Study: Small Churches That Evangelize Retain the Most Converts
- Updated Aug 30, 2017
A recent study published by LifeWay Research has found that small churches that focus on sharing the Good News are most likely to retain converts.
The Christian Post reports that the study, which surveyed 1,500 pastors of small evangelical churches, was conducted in partnership with the Billy Graham Center of Wheaton College and the Caskey Center for Church Excellence of New Orleans Baptist Theological Center.
"The phone survey of 1,500 pastors of small churches — evangelical and black Protestant congregations of 250 or fewer — asked how many converts each church had in the last 12 months and whether those converts stayed with the church after they came to faith," LifeWay explained.
"Researchers then compared the 20 percent of churches with the most retained converts (11.7 or more per 100 attendees) to the 50 percent with the fewest retained converts (5.56 or fewer per 100 attendees)."
Survey results revealed that churches that were most likely to retain converts were those that had smaller congregations and also those that made a concerted effort to evangelize, such as having an altar call, actively sharing the gospel, and being involved in outreach. Another important factor in retaining converts was holding discipleship classes at least every six months.
"Asking more non-Christians to come to church, sharing the Gospel with them, following up with them, and inviting them to follow Jesus can all lead to more converts," said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.
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Publication date: August 30, 2017
