen seems to feel that ’the•future of. the’, church- i s ’looking more encouraging with’the development of Bunker Hill into housing, and the’ other apartment projects that are under way in the community.’ He feels that in-the • ’next ten-years perhaps the .church might grow through attract-. • * * • * • ing these more permanent people. ’ • . ’ *' * * ■ * BotlT ministers seem to agree that* distance arid,.the iiv • ' *■ * •» p • * * * • fluence of children and.their.parents in wishing to attend a * « 0 Q 0 churches in0their own local neighborhoods^re perhaps the Q o ° o p * « • « o * • ^ ® T i n ° , H 7 0 greatest factors in causing people to leave' the downtown’ church, the Mother Church 6f Los Angeles Methodism--now in * ■ * ’ its 105th yea'r. Poor transportation-, especially-on Sundays, ta 4 i ^ • , • • by the buses’, was -a ’ .heavy contingency in this matter also. I‘ t was-felt .that the* distance a person lives, from a church * * . • * . • definitely affects his church pctivity’in every'.way.. The First Me.thodist Church is trying to overcome-this by having' « I , • • . ' as much as possible in its Sunday programs while the -people . are there.. Many .of. the church committees, increasingly find opportunity to meet-at this time." ; First Methodist Church pioneered radio broadcasting a Complete Church Servlc'e in 1923, and the first symphony con-, cert ever broadcast came from its sanctuary, that .same year,:- „ 35.years ago. ’ ' ' O O * INTERVIEW WITH DR. GENE BARTLETT * o ^ 0 O O * * O Dr. Bartlett has been pastor at First Baptist Church® * • • 0 of Los Angeles for five years- ; his Immediate predece^ol- of 0 0 more than twenty years* Was Dr. Frank Fagerbiirg. • ° * . • a * • The. main changes that he is noticing in the -parish are » * * , o * 0 • the more inclusive nature of economic classes within the t • * . area .tending.‘ toward the lower economic classes. There are • • • * ’ . • * • ’ also many office buildings going up that tend to attract single young .adults.-. There are many apartment And -rooming . houses around the .Church. ’ .*••.. ‘ • • « o ’Dr. Bartlett likes the’ city type *of parish’ s fie re ported that it-is a real challenge to one-1 s ingenuity. -Re ■ * * * had cdme-fj-om a college ’ town‘_ environment in-Evans-ton, ' Illi nois and finds’.his relationships to his people and^the-com-. munity.quite, different. There.-is a greater variety of sta- * " • • • tus, economic, an’ fi social stratification than in- former par,- I • * • t ‘ ^ f ^ ' itfhes where he had oretty much dne status class people. He * ' • t* . • says a’ drawback exists in not having close, relationships with his peopl'e that is ‘ easier .in the smaller community, and ' * * * • . » * that city people live at a faster pace. There is a^chal- * • , . ' • • * * * lenge, however,.in the variety of people that he ministers . ’ * ■ . • •to in the city. . ’ » ’.He does not feel that the city parish requires a <epe- * 0 M 1 ° ^ cialized technique, that any pastor could°ao it without spe-® 88 „ 6 O clal training. Re^also said that the salaries are adequate. o for the ministers but not for the other staoff members, sifch as secretaries. There are four ordained ministers o<j the * < P O « staff. * • • • " ' O O When asked about the relative importance of the execu- tive-, preaching, and pastoral aspects ,pf the ministry, he’re- • * # « , * I o * fleeted‘that one is not always able to give tile amount of , 0 o • • • * time0 to them in proportion to the importance he attaches to • e o . • t * • them. He Implied that the executive duties often took’pre- • 1 cedence by the sheer nature of being something that, had to . ^ . . . be done. He still tries* to maintain a calling schedule*'but ’ • i ’ « * * * only make.s purposive call-s, i.e., calls that he‘feels are * “ • • • • needed, such as the ill) .*disgruntled‘ , etc. Their 'pastoral* • • • i ministry is* shared by all the castors on the .staff.’ .•*• * . ' He said the chprch* needed to admit about 200’ mpmbers per year- to maintain itself .at the present -level of member'- • • . . . . . . ship- , .which presently is at about 2,400. . ’He did not seem to feel that his laymen were as alert » « • • to the problems of the city church as they needed•to be and * * • • • therefore they did not face them as' aggressively as they , . should. . However, when the problems are made clear to them • • he-said they respond very well. One.of the chief means they have recently adopted to keep the church strong and appeal to new people is in begin ning a Saturday program for the children of the neighborhood. They offer skating/ games, and supervised recreation. This • o has grown so that there are now three groups on Saturday, ■ • comprising almost one hundred children of all races in ehe community. Most of them are not related tc?° the Chui^h in o o # O any°other way. Also, because of the many young adults in ° 0*0 • 0*0 this area, the Church is trying to <put0on an aggressive pro- o gram for them. This has not met with much success as yet,° * i 0 having only about twenty,obut Dr.oBartlett recognizes "this O as a great need and the Church is continuing its effort. ■ * e Dr. Bartlett felt that there «jvas a sufficient amount * o " of time and.money forthcoming from the‘laymen to. do'the work o O the communi.ty requires, but that in the main the paid staff « • carries.the. major burden in planning and program. * • • ■He estimated, the. average age of.‘his congregation at slightly-‘ above forty, with, the leadership, tending to fall . now' in the thirty-five to fifty age group,, thereby giving more aggressive leadership. -He estimated over'twenty per • « cent as beyo'ng' sixty-five years of age.’ The ages noticeably lacking are children and the young adults, and-both single • • • and married in the eighteen through twenty-five age group. His preaching Is not aimed at any. particular S*ge or •class. He feels that each Sunday is a different problem that is facing people, but the single theme would predominate his thinking and preaching. o The main problems that the city church faces, ifi his opinion, are the problems with getting families witli school « age children to keep coming in long distances to church, for o the children and youth like to be w^th their school chums,. • O • with some significant exceptions, of course. Distance is a great factor. Another problem is that dealing with the'sin-0 o • gle young adults who work and live* adjacent to the church o but seem to have a very high mobility. This church has experienced a race problem, but is working at it. Seven or eight years ago-a very fine young Negro woman and-he'r mother applied for membership. In -the 'Baptist Church people are voted upon as regards membership. Someone found an.old lav; tha’ t said it required a ninety per cent vote to allow a person in;-the two ladies lost. Dr. Prank Fagerburg was minister- at that time- and this incident had a great deal to do with'his1 le&ving.’ However, when Dr. Bartlett camet he was well aware of the’situation. -Some of • * • • . the younger peoo-le approached him after" he had been there a • • • Tew months and wanted to know what he was going to do about it. He told them’that he fe],t he needed six months to get int.o the work and to gain the confidence, of the people, after • . * i • > that period, they got to w*ork.on-the membership applications • » for the two women. * . • ’ *• a The'Negro women had not withdrawn their request for membership but had not attended in the interim. In the mean- time,0 the requirement for membership had been dropped to a two-thirds vote. They wei*e voted upon again and lost by only two votes. Though-Dr. Bartlett considered this a setback, as did the young adults, they decided that they would continue to work at it. A young Negro man joined one day in response to tlje invitation, and though Dr. Bartlett had it suggested O O o o e © ° O ® • 0 . 122 © o to him that the Negroes had now singled out First Baptist o ► O ° * • arfd were making a test of it, Dr. Bartlett was convlnce'd aft- • • . er talking to the young man that he had simply been moved by O * * e the gadpel message and invitation and*.responded. He was © • • • voted in, and four Negroes are now members. Dr. Bartlett • ' * 6 * * feels that the ‘situation is now pretty well under control and'that there will be no more incidents. Also they are.not in an area that *has many Negroes/ so'the remoteness of the « problem in large numbers allows time for it to work out grad ually. There is-no problem apparent with any other race. The average member of this church, according to Dr. Bartlett,' comes a distance of a'little over five miles- . This was brought out also in a survey conducted by the Na tional Office .of the Baptists two years ago in which it-was • discovered that’52 per cent’of the members lived not more than five miles away. The longest .distance any member comes is about thirty miles. • ‘ _ . The church ha's had no groat difficulty getting compe- * * tent staff people for the ministerial positions. 4 When asked whether he thought his church was "inter nally" adjusted to its membership, or "socially" adjusted to its community, he brought out the way that- they are trying to rea’ ch the single young adults, and the Saturday morning activity which attracts children of the community-most of » them with no other connection to the church, signifying that the church was trying to do both. The fact that over fifty o o o o Q o e • 123 o o ° o 0 per cent of the membership resides In the community Is good * > o evidence of thitf. . o . O O ° ° •• 0 * ® The church tries to appeal to people living In the Immediate neighborhood of the church and to work them°lnto • « i i positions of trust -and responsibility. The neighborhood is . ^tending to middle class, slightly on the* downward side, and • • new apartment buildings are* serving to bring in a business P , type of people' in'the clerical and secretarial class. These • . 4 f . * • people are -vie 1 come. Dr.- Bartlett was not sur.e- what might happen in the . . ‘ . next ten to twenty-five years in the church. He did feel • • • that the..quality of "Home Office", type business along yil- • shire Boul-evard apd the apartment housing together were rath- . er tending to -make the. neighborhood- better .rather than to deteriorate.it.- . ‘ The biggest factors in causing people to leave the church,, were,-in his opinion, the-mobility of people • thesd. days, distance,’ and,- coupled with this factor,* the school age child who had to’be chauffeured if he is -to participate very much in the Church, leading.to the eventual making of a • • « • • tie closer to the living area. . When asked if he thought the 'distance people lived * o * . from she church affected their participation in thd church, o his first- Reeling was that it did; however, as he thought O * ° • longer, he was able to point to some notable exceptions. The o over-all pattern of chux*clj <*ittenuanee, however, seemed to 6 o © O ® b o o o o o • . O o 0ol24 o • 0 suggest that distance was definitely *a factor, o 0 0 * • • * The feeling of Dr. Bartlett seems to be that though ° » ° • the city churph presents many challenges, it has many re- * * wards, and that the church is making some inrpads in solving its problems.that are fruitful. Every church-has problems, the city church's may be more complex, but they are being worked a-t. * . • o o O o 0 o INTERVIEW WITH HOKE0 DICKINSON O o o ° o Dr. Dickinson has been in the active ministry more than twenty years. He has been pastor at Wllshire Christian * • t in Los Angeles for three years; the three pas.tors before* him a have served for about three years each. 0 The greatest changes seem to be the amount of busl- . o ness building going on and the number of single young adults in the community. There is also a high rate of mobility. • Los Angeles has .a different attitude toward ministers and ls» 0 more spread out. 0 * 0 Dr. Dickinson likes.the city type of parish where he 0 serves but misses some of the close pastoral feeling and- con- • * o * tact with the people which is had in a less shattered parish. He cited the fact that in the smail town parish, a layman * • may see his minister two or.three times a week in the com-" munity which makes him feel more of a closeness. In the city, he scarcely ever sees his minister except at church or church meetings. It is more difficult to keep track of the • • congregation in the city parish. The administration and ' t 0 * preaching opportunities are greater, though the pastoral* re- 0 lations are less. He did express the idea that the city 0 0 parish did not require a specialised technique on the part of the main minister but that the staff members might be o o chosen for specialized talents rather than general minister!- P al training. He feels his salary compensation Is adequate, br. Dickinson felt that he spent equal amounts of o e « • 126 o o time on pastoral, preaching, and executive work. Although he did not have*a natural aptitude, for administration, he tried to give it more’ time than he would naturally be «ln- clined to because of its importance in the city parish. Dr. Dickinson spends only two dr three minutes in Sunday worship on announcements and enrolling of the congre- * • ► gatlon. He feels this is long enough. The church needs about one hundred members per year to maintain itself at current membership;, in other words’ , • « * * about a ten per .cent'* loss "per year. • * . He does not fbel that his l’ aymen are alert to the •. * * problems' that a city church faces, or quite willing to face • them‘aggressively. It is their church, and as long as it • • • ' « * • • « * _serv.es them, there is not much Incentive to change it. They . • wish fbr the way.the church was instead of looking ahead to 1 t what : j . t could be. The secretary _ expressed the* same idea • ' , « • • abou-t the laymen • • * * The leadership is trying to -make the church strong * * « and appeal to new’people through the recent hiring of a so- • • • ’ • cial worker Instead of a religious education director and . minister, -as formerly, feeling that this person can better understand and minister to the needs* of young adults and . other social problems that the people in the community face. • • • They are also in the process of •building a new building f t which is aimed at- high school and older youth as well as 0 adults. ’ . O Chilcfcren are not in the corSmunlty to any great degree; hence, there will be little demand in the foreseeable future o for much in the way of child accommodations. The church has • recently made a change* in the VJednesday night dinner pro grams, using the period after dinner for meetings of specific committees to conserve the number of nights the staff is re quired, as well as to cut down the number of. times that peo ple need to come to the church during the week. _ A program aimed specifically at young adults is being undertaken by the new social worker. This plan is for most of Sunday, * since these young people seem to want something to do. The plan is to begin with breakfast, Sunday School, Church, eat somewhere .together, and break up about four o'clock as many of them take schooling as well as work. Very little provi- t ♦ • • t sion is made for children in any way except Sunday morning church school. • . • . A sufficient amount of money and time is forthcoming from the people for these programs, but Dr. Dickinson feels • * • 0 that the church program has suffered somewhat from an overly • * * » ' large missionary program, giving.almost as much away as they have spent on the local program. he feels this must .change t’o provide more money proportionately for the work of the local church. He does not feel that the'paid staff has to carry the bulk of the burden for program and planning but " 0 rather that the laymen are very effective in this area and willing to work. O 0 128 o He was not able to estimate the average age of his congregation. He felt that it had lowered noticeably in the o past three years, though probably thirty-five to fifty per cent of the people were beyond sixty-five years of age. Ages noticeably lacking are children, primarily. He felt that his preaching was not aimed'at. any spe cific age level, at least not consciously. His assistant seemed to concur on this point when .interviewed later. The main problem, he felt, was the mobility of people. In addition there were problem's of transportation, loneli- ness, single living away from family. • All races are represented *in the congregation. There ■ lias been no race problem, but.one Sunday two Negro women 9 joined. Instances were cited as to what reactions were ex- • • pressed, but nothing came of any of them. One woman called 'and asked if the .NAACP was making theif' church a test case. Dr. Dickinson assured her that he had talked with the.women • v • • and they seemed quite sincere. He felt that if it was a o test the church had not.failed. Ah elder was quite con-, cerned and wanted to bring it.up at an elders meeting but lias not done it yet. Dr. Dickinson feels that they could assimilate a few more now without undue upset. However, c there are very few in the immediate neighborhood and they would nave to travel some distance. There has been no no- o o ticeable reaction to orientals. Dr. Dickinson was nor able to estimate the average • o O o o 0 number of miles a member comes, but it was probably more o than five miles. The longest distance seemed to be about twenty-two miles; these were among the more active people. “ There is difficulty in getting competent staff people because there is a need for a specialized technique for most * members of the staff and they are not available. He feels -chat his church is an "internally adjusted" • * one, primarily accommodating its program to its members rath er than to the community in which it resides. In other words, it is not "socially adjusted" nearly so much as inter- • * nally. • • All people residing in the immediate neighborhood of tpe church’would be welcome’ to come and to assume, positions of leadership. They .are mostly white single adults, and couples without children. The church is felt to be friendly, so much so that there are large numbers who come into the worship services • o from fifteen to thirty minutes late because> someone has giv en too. much of a welcome for them to get in sooner. The church seems to have a long tradition of this and nothing is o especially done to create it. Dr. Dickinson expressed the thought that the church can have a moderate growth in the next ten years, perhaps reading a membership of about 1,5^0 from its approximate 900 now. This church claimed 1,800 mem- bers in 19^0 when it merged with First Christian Church. No O predictions were forthcoming for the next twenty-five years. The biggest factors In causing people to leave the° O o church were moving away and children wanting to attend close o o to home. ° o Although many people1s»attendance and participation o is adversely affected by being a#long way from the church, o there were several notable exceptions. He felt he had no way to measure whether distance was the factor except where ’ o • there were also school age children. Dr. Dickinson hoped that the study would help to clar- •Ify some issues and answers as he felt all city churches and their pastors were making' some guesses they could not prove. Dr. Dickinson lives eleven miles from his church. This has disadvantages but gives him a better home for his needs than close to the church. INTERVIEW WITH DR. WILLIAM S. MEYER O 0 „ Dr. Meyer has been in the ministry twenty-five years; he has been at Immanuel about six years. The pastors Immedi ately before him have had pastorates of five to ten years. The greatest changes noted in the community about the church are the mobility of people and the change to single •people living around the church. It has changed from a fami ly type of upper middle class residences to a business dis trict and mainly apartment and single people dwellings. He likes the city-type of parish such as he has, and O does feel that it needs a specialized technique which he would lllce to have had in seminary training. He felt that the fact that his father had been a bank president and he had a business background had helped to fit him for the city type parish. He, himself, has not had specialized training for it but feels it would have been extremely helpful. He feels.his salary is very adequate. He said that many times he had said, "I'm over-said." VJhen the interviewer remarked o 7 that this was unusual, he said that by that he did not mean that in private industry he might not .be able to make two or three times what he made as a minister. As a minister, hove- O ever, he felt amply rewarded materially. Ranking the executive, preaching, and pastoral as pects of his ministry, lie felt the preaching was most impor tant, the executive responsibilities to a great organization second, and ©die pastoral relations third. He admitted that 132 time-wise the executive functions took the most, the preach ing second and the pastoral last. Although he hastened to point out that the church did not neglect the pastoral as pects of the church, his assistants necessarily did most of it. Each week a complete report'of calls made is turned in by each ministerial staff member. Only the calls where some one is home are counted, and almost six thousand per year* are made. lie makes mostly hospital calls, seeing an average of ten patients per week. He said that experience showed that calls on their* members more than ten miles away in the suburban communi’tles did not pay for the church nearly so much as those within the city proper*. He said that announcements were printed in the bulle tin and that a few years ago the church had decided that ex cept in special cases this should be enough. He did call at tention to the coffee hours and otiier events that would not be known by those just dropping in to services that morning. He estimated five minutes as quite ample for this. The church needs to admit about three hundred new members every year to keep the church at its present level of about 3>^50 members. (Tills mobility and turnover seems to be about average in this kind of church.) In answer to whether the laymen of the church were alert to the problems of the City Church and were willing to face them aggressively, he felt that they were not greatly aware and did not uo too much about them. 133 In trying to meet the changing tides of the city, the church has bought up several of the houses in its block and operates or leases them for operation. Some of these are to be used for apartments for single people in the area, mostly for elderly tenants. The church has recently completed a very fine library available to the people of the community and the members. It is hoped that many of the single young adults will make frequent use of it, and many do. An early service is being explored to take care of those who may wish to get an early start on other plans. This would seem to be an adaptation that might be helpful in this kind of church rather than offering only the customary eleven o'clock wor ship with no choice. Dr. Meyer felt that the church had an adequate amount of money to do the job that the community requires and that the people responded well in this regard. He paid tribute to the Wells Organization, a group of professional fund raisers, who put on a financial drive a few years ago. He felt that though they alienated a few people that they cer tainly helped to solidify many members into the church and raised the average giving per year from $17o,000 to more than .^273,000. The church has spent several hundred thou sand dollars In the past few years to modernize the complete plant and equipment. The staff, however, seems to carry most of the burden for planning and program, rather than the laymen. O 134 Dr. Meyer stated that he felt the average age of the congregation would be about fifty, with about twenty per cent being over sixty-five. The ages noticeably lacking are children up to high school age and young married adults. His preaching is aimed at no particular level of the membership except on occasion. He just deals with the themes of life and faith that he feels will help all. He feels that the church provides something for every age level, however, so that no age groups need feel left out. His feeling was that the main problem facing the city church is the mobility of people. They scarcely get many of them as members, until they get jobs out in the suburbs and move away. This is particularly true of young single people. He felt that the encroachments of big business in the area would eventually lead to more and more apartments and single people with a higher mobility. He was worried as to whether all the office buildings and apartments, being built would find occupants. All races are represented in the congregation. How ever, only two are Negroes and they do not attend much. There was no problem concerning them. Dr. Meyer feels the Church should not make a definite evangelistic effort in their direction. Those coming will be welcome, and he as sumed there would be no problem concerned with the Session passing on them. Dr. Meyer estimated the average member came a little 135 over five miles, although he felt that perhaps almost half eame not more than five miles. Some members come as much as thirty-five miles. He Indicated that there was some difficulty in getting competent staff people because people are not trained in 'city church leadership and many do not want to be in a downtown church. He felt that more training along the lines of the city parish might produce more effective results for the church. Dr. Meyer felt that ills church was Internally ad justed to its parishioners but also socially adjusted to its community and to all Los Angeles. It was liis feeling that all people living in the im mediate neighborhood of the church would be most welcome to the church and to participate in it fully, holding offices, etc. He felt the church really made no distinction as to race or economic condition of people. He paid particular tribute to the different coffee hours in the church as responsible for much of its friendli ness and felt that Immanuel was a friendly church. He feels that the next ten years and quarter century will enable the church to hold its own and perhaps grow a little, but that there will be a lowering of the economic status of the church people and more single people living in the community, both young and old. He is concerned about all the business office buildings and apartments around the church as to whether o 136 there will be enough businesses and people to keep them rea sonably full. He felt that families would become almost non existent about the church. The biggest factors in causing people to leave Imman uel church were: Many come there and locate, but soon find a job that takes them away from the central area of Los Angeles so their membership is of short duration. This is the mobility factor in the present population. He felt liv ing too far away was another. Calls made on the people liv ing in the suburbs that belong to their church did not pay nearly the dividends of the calls made on people in the city. Also, children putting pressure on their parents to attend close to home is a big factor. He felt that lack of activi ties for particular age groups was not their fault, that they had a group for everyone. The distance people live from church does affect their attendance and church activity adversely; however, there are notable exceptions. 137 « TABLE XIX GROWTH RECORDS OF 1926 TO THE FOUR CHURCHE 1958 O O Year First Baptist First Methodist Wllshire* Christian Immanuel Presbyterian 1926 ---- 3800 1016 (2221), 3511 1931 2128 4600 1519 (2709) 4334 1936 2547 4500 1138 (2012) 4474 1941 2517 4050 1576 4244 1946 2821 3864 1392 3387 1951 2659 0 2599 1130 3223 1956 2378 2054 950 3450 1953 2400 1700 840 3450 *Wllshlre Christian Is a combination of Magnolia Ave nue and First Christian Church. The Magnolia Avenue Chris tian Church was located at 24th and Magnolia in Los Angeles. In the early thirties, it united with the First Christian Church at 11th and Hope Streets. This church united with the V/llshlre Boulevard Christian Church in 1940 and became the Wllshire Christian Church. The figures shown in paren theses are a combination of the memberships for all three churches for those years.

Abstract (if available)

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

Social factors involved in the success or failure of consumer cooperatives in the United States

PDF

A study of juvenile gangs in the Hollenbeck area of East Los Angeles

PDF

Stereotypes of selected white college students concerning Negroes

PDF

Religious and other cultural factors in social control affecting the assimilation of Jews in Los Angeles

PDF

The French in Los Angeles: A study of a transplanted culture

PDF

A sociological study of public opinion concerning certain police practices in Los Angeles

PDF

The significance of zones and boundaries in the urban community with special reference to the Los Angeles Area

PDF

Clothing as a factor in the social status rating of men

PDF

Changing socio-cultural patterns of the Chinese community in Los Angeles

PDF

The social status of the negro in Pasadena, California

PDF

The unattached Negro woman on relief: A study of fifty unattached Negro women on relief in the Compton district office of the State Relief Administration of California in Los Angeles

PDF

Suburban Political Behavior In Los Angeles County, California

PDF

Special library collections in the Southern California area as an approach to historical studies

PDF

The participation of the Negro in the community life of Los Angeles

PDF

A study of the attitudes of high school teachers of vocational subjects toward vocational education and its social values

PDF

The life of a text: Bertolt Brecht's Three Penny Opera. Studies in literary and cultural transfer

PDF

Sociological survey of Main Street, Los Angeles, California

PDF

"Shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception": vision, culture and technology in the psychedelic sixties

PDF

The reformation of the world: history, revelation, and reform in the antebellum American romance

PDF

Sacralizing the right: William F. Buckley Jr., Whittaker Chambers, Will Herberg and the transformation of intellectual conservatism, 1945-1964

Asset Metadata

Creator Fish, Merle Edison, Jr. (author)

Core Title Adjustment of large downtown and boulevard churches in Los Angeles to socio-cultural factors in the community

School Graduate School

Degree Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Program Sociology

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag OAI-PMH Harvest,sociology, general

Place Name California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place), Los Angeles (counties), religious facilities: First Baptist Church (geographic subject), religious facilities: First Methodist Church (geographic subject), religious facilities: Immanuel Presbyterian Church (geographic subject), religious facilities: Wilshire Christian Church (geographic subject), USA (countries)

Format viii, 137 leaves : ill. ; 29[?] cm. (aacr2)

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor Neumeyer, Martin H. (committee chair), Austict, W. Morris (committee member), Nielsen, Charles Merritt (committee member), Nordskog, John E. (committee member), Vincent, Melvin J. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m34

Unique identifier UC11358078

Identifier 5901843.pdf (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c18-19867 (legacy record id),usctheses-m34 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 5901843-0.pdf

Dmrecord 19867

Document Type Dissertation

Format viii, 137 leaves : ill. ; 29[?] cm. (aacr2)

Rights Fish, Merle Edison, Jr.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA