The Growth of Progressive Churches

From the study:

The disparity in growth between mainline and evangelical
Protestant churches may seem to reinforce the widely
held view that theological differences are the key to
understanding why so many mainline churches are
declining and why so many evangelical churches are
growing. However, the situation is not so simple.
All congregations were asked about the theological
orientation of the majority of their members or participants.
Options ranged from predominantly conservative
to predominantly liberal. When all congregations are
combined, there is very little relationship between
growth and theological orientation. In fact, the
proportion growing is highest on the two end points:
predominantly conservative congregations and liberal
congregations (growth rates of 38% and 39%, respectively).
Growth is least likely among congregations that say
they are “right in the middle.” Only 27% of centrist
congregations are growing at the highest level.

But since the debate over conservative vs. liberal growth
is primarily focused on mainline and evangelical
Christian churches, it is instructive to look at the relationship
between theological orientation and growth
among churches representing these two denominational
families.
Within evangelical denominations, it is the less
conservative churches that are most likely to grow.
Evangelical denominations have very few self-defined
liberal churches (only 4% say they are liberal), so it was
necessary to combine these few churches with centrist,
“right in the middle” congregations. Together, 43% of
these less conservative churches are growing, as compared
to 37% of predominantly conservative evangelical
churches. Not surprisingly, over half (57%) of congregations
in evangelical denominations say their active
adult members are predominantly conservative.
The proportion of growing churches is low among mainline
congregations of all types, but it is higher for liberal
mainline churches. Overall, only 18% of mainline
churches claim to be liberal, 25% are right in the middle,
32% are somewhat conservative and 25% are predominantly
conservative. The fact that the most vital, growing
mainline churches are most likely to be found among
their most liberal and most conservative churches may
partially explain the conflict between traditionalist and
progressive elements in these denominations.

So are conservative churches growing? The answer is
yes, but primarily because they are part of growing
evangelical denominations where most churches are
theologically conservative. But the findings of the Faith
Communities Today survey suggest that it is not
theological conservatism per se that leads to growth,
but rather something intrinsic to the evangelical
Christian family and their constituency. Likewise, the
weakness of mainline churches probably has more to
do with pervasive problems among the mainline constituency
(such as lower levels of church involvement,
competing demands for time, and lower birth rates)
than it does with their more moderate theology.
More important than theological orientation is the
religious character of the congregation and clarity of
mission and purpose. Growing churches are clear about
why they exist and about what they are to be doing.
They do not grow because they have always been at the
corner of Prospect and 77th Street. They do not grow
because they are internally focused. They grow because
they understand their reason for being (whatever that
may be) and they make sure they “stick to their knitting”
—doing the things well that are essential to their life as
a religious organization.