About the National Congregations Study
Congregations are the basic social unit of American religious life. They are the local gatherings of people that exist within almost every religion in the United States. They include churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples, and nearly all collective religious activity in America occurs through them.
Congregations are:
- the primary site of religious ritual activity;
- an organizational model followed even by religious groups new to this country;
- a place of sociability and community for more than half of all Americans;
- a source of opportunities for community service, civic engagement, and political action;
- a location for a wide variety of community events and social service activities; and
- the main context in which religious identities are forged and reinforced through education and practice.
There is no doubt that religious congregations are a significant part of American society. But there is too little quality information about these key components of American religious life.
The National Congregations Study (NCS) is an ongoing national survey effort to gather information about the basic characteristics of America's congregations. The first wave of the NCS took place in 1998; Wave II was fielded in 2006-07. The study was repeated in order to track both continuity and change among American congregations.
We know congregational life is changing but it is difficult to document exactly what is changing in the 21st century, and how fast. The National Congregations Study contributes to knowledge about American congregations by gathering information about a wide range of their characteristics and programs across time. Wave II also explores subjects that were not explored in Wave I.
In both Wave I and Wave II, the research was done in conjunction with the General Social Survey (GSS). The 1998 and 2006 GSS asked respondents who attend religious services to name their religious congregation, thus generating a nationally representative sample of religious congregations. Researchers then located these congregations.
A key informant at each congregation --a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader -- provided each congregation's information via a one-hour interview conducted either over the phone or in person. The survey gathered information on a wide array of topics including the congregation's social composition, structure, activities, and programming.
Using this web site you can work with the survey responses to find out the basic facts for each question, create your own customized tables that cross-tabulate responses to two different questions, review the survey methodology and questionnaire itself, and learn where you can find more extensive writings about the findings of the research.
Download the combined data from the Association of Religion Data Archives. Both waves have been combined into one dataset for ease of use.
Explore the site and the information and let us know if you have questions.
Sponsors & Acknowledgements:
The National Congregations Study (Wave I) was supported by a major grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and by additional grants from Smith Richardson Foundation, Inc., The Louisville Institute, The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund of The Aspen Institute, and The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc. Data were collected by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
The National Congregations Study (Wave II) was again supported by a major grant from the Lilly Endowment, and by additional grants from the Kellogg Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Louisville Institute. The survey again was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, in collaboration with Professor Mark Chaves, who is now at Duke University.
The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago is a respected social survey research organization affiliated with the University of Chicago. They have conducted nationwide studies for over 60 years. NORC has earned the reputation for research that is scientifically sound and socially valuable. Many of the studies NORC has conducted have influenced decisions made by Congress and other public policymakers.
The original NCS web site was created in collaboration with the University of Arizona library and the Alban Institute. The University of Arizona library also maintained the site. In 2008, the NCS web site was updated and redesigned by Scott Thumma and Jennifer Musto of Hartford Seminary, and by Bob Jackson and Gary Thompson of Duke University. It is now maintained by Duke University's Sociology Department.
