FAQs on the National Congregations Study
May I see the survey questionnaire on which the study was based?
Yes. Click “Documentation” on the left side of the NCS home page, and you will be given the option of downloading the survey questionnaire in one of three formats: PDF, Microsoft Word, or Word Perfect. The “Documentation” option also allows you to download the report on survey methodology, an explanation of how survey data was coded, and a published article on the survey background, methods, and selected results.
What types of questions does the survey address?
Questions addressed fall into broad categories. Basic information addresses questions about the identity, location, and affiliation of congregations; the buildings in which worship takes place; the numbers of persons associated with or regularly attending places of worship; the numbers and characteristics of clergy; and the presence of full- and part-time staff. Worship addresses questions about the number and length of services and sermons; languages used at services; numbers of adults and children attending services; music and drama in worship; children and youth participation in worship; general congregational participation and interaction in worship; various worship elements; joint worship services; and the Bible. Building use addresses questions about outside groups using a congregation’s building. Programs addresses questions about the presence of choirs or musical groups; the numbers, attendance, and topics of religious education classes and congregational group meetings; the presence of congregational schools; social service and volunteer projects and funding for them; visiting speakers; recruiting new participants; communication and technology; income, budget, and expenses; and government relations. Organizational structure addresses questions about organizational leadership and committees. And Congregational rules addresses questions about the rules or norms governing personal behavior; the political and theological orientation of congregations; and how congregations handle conflict.
How may I access the survey results?
Click “User Guides” on the left side of the NCS home page for information on how to read the four kinds of tables that the study allows you to create, review, and print:
- Frequency tables that reflect the number of congregations, providing information about the percentage of U.S. congregations that have the characteristics addressed by the variable created from responses to a survey question.
An example of such frequency information is the percentage of U.S. congregations that are led by male senior clergy (90.0%) and female senior clergy (10.0%).
- Frequency tables that reflect the number of persons in congregations, providing information about the percentage of U.S. worshippers attending congregations that have the characteristics addressed by the variable created from responses to a survey question.
An example of such frequency information is the percentage of U.S. worshippers who attend congregations that are led by male senior clergy (94.4%) and female senior clergy (5.6%).
In addition to frequency tables, the study provides cross-tabulation tables. While it may be interesting to know the percentages of congregations (or persons in congregations) with male and female clergy, another level is opened when you can ask what percentages of male- and female-led congregations have particular characteristics (such as full-time staff, outreach programs, or specific worship practices). Cross tabulations are the tools that allow you to open up these deeper dimensions of the data.
- Cross-tabulation tables that reflect the number of congregations, providing information about the percentage of a group of congregations (to which one variable applies) that have the characteristics addressed by another variable.
An example of such cross-tabulation information is the percentage of male clergy-led congregations that use electric guitars in worship (23.8%) and the percentage of female clergy-led congregations that use electric guitars in worship (6.7%).
- Cross-tabulation tables that reflect the number of persons in congregations, providing information about the percentage of a group of worshippers attending congregations (to which one variable applies) that have the characteristics addressed by another variable.
An example of such cross-tabulation information is the percentage of worshippers who attend male clergy-led congregations that use electric guitars in worship (31.8%) and the percentage of worshippers who attend female clergy-led congregations that use electric guitars in worship (16.1%).
How do I create frequency tables? Cross-tabulation tables?
To create frequency tables, click “Get Frequencies” on the left side of the NCS home page. You will see instructions on how to create the frequency tables. Similarly, if you click “Create Tables,” you will see instructions on how to create the cross-tabulation tables.
Note that the variables listed under “Get Frequencies” and “Create Tables” are sorted in alphabetical order by the first letter of the variable name. To find the survey question from which the variable name was created, see our alphabetical glossary by clicking here.
The variables are listed in alphabetical order by the first letter of the variable name. Is there an easy way for me to determine which of the variables are related to a particular survey category (e.g., worship) without having to look at the entire list?
Yes. See our topical glossary by clicking here. It rearranges the variables into the primary survey categories: basic information, worship, building use, programs, organizational structure, and congregational rules. It then rearranges them into subcategories. For example, under “worship” the topical glossary lists and defines all of those variables that pertain to music and drama in worship.
What are the limitations of this study?
One limitation, which is noted on the Web site but should be underscored here, is that the ability to relate two variables in a cross-tabulation does not imply the ability to conclude that one variable causes another.
For example, a congregation that is led by male clergy is not necessarily more likely to use electric guitars in its worship service than a congregation that is led by female clergy. It may or may not be that the two variables are causally related to a third, such as the theological orientation (conservative, liberal, in the middle) or the size of the congregation. But you cannot draw causal conclusions from the data.
Indeed, the very relationship between two variables may be random. If the “significance” value at the bottom of a cross-tabulation table is larger than .05, the chance is greater than 5% that the association between the two variables cross-tabulated is random. For example, there appears to be a random relationship between the number of adults that attend a congregational class during a typical week and the amount of income a congregation derives from renting or selling its property.
Another limitation is that observations of variables over time are not available in this study. Some variables refer to events occurring within twelve months, others refer to events occurring within the week prior to the survey. But this study does not compare observations of a variable between years.
For information on sources of related data that may be of interest, click here to view demographic resources in the Congregational Resource Guide.