Death in Declining Congregations: A Case Study

Culture Frame, Growth & Decline, Leadership, Mainline & Liberal Protestant Churches, Participant Observation

More and more congregations within the United States are declining, and with that decline come church closures. In my dissertation research, I examined two small congregations. Fellowship United Methodist Church (which is a pseudonym, along with all other names used in this post) is a small congregation in a Midwestern city. As of 2010, there…

Pastoral Leadership that Matters: A UCC Study

Authority & Power, Clergy, Leadership, Mainline & Liberal Protestant Churches, Process Frame, Surveys

Leadership matters. More specifically, pastoral leadership matters. In every setting of congregational life, talk of leadership abounds. In the United Church of Christ, the vision plan of the national setting includes the goal of having “a wealth of prepared, excellent leaders that reflect the diversity of God’s beloved community.” But what kind of leadership matters? Too…