he Seventh-day Adventist Church and 41 other faith groups recently participated in a massive study of more than 14,000 United States churches, synagogues, and mosques. Adventist officials say the findings of the study, released today in a 60-page report by the research consortium Faith Communities Today (FACT), provides information that will significantly influence the Church and its future.

"This not only provides us with a unique look at religion in America at the retail level," says Monte Sahlin, Columbia Union vice president for creative ministries, "it helps us see where and how we fit in the faith community at large. It also allows us to draw inferences about how religion is interwoven in American culture."

The Adventist Church, one of the youngest and smallest denominations, is growing rapidly worldwide, adding more than one million members each year. But in the U.S., its membership, like most other churches, isn't keeping pace.

That, says Sahlin, is one reason the study, the largest ever conducted on religious congregations, is so valuable. "Now we have new insights on what works and what doesn't in regards to religion in America, not only within our church, but in 41 others. Now we can compare our worship style, strengths and weaknesses, finances, the role of the pastor, areas of growth and decline with that of the Methodists, Southern Baptists, Judaism, or the study as a whole. Now we can learn more about our own traditions and practices as we compare them with the faith traditions of 90 percent of all other American churches."

Sahlin says other studies have been done, but none as large, diverse, or detailed as the FACT initiative. A preview of the report revealed a number of conclusions by comparing the data from the 406 Adventist churches that participated with the combined results of all the faiths involved.

Spirituality and Church Growth--The activity most likely to generate growth among Adventist congregations is when the congregation focuses on helping individuals develop a relationship with God, and when they help persons deepen that relationship.

Community Service and Education Related to Church Growth-Strong indicators of Adventist Church growth includes the following: members are excited about the future of the congregation; the church operates a community services center; and/or the church sponsors an elementary school. The Adventist Church traditionally places strong emphasis on education and operates the largest unified Protestant school system in the world. Thanks to local congregation initiatives, Adventists also have the largest number of church-based one- and two-classroom schools worldwide.

Community Service Emphasis--Adventists are less likely to be involved in most kinds of community service activities. The area where Adventists are significantly more likely to be involved is health promotion. Nearly half of the Seventh-day Adventists in the U.S. are vegetarian. Adventists operate more than 600 healthcare facilities worldwide, and three of the 14 Adventist colleges and universities in the U.S. are medical schools. Congregations frequently host cooking classes, smoking cessation courses, and exercise programs for the public.

Where Members Worship--Although more churches are based in rural areas, half of the churches say that the majority of the members commute more than 15 minutes. That, says Sahlin, could explain the community relations challenges Adventists experience. There is a tendency for members to attend churches in communities where they don't regularly live, work, or serve.

Importance of Spiritual Practices Taught--One of the major findings in the FACT data is a strong correlation between strictness and church growth. The study shows that Adventists place more emphasis on family devotions, dietary restrictions, a ban on alcohol, and keeping the Sabbath than most faith traditions.

Sources of Religious Authority--Adventists are stronger than other faith traditions in recognizing scripture and the Holy Spirit as a source of religious authority.

Worship Style--Few American Adventist congregations have changed worship styles in the last five years.

Church Ministries--While Adventists are more likely to have prayer groups than the group as a whole, they are significantly less likely to have choir and teen ministry programs.

Expressing Denominational Heritage--Adventist congregations are stronger in their expression of denominational heritage than the average American congregation.

Year of Congregation's Organization--Most Adventist congregations, unlike the typical faith group in America, began in the post-World War II era. But in the decade of the 1990s organization of new Adventist congregations has slowed to half the overall rate. This underlines the strategic importance of the effort by the denomination's leadership in the last few years to encourage more "church planting" or development of new congregations in communities with no Adventist church.

British Leader Calls For
Prayer for Cattle Crisis
British Union president Cecil Perry recently asked all Adventist churches in the United Kingdom to unite in prayer for Britain's farming community in the wake of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Adventist farmer David Colledge, of Carmarthen in West Wales says, "we can all sympathise, but unless one is directly involved in farming it is difficult to understand fully the distress this disease can cause."

Colledge pointed out that many farms will be going through the lambing process, a busy time when ewes are expected to give birth to lambs. He says the disease will be make it hard to find the extra workers needed. The agricultural news media reported that at least one farmer has committed suicide over the ordeal. Support groups are forming to help farmers through the crisis, reports John Surridge, British Union communication director.

News Notes
Fear of political violence caused more than 70 students to flee Bugema Adventist University, near Kampala, Uganda, say local newspaper reports. Sensing a build-up in political tensions, the students, who are from Kenya, left the college the day before Uganda's March 12 presidential elections, one student told the Daily Nation. University administrators gave students an optional leave of absence, and the students will return to campus once the elections are over. --Adventist News Network

Reinder Brunsma, Trans-European Division secretary, was recently appointed director of Adventist Development and Relief Agency for the Netherlands Union.

Ricardo Graham (pictured), Northern California Conference secretary, was recently elected conference president. Graham will replace Darold Retzer, who became administrative pastor for the Loma Linda University Seventh-day Adventist Church in California.

Geoffrey Patterson, a Potomac Conference pastor serving in Virginia, was recently appointed as chief communication officer for Adventist World Radio, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, effective April 1.