Why are Evangelical Protestant congregations growing and mainline Protestant congregations declining?
Gallup research into the nature and role of engagement within congregations (see Related Items) strongly suggests that it has very little to do with theology or doctrine, but has a great deal to do with the engagement level of congregation members. Congregations whose members are engaged will grow, and those whose members are not engaged will not — regardless of denomination, theology, or doctrine. One of the key factors in engagement is clear expectations of membership. In addition to the fact that evangelical churches place more emphasis on reaching out to non-members, they also tend to have a more sharply defined theology and ethic, a trait that lends itself more readily to the communication to members of very clear expectations. Mainline churches, on the other hand, have a more difficult task in delineating expectations out of a more broad-based theological position. Congregations that have clearly defined expectations tend to have a more engaged congregation than those that do no
