Appendix B - Definitions

Definitions

U.S. Protestant Pastors

Age

Under 50
50 and older

Church Size

Small: less than 100 adult attenders
Midsize: 100 to 249 adult attenders
Large: 250 or more attenders

Church Tenure

1 to 3 years at current church
4 to 9 years at current church
10 years or more at current church

Compensation

Less than $40,000 per year
$40,000 to $60,000 per year
$60,000 or more per year

Denominations

Mainline: pastors from Protestant denominations such as American Baptist Churches USA, the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church and Presbyterian Church USA

Non-mainline: pastors from Protestant traditions such as charismatic / Pentecostal churches, the Southern Baptist Convention, churches in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and non-denominational churches not included in mainline

Education

Attended seminary
Did not attend seminary

Ethnicity

Black: choose “black or African American” from a list of ethnic identities

Pastors of color: combined segment of all non-white pastors

White: choose “white” from a list of ethnic identities

Growth Trajectory

Growing: pastor reports growth in attendance since 12 months ago
Flat: pastor reports unchanged attendance since 12 months ago
Declining: pastor reports decline in attendance since 12 months ago

Ministry Tenure

Less than 15 years in full-time paid ministry (total)
15 to 29 years in full-time paid ministry (total)
30 ore more years in full-time paid ministry (total)

Risk Metrics

Burnout risk is assessed using 11 factors from The State of Pastors research (see page 21 for a list). A pastor is low risk if they do not meet any of the factors; medium risk if they meet criteria for one of the factors; and high risk if they meet three or more of the factors.

Relationship risk is assessed using seven factors from the study (see page 21 for a list). A pastor is considered low risk if they do not meet any of the factors; medium risk if they meet one or two factors; and high risk if they meet three or more factors.

Spiritual risk is assessed using four factors from the study (see page 21 for a list). A pastor is considered low risk if they do not meet criteria for any of the factors; medium risk if they meet one to two factors; and high risk if they meet three or more factors.

Satisfaction Segments

Vocational satisfaction: based on the question, “Overall, how satisfied are you with your vocation as a pastor?” Those who selected “very satisfied” (72%) are in the “very satisfied” segment; those who selected “somewhat,” “not too” or “not at all satisfied” (28%) are in the “less satisfied” segment.

Satisfaction with current church ministry: based on the question, “How satisfied are you with your ministry at your current church?” Those who selected “very satisfied” (53%) are in the “very satisfied” segment; those who selected “somewhat,” “not too” or “not at all satisfied” (47%) are in the “less satisfied” segment.

U.S. Adults

Bible Engagement

Bible engaged: A person who is “engaged” has a high view of scripture and reads the Bible four or more times per week. They view the Bible as 1) the actual or 2) the inspired word of God with no errors, or as 3) the inspired word of God with some errors. They also read, use or listen to the Bible four times a week or more.

Bible friendly: Like the engaged, the “friendly” person holds a high view of scripture, but reads it fewer than four times in a week.
Bible neutral: Someone who is “neutral” has a lower, but not negative, view of scripture. This person neither chooses the top two statements about the Bible (i.e., the highest views) nor the most skeptical statement. They tend to pick “middle options” in the survey. Rarely or never read the Bible.

Bible skeptic: Someone who is a “skeptic” selects the statement in the survey that reflects the lowest view of the Bible—that it is “just another book of teachings written by men.” In other words, there is no God “behind” the Bible. Rarely or never read the Bible.

Churched Segments

Churched: have attended a worship service within the past six months

Unchurched: have not attended a worship service within the past six months

De-churched: unchurched who previously attended church Never churched: unchurched who have never attended church

Education

High school or less: have not attended college

Some college: attended college but do not have a four-year degree; includes those who graduated from a trade school

College graduate: received a four-year degree or higher

Ethnicity

Black: choose “black or African-American” from a list of ethnic identities

Hispanic: choose “Hispanic” from a list of ethnic identities

People of color: combined segment of all non-white respondents

White: choose “white” from a list of ethnic identities

Faith Segments

Self-identified Christians choose “Christian” from a list of religious affiliations. Practicing Christians are self-identified Christians who strongly agree their faith is very important in their life and have attended a worship service within the past month.

Non-practicing Christians are self-identified Christians who do not meet the “practicing” criteria.

Evangelicals have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and believe that, when they die, they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus as their Savior (Barna’s “born again” criteria) and meet seven other conditions: saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent on church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church attended.Respondents are not asked to describe themselves as “evangelical.”

Other faith describes people who choose a religion other than Christianity from a list of religious affiliations.

No faith or no religious affiliation are atheists or agnostics, or choose “none of the above” from a list of religious affiliations

Generations

Millennials: born 1984 to 2002
Gen-Xers: born 1965 to 1983
Boomers: born 1946 to 1964
Elders: born before 1946

Income

Lower-income: less than $50,000 per year
Middle-income: $50,000 to less than $100,000 per year
Higher-income: $100,000 or more per year