Post-WCG Life and Theology ARCHIVES

This was a survey published in the WN in March 1999. Here is a copy of the survey:
Results of worship preferences survey
By Ron Kelly
PASADENA--We have compiled the results of the member worship survey that was distributed last November. A total of 15,440 adult members completed the survey. Your participation helps us more accurately plan for festival seasons and other worship opportunities during the year.
We would like to discuss a few principles about this survey. Some members thought the survey was given to manipulate change in our worship activities. Others thought it was an attempt to maintain traditions. Neither of those is true.
Purpose of the survey
The purpose was to help us understand what festivals members would like to see the denomination sponsor. A survey is a snapshot of how individuals feel at a given moment in time. The same survey one year later would probably produce different results. This survey, then, indicates how 15,440 people responded to questions in November 1998.
One question we asked may have seemed odd. We asked if members would be interested in a large church conference in the summer.
In our long-range planning, we hope to have a summer ministerial conference where we gather all our ministers from around the world. We have not had such a conference since 1979.
We thought that hundreds (perhaps thousands) of our members would enjoy coming together to join in the conference and to have a week of worship, conferences, workshops and seminars.
Such a conference would require months of planning. If our budget could afford such an activity, the earliest we could plan it would be in mid-2000, and that might be complicated as we proceed through the Pasadena property sale. So 2001 could be more realistic.
More than one third expressed an interest, but we suspect more would want to attend if it became a reality.
Further, the survey was designed to allow expression of preferences. That does not mean a member would not be willing to do something that would benefit the group as a whole.
For example, you will see in the survey results that 45 percent of our members prefer to take the Lord's Supper only once a year on the eve of Nisan 14.
But we find when a congregation has a special worship service at which members can participate in the Lord's Supper that many more than 45 percent may participate.
Some may prefer to celebrate the resurrected Lord on Easter Sunday, while others prefer to have that service on the nearest Saturday. In some congregations, the minister and members will agree on one day or the other. And in other congregations services will be offered on both days to meet the worship desires of members.
Opportunity for discussion
This should demonstrate that the survey is not meant to manipulate or mandate, but to provide opportunity for discussion and planning. As members expressed preferences, it is important to realize the rights of others to feel differently than us. Our preferences should not be a source of division, but an allowance to celebrate with joy as we choose.
Please do no use this survey as a "club" to argue your preferences, as its purpose is to inform, not to persuade or motivate.
Each of us should rejoice that members want to celebrate the meaning and significance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Survey results
Attended the full eight-day festival in one of eight festival locations in 1998:
All eight days 40% Attended a mini-site 9% Held on one or more days in a local church 17% Did not attend at all 34%
Plan to attend an eight-day site in 1999
All eight days 50% Will attend an eight-day site on a weekend 10% Will attend a mini-site or in a local church 30% Will not attend at all 10%
Number of adults and children who said they were willing to commit to the following sites:
Saratoga Springs, New York 1,100 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 3,400 Hot Springs, Arkansas 1,800 Seaside, Oregon 1,050 Palm Springs, California 1,300 Davenport, Iowa 900 China group tour 120 Mediterranean cruise 175 International travel 1,200
Responding to the question about celebrating traditional festivals
33% Expressed a desire to meet on the exact Hebrew calendar day 13% Were desirous of celebrating on the beginning evening 40% Expressed a desire to have a celebration on the nearest weekly worship service 14% Have no desire to celebrate the WCG traditional festivals
Responding to the question about celebrating the Lord's Supper:
45% Expressed a desire to celebrate only once a year on Nisan 14 36% Expressed a desire to celebrate more than once a year, but for special occasions 16% Expressed a desire to celebrate monthly in the local church 3% Expressed a desire to celebrate weekly
Responding to the question about celebration services for the birth of Christ:
59% Desired to have a service during the Christmas season 19% Desired to have a service-- but not in December, rather at another time 22% Had no desire to have a service during the Christmas season
Responding to the question about celebration services for the resurrection of Jesus
27% Desired to have a service on Easter Sunday 64% Preferred to have a service for the resurrection during the days of Unleavened Bread 9% Had no desire to have a specific resurrection service
Regarding weekly worship services:
60% Prefer to have weekly worship services on Saturday 10% Prefer to have weekly worship services on Sunday 30% Are willing to have weekly worship services on the day that best suits the majority of members in the local church
When asked if members feel Saturday worship services are a barrier to evangelism and growth:
62% think they are not 17% think they are 21% have no opinion
When asked if there is an interest in a large summer worship conference:
37% said yes 24% said no 39% had mixed feelings
When asked if members were satisfied with the Worldwide Church of God as a denomination:
69% said yes 9% said no 22% had mixed feelings