The shared beliefs of a congregation are an essential dimension of its identity, but not the whole thing. Asked to describe the theological outlook of their congregation, three out of four report that the majority of the people who attend their group are at least somewhat conservative. Less than one in ten congregations report that the majority of their participants are at least somewhat liberal, while one in six (16 percent) see their congregation as "right in the middle."

Of course these are relative viewpoints and outside of any objective definition. When the reference point is inserted in the question so their position is in comparison to other congregations in their denomination or religion, the responses change significantly. Four in ten congregations say they are conservative, about the same number report they are in the middle and one in five indicate they are liberal. There is also a change-but not as great-when other congregations in the local community become the reference point.

There is a conservative tilt to organized religion in contemporary America, but the FACT research found greater vitality at both the liberal and conservative extreme as compared to the middle ground. Among congregations self-identified as the most liberal, 46 percent have had an attendance growth of ten percent or more over the past five years and the same is true for 44 percent of the most conservative congregations. In the middle this percentage drops as low as 35 percent. A similar U-shaped curve is found in measures of spiritual vitality and sense of mission, and in each case the most liberal congregations have the highest percentages.

Differences: "Liberal" & "Conservative" Congregations

Those congregations (across all faiths) that identify themselves as "liberal" place more emphasis on activities than do "conservative" congregations, and also place more emphasis on ministry in the community and openness to change. Self-identified "conservative" congregations place more emphasis on strong beliefs and values, as well as on scripture and theology and on the quality of their internal relationships.

Much of the research and writing about church growth focuses on "content" issues, but this research demonstrates "that strength of identity or distinctiveness of identity is equally or more important," writes David Roozen, author of American Congregations 2008 and coordinator of the interfaith group that conducted the research.

Mission and Spiritual Vitality

Congregations that see themselves as very different from the other congregations in their local community (whether the most conservative or the most liberal) also have a much stronger sense of mission or purpose. "A strong sense of self is related to spiritual vitality," reports Roozen. Among Christian churches "twice as many congregations with a strong sense of self have high spiritual vitality." There are also data that "suggests that a congregation's awareness of its distinctiveness is perhaps more important than the mere fact of being different." The percentage of young adult participants may also be a significant factor related to spiritual vitality and growth, although the type of community a congregation is located in has no significant influence.

You can download a copy of this research here.