Americans Don't Understand Worship, Barna Research Says

[This article has been reprinted by permission from Associated Baptist Press (www.abpnews.com), written by Greg Warner, published October 23, 2002, Volume: 02-100-1923.]

WACO, Texas (ABP) -- The so-called "worship wars" are being fought on the wrong front, says researcher George Barna. "We're only fighting about the style of music because our people don't know what worship is," Barna told a recent gathering of Christian musicians.

A new study from the Barna Research Group suggests American churches are less conflicted over worship music than many people think. But neither do church members understand the nature of worship, Barna said. "The real issue is not music but the state of the heart."

"Everything in Worshipland is not OK," Barna said in summarizing the study, commissioned for the first Hearn Symposium on Church Music at Baylor University.

While much has changed on the surface of worship in recent decades, worship remains "primarily something we do for ourselves," he said.

"Americans tend to see ourselves first of all as consumers," he said. As a result, Americans often view worship as a transaction for personal benefit.

Barna cited earlier research in which one third of regular worshippers said they have never experienced the presence of God in worship; two thirds were unable to describe worship in a meaningful way; fewer than half cited worship as a top priority in their lives; and only a fourth described worship as something done for God's benefit.

The latest study asked 727 adults -- all regular attenders of Protestant churches -- a number of questions about worship. Also included in the telephone survey were 601 Protestant pastors and 69 music ministers or worship leaders.

The new study showed that most congregants have no clear expectation about what happens in worship. Asked to identify the most important personal outcome of worship, the largest group of regular attenders said they don't know (21 percent). Nineteen percent said a connection with God is the most important, while 11 percent said experiencing peace. Among the 23 answers offered, smaller percentages cited expressing feelings to God (5 percent) experiencing God's presence (4 percent), and praising God (2 percent) -- all considered God-directed activities by Barna.

Grouping the 23 responses into two categories -- those that benefit God and those that benefit the worshipper -- Barna said only 8 percent of regular attenders cited outcomes directed to God as most important. Outcomes that benefit the worshipper were cited by 47 percent. Other outcomes were not directed either at God or the worshipper.

'Baby Boomers' were most likely to cite God-directed activities as most important (14 percent), compared to younger (6 percent) and older (4 percent) worshippers.

The outcomes cited by regular attenders differed significantly from those expressed by pastors and worship leaders, who were much more likely to cite God-directed activities. Pastors said a connection with God is most important (36 percent), while worship leaders said experiencing God's presence (38 percent). Overall, 23 percent of pastors and 26 percent of worship leaders said outcomes that benefit God are most important in worship.

Barna said the survey reveals some misperceptions about the "worship wars."

"The survey reveals that there is definitely such a battle waged within Protestant  churches, although the magnitude of the battle depends upon who is analyzing the situation," the report states.

Almost two thirds (63 percent) of pastors surveyed said the tension over worship in their churches is "not too serious" or "not at all serious." About 29 percent said the tension is somewhat serious" and 5 percent said it is severe.

Worship leaders, however, saw slightly more evidence of worship tension. While 60 percent said the tension is "not too" or "not at all serious," about 30 percent said it is "somewhat serious" and 11 percent said it is severe.

Congregants were not asked to evaluate tension over worship. 

The style of music is the primary source of worship tension, cited by nine out of 10 pastors and worship leaders. 

However, 72 percent of congregants said they are completely or mostly satisfied with the music in their worship. And 76 percent said they would not change churches if the style of music changed. "For all the complaining that is lodged against church music, people may be more accepting or flexible than they let on," the report noted. 

That doesn't mean congregants don't care about music style, however. Thirty percent said music was the primary factor in choosing their current church, and another 26 percent said it was one of the top two or three factors. Only 17 percent said music style was little or no factor in their church decision. 

Music style was most often cited as a primary factor by blacks (50 percent), people 56 or older (43 percent), women and people attending larger churches (both 37 percent). 

Again confounding the image of churches disrupted over worship, the Barna study found regular attenders have mostly positive feelings about their worship experiences. Respondents said they usually leave worship feeling accepted by God (83 percent), inspired (69 percent), connected to God (62 percent), and challenged to change (50 percent). Ten percent said they feel guilty and 8 percent said they feel frustrated because their needs were not met. 

Those feelings generally coincided with the responses pastors and worship leaders expected among worshippers. 

Congregants and pastors largely agreed about what elements are essential to worship, although the emphasis often differed. Barna said the responses could be grouped into "must haves" elements, "helpful but not necessary," and "disposable elements." 

Congregants said prayer, a sermon, communion and reflection are "must haves," cited by two thirds or more of respondents, Barna said. Pastors thought the sermon was more important (84 percent) and reflection less (32 percent). 

Music, Scripture reading, offering, confession and greeting one another were "helpful but not necessary," each cited by slightly more than half of the congregants. Pastors thought music and Scripture were more important and confession less. 

Reciting creeds and responsive readings were least essential, but surprisingly they were ranked as much more important by congregants (38 percent) than pastors (14 percent). 

While styles of worship have multiplied in recent years, the most popular remains traditional worship -- typically with hymns, choirs and organs -- which is offered in 46 percent of Protestant churches, according to the pastors surveyed. 

Three fourths of churches offer two or more worship services during the week, but only 44 percent of those services are conducted in a different musical style. In churches with only one service, the most popular style is blended worship (42 percent). While overall the most popular style is traditional (35 percent of all services), blended music is featured in 30 percent. Rock and contemporary music account for 16 percent, followed by gospel (7 percent) and praise (6 percent). 

Barna said much more needs to be done "to facilitate meaningful worship" in America's churches. He encouraged churches to help the "worship challenged." He mentioned four groups specifically: 

-- Men. Because men tend to be self-reliant and emotionally closed, it is harder for them to experience biblical worship, Barna said. 

-- Baby busters. They tend to be self-focused and are unskilled in worship. 

-- Whites. They lag behind blacks and Hispanics in understanding worship. "We're too comfortable," said Barna, himself a white male. "Everybody came to church for two weeks after 9-11, then [attendance] went back to seasonal levels." 

-- "Notional Christians." Half of all regular worship attenders call themselves Christians but show no evidence or understanding of a personal relationship with Christ. Revitalizing worship might begin by evangelizing those in the pews, he said. 

While the "worship wars" may have been overblown, Barna said, church leaders should not get complacent. Satisfied worshippers aren't necessarily a sign of success. 

"High satisfaction and low frustration does not mean everything is great in worship," he said, "because most of these people don't know what's going on in worship." 

Barna presented his findings during the opening session of a three-day church music conference, sponsored by the Baylor University Center for Christian Music Studies. The conference brought together music ministers, academicians and leaders in the Christian music industry. 

The research and conference were part of an endowed symposium on Christian music established by Christian music pioneer Billy Ray Hearn, founder of Myrrh Records and Sparrow Records.