The McBlog

Disclaimer:
This survey is by no means scientific, authoritative or comprehensive. Also, because the purpose of my blog is simply to spark creative conversations (see my first post), I’m going to keep free of commentary. I simply want to introduce to you the results of a survey I conducted this weekend, and the reasons why I conducted it.

What:
An independent survey of 50 young ministers – who are associated with 4 organizations, and some who are associated with no organizations – on the future of casual and formal church attire in the Apostolic movement.

When:
Sunday, June 28 & Monday, June 29, 2009.

Why:
This is a subject that makes frequent appearances in conversations with my peers, so I felt it was important to engage it with a larger audience. I find myself increasingly interested in the motives, methods and mindsets of young Apostolic leaders in my generation. We are certainly a group that appreciates sharing our opinions and ideals, so I hope to capitalize on that openness through a series of surveys, and perhaps provide somewhat of a glimpse into the future of the Apostolic movement. I also felt this survey could benefit two types of people in particular:
1.) Young leaders (church planters, pastors, ministers, etc) that are invested in our movement and may be curious as to what the prevailing perception is regarding church attire among your peers, and,
2.) Older leaders who fall into the 40+ crowd who are interested in understanding this younger generation’s views on some of the more traditional aspects of Apostolic church culture.

How:
I simply picked up my cell phone & text messaged 50 young ministers that I am connected to, and asked them this question: “If/when you start a church, would the attire be more casual, less casual, or the same as your current church attire?” On the same cell phone, I opened the calculator application & crunched the percentages. I am absolutely sure there are better ways to conduct a survey, and certainly better ways to maintain anonymity, such as a blind poll hosted on my blog, but I had to start somewhere.

Admittedly, the question is probably slightly loaded. The direction you take concerning attire may vary depending on whether you plant a new church or inherit an established one, but I feel it’s a question that when answered, does a decent job of addressing the issue at hand.

Who:
50 young Apostolic leaders. I tried to survey a multiplicity of young leaders in an attempt to include the West Coast, South West, Mid West, South, & East Coast. Organizationally, I surveyed young leaders associated with the following organizations: UPCI, WPF, ALJC & AAFLCJ (Spanish Apostolic), as well as young leaders who have no organizational affiliation. Somebody asked me on Twitter why I only surveyed young ministers. My response to that is simple. The survey of older ministers (40+) is already being published. Simply look at the current culture of our movement. Overwhelmingly, our pastors are over 40, and overwhelmingly, our churches promote a culture where formal attire is the expectation.

One of the concerns among respondents was anonymity. I respect that, so if you’d like to join the conversation, please leave a comment, you can do so anonymously if you wish. God bless you all, thanks for participating.

Excerpts
“The attire would fit the culture and environment in which the church resided… I would say casual.” -Houston area

“Depends on how & where… 1.) how church is being planted, i.e. home bible study, storefront, rented facilities, etc., 2.) where church is being planted (urban, suburban, rural, domestic or foreign), and 3.) what is the cultural norm or acceptance for church dress in the demographic area where the church is being planted.” – Sacramento area

“Casual. Outsiders don’t want to dress up. Jesus lived to make outsiders comfortable.” -Louisiana

“Casual in dress, formal in attitude and approach.” -San Diego area

Results

AAFLCJ – 3%
ALJC – 3%
Independent – 11%
UPC – 76%
WPF – 7%