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One in Seven Church Members are Spiritually Committed, Says Gallup
More than one in seven American church members are “spiritually committed to their faith,” according to a survey released by the Gallup Organization. The survey, which was given first in 2001, revealed little change over the past two years in the commitment of church members across the U.S.According to the survey, 15 percent of adult members of congregations in the U.S. are “fully spiritually committed” down slightly from 19 percent in 2002, and 17 percent in 2001.
In the survey, spiritual commitment is assessed by nine statements measuring personal time spent in prayer and worship; the level to which faith is involved in all aspects of life; history of forgiveness and kindness; faith-based inner peace; meaning and purpose in life; development of personal strengths and gifts; willingness to take unpopular stances; and self-identification as “spiritually committed.”
Not surprisingly, engagement in congregational life is directly related to the level of church members’ spiritual commitment. One third of those who are engaged in their congregations also identified themselves as “spiritually committed,” compared with nine percent of members who are not engaged.
“This report indicates that the American Christian tendency toward self-focus may hurt individuals’ commitments to their faith,” said Steve Haas, World Vision’s vice president of church relations. “Church leaders would do well to energize their congregations with a vision that reaches beyond themselves to meeting the desperate needs of the larger community and world.”
Toward this end, World Vision has recently hosted groups of American pastors on tours of countries in Africa, to see the effects of poverty and AIDS.
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