APPENDIX
CHURCH PLANTING INITIATIVES OF EPISCOPAL DIOCESES
2007 Study
SAMPLE = 51 Domestic Dioceses
1. Provincial Representation
# Dioceses % of Sample
Province I 4 8%
Province II 5 10%
Province III 7 14%
Province IV 11 21%
Province V 5 10%
Province VI 6 12%
Province VII 4 8%
Province VIII 9 17%
51 100%
2. Size of Diocese (Total # Congregations)
Under 50 18 35%
50-69 13 25%
70-99 12 24%
100+ congregations 8 16%
51 100%
SURVEY
1. Does your diocese have an intentional new church development strategy or plan?
# Dioceses % of Sample
Yes 17 33%
No, but we are developing one 18 35%
No 16 32%
51 100%
2. oHow many new congregations (or worshipping communities) has your diocese started in the last 5 years?[1]
# Starts # Dioceses % of 51 Dioceses
0, none 0 21 41%
One 14 14 27%
Two 12 6 12%
Three 12 4 8%
Four or more 29 6 12%
67 51 100%
3. How many new congregations does your diocese plan or hope to start in the next 3 years (including 2007)?
# Starts # Dioceses % of 51 Dioceses
0, none 0 20 39%
One 10 10 20%
Two 18 9 17%
Three 24 8 16%
Four or more 36 4 8%
78 51 100%
4. How much money has your diocese committed to new congregations for the next three years? # Dioceses % of Sample
0, none 23 45%
Under $300,000 9 18%
$300,000-$499,000 10 19%
$500,000 and more 9 18%
51 100%
5. How much additional money is needed to start the congregations indicated in question 3? # Dioceses % of Sample
Not know, no answer 23 44%
Under $300,000 6 12%
$300,-$499,000 8 16%
$500,000-$2,999,000 8 16%
$3,000,000 and over 5 12%
51 100%
6. How many new congregations could you start in the next 5 years if you had matching funds from the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society?
# Starts # Dioceses % of 51 Dioceses
Not known, no answer 0 21 41%
One to two 31 16 31%
Three to four 19 6 12%
Five to eight 44 8 16%
94 51 100%
7. (not used for reanalysis) Who in this diocese is assigned the primary responsibility for starting new congregations or developing new starts?
8. Has your diocese purchased any land (potential sites) for future new congregations? # Dioceses % of Sample
Yes 19 37%
No 32 63%
51 100%
8a. If Yes to question 8, how many potential sites have been purchased?
# Dioceses % of Sample
One 12 63%
Two 3 16%
Three to four 4 21%
19 100%
8b. If Yes, what is the total market value of the sites?
# Dioceses % of Sample
$100,000-$500,000 4 23%
$600,000-$1,400,000 4 23%
$1,500,000-$2,500,000 5 30%
$2,600,000-$4,000,000 4 24%
17 100%
9. (not used for reanalysis) Who are the persons in your diocese who are knowledgeable about how to start new congregations? Please give us their names, phone numbers and email addresses.
10. How much interest in planting new congregations exists in your diocese?
# Dioceses % of Sample
None 0 0%
Very Little 5 10%
A Little 11 22%
Some 13 25%
A Fair Amount 9 18%
A Great Deal 13 25%
51 100%
Potential Opportunities for New Congregations
Resolution A042 called for each diocese to identity and document prime opportunities for new congregations. In the area below, please list the key areas for planting new congregations. These may include campus missions as well as potential new parishes. Spaces for three new congregations are listed below.
Ø Number of Sites named (and usually described, but not always in full)
# Dioceses % of Sample
At least one site 36 71%
At least two sites 29 57%
Three sites 13 25%
Ø (Question asked after description of the first site only) Is this opportunity sufficiently developed to serve as a pilot project for joint diocesan/DFMS funding?
# Dioceses % of Sample
Yes 18 35%
No (or blank, no site) 33 65%
51 100%
Ø How was the site opportunity identified? (The following numerical codes for written answers are based on responses to all sites described by each diocese.)
# Dioceses % of 51 Dioceses
Percept (named) 7 14%
Other & unnamed demographic studies 19 37%
Diocesan committee work 8 16% Episcopal contacts in site area 10 20%
Ecumenical partners for/in site area 4 8%
Drive/walk around possible sites 7 14%
Just know site, or various sources told us 6 12%
Other ways of identifying potential sites mentioned by one diocese each:
Consulting firm on church planting; Information from city officials;
Newspaper reports of new housing, populations changes
1) Site One = Description of Target Community
Note: Site One description includes an outline of all questions asked for each site.
a) Cost of land per acre: # Dioceses % of Sample
$5,000-$500,000 8 33%
$600,000-$1,400,000 8 33%
$1,500,000-$2,500,000 3 12%
$2,600,000-and over 5 22%
24 100%
b) Acres Needed for plant # Dioceses % of Sample
0 acres (land owned or provided)[2] 5 17%
3-5 acres 13 45%
6-8 acres 3 10%
10 or more acres 8 28%
29 100%
c) Projected Total Costs for Plant: # Dioceses % of Sample
$5,000-$500,000 2 9%
$600,000-$1,400,000 9 39%
$1,500,000-$2,500,000 6 26%
$2,600,000-and over 6 26%
23 100%
d) Projected Start-Up Costs: # Dioceses % of Sample
$5,000-$150,000 5 20%
$200,000-$300,000 6 24%
$400,000-$900,000 8 32%
$1,000,000-and over 6 26%
24 100%
e) Likely Population Growth in “Target Community”:[3]
# Dioceses % of Sample
Slow-to-moderate (5%-20% growth) 9 31%
Fairly fast (21%-40% growth) 8 28%
Fast (41%-80% growth) 8 28%
Very fast, doubling (81%+ growth) 4 13%
26 100%
f) Majority Racial Ethnic Profile of Worshippers at Proposed Site: [4]
# Dioceses % of Sample
90% or more Anglo 10 38%
60-89% Anglo 10 38%
Racial-ethnic mix 4 16%
Predominately non-Anglo 2 8%
26 100%
g) Minority: Ethnic Group Hoping to Attract to Site Also:
Dioceses % of Sample
Asian 2 20%
Black 3 30%
Hispanic/Latino 5 50%
Other 0 0%
10 100%
h) Majority Socio-Economic Profile of Worshippers at Proposed Site:
# Dioceses % of Sample
Upper mid. Class, $90,000+ income 6 23%
Middle Class & Upper mid, $70,000-90,000+ 6 23% Middle Class 15 30%
Lower Middle & Working Class 1 4%
26 100%
i) Majority Age Profile of Prospective Members at Site
# Dioceses % of Sample
Under age 30 (campus ministry) 4 14%
Under age 40, young families 11 38%
Families/singles, 36-55 9 31%
Very varied, including older 4 14%
Middle aged and seniors, 45+ 1 3%
29 100%
2) Sites Two and Three = Descriptions of Target Community
Site Two Site Three
# Dioceses % of Sample # Dioceses % of Sample
a) Cost of land per acre:
$5,000-$500,000 8 42% 3 33%
$600,000-$1,400,000 5 26% 3 33%
$1,500,000-$2,500,000 4 21% 2 23%
$2,600,000-and over 2 11% 1 11% 19 100% 9 100%
b) Acres Needed for plant
0 acres (land not needed) 2 9% 1 10%
3-5 acres 12 57% 6 60%
6-8 acres 7 10% 0 0%
10 or more acres 5 24% 3 30%
21 100% 10 100%
c) Projected Total Costs:
$5,000-$500,000 3 16% 1 10%
$600,000-$1,400,000 6 31% 2 20%
$1,500,000-$2,500,000 6 31% 3 30%
$2,600,000-and over 4 22% 5 40%
19 100% 10 100%
d) Projected Start-Up Costs:
$5,000-$150,000 7 35% 4 36%
$200,000-$300,000 5 25% 1 10%
$400,000-$900,000 6 30% 3 27%
$1,000,000-and over 2 10% 3 27%
20 100% 11 100%
Site Two Site Three
# Dioceses % of Sample # Dioceses % of Sample
e) Likely Area Population Growth:
Slow-to-moderate (5%-20% growth) 10 42% 7 54%
Fairly fast (21%-40% growth) 9 37% 4 31%
Fast (41%-80% growth) 5 21% 2 15%
Very fast, doubling (81%+ growth) 0 0% 0 0% 24 100% 13 100%
Majority of Members Ethnic Profile:
90% or more Anglo 12 48% 2 17%
60-89% Anglo 6 24% 7 58%
Racial-ethnic mix 3 12% 3 25%
Predominately non-Anglo 4 16% 0 0%
25 100% 12 100%
f) Minority Ethnic Group Possible
Asian 1 12% 1 17%
Black 5 63% 0 0%
Hispanic/Latino 2 25% 4 66%
Other 0 0% 1 17% 8 100% 6 100%
h) Majority Socio-Eco Profile
Upper mid. Class, $90,000+ 4 16% 1 8%
Middle Class & Upper mid, 9 36% 2 17%
Middle Class 5 20% 6 50%
Lower Middle & Working Class 7 28% 3 25%
25 100% 12 100%
i) Majority: Age Profile
Under age 30 (campus ministry) 1 5% 2 15%
Under age 40, young families 8 36% 5 38%
Families/singles, 36-55 8 36% 4 31%
Very varied, including older 5 23% 1 8%
Middle aged and seniors, 45+ 0 0% 1 8%
22 100% 13 100%
CONGREGATIONS STARTED in LAST 5 YEARS
List: “names and locations and target populations of congregations started by your diocese in the last five years…and when the new congregation is expected to be self-supporting.”
1) Number of Dioceses naming any New Start on the survey form[5]
# of Starts # Dioceses % 51 Dioceses
None 0 28 55%
One 8 8 16%
Two 16 8 16%
Three + 27 7 13% 51 51 100%
IF Described:
2) Racial-Ethnic Majority of Starts
# of Starts # Dioceses % of 51
Hispanic 15 12 23%
(1 new start=9 dioceses,
2 new starts=3 dioceses)
Sudanese 3 3 6%
Black/Caribbean 2 2 4%
Asian 1 1 2%
Native American 1 1 2%
Anglo/White majority 14 11 22%
(1 new start=9 dioceses,
2 new starts=1 diocese
3 new starts=1 diocese)
3) Current Location of New Start
Own their location 7 5 10%
House church 3 2 4%
Not Owned, Donated or Likely Rent
College campus 1 1 2%
Use a school 4 3 6%
Within an Episcopal parish 10 8 16% Use another congregation 2 2 4%
4) When Particular Start May Become Independent
Independent now 6 6 12%
Within three years 11 8 16%
Between 3-5 years 6 5 10%
Not within 5 years 11 9 18%
Perhaps in 10 yrs/never 16 12 23%
Closed 3 3 6%
1
[1] Questions asking for exact numbers are collapsed for presentation here.
[2] Several sites named here and later were being constructed on land already owned by the diocese or were in sites owned by other organizations – such as universities for chaplaincy starts.
[3] There were two questions on the survey about the population of the target population in each site. (1) The target population _____, and (2) Projected population change (2005-2010) in target community. However, survey respondents’ understanding of what was meant by the “target population” varied so considerably, we decided to estimate from answers given the expected amount of population growth in the wider community in which the site was located.
[4] Questions about the population characteristics of the “target community” were also asked. For these questions, most seemed to understand the “target community” not as the whole city, suburb, or neighborhood, but as the congregation they hoped to establish at the site. Numerical codes with descriptions above were developed for the open-ended answers given.
[5] There are somewhat fewer new congregations/worshipping communities named as established in the last five years (51 starts) than dioceses indicated they had in question 2 (67 starts), but the named ones are likely the better established.