Editor’s Note: This is reprinted from the Vision New England website. Contact information follows if you wish to order the complete study from Vision New England. While the results reflect the New England region in particular, the summary of the results imply the findings are widely applicable in the US. One of the positive findings is that the most effective forms of evangelism these days is not the “one shot sales call” format. This means that mainline churches that always felt this approach was too “high pressure” can be as effective in evangelistic endeavors as any other church - as long as we are willing to encourage people to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and turn to Him for the forgiveness of sins and the transformation of our lives.
The Vision New England Recent Convert Study
The purpose of this research project was to measure the most effective forms of evangelism in New England today. Recognizing that God’s goal in evangelism is spiritual fruit (measured in converts), our goal was to determine what efforts, programs or factors most often produce Christian converts.
To accomplish this, we began with a convenience sample of 354 congregations, drawn from churches considered to be the best prospects to have adult converts and willing to cooperate with a Vision New England study. This list was balanced to provide a good representation of the various states, urban/suburban/rural congregations, and a variety of ethnic and denominational backgrounds.
Interviewers from a professional market research firm, who were all Christian believers, called the churches and asked to speak with the pastor. Interviewers then asked pastors for the names and phone numbers of up to six recent converts. Telephone calls were made to recent converts, and a ten-minute questionnaire was administered. We obtained 196 qualified interviews with recent converts.
TOP 12 Discoveries
1. The Power of Relationships
For 71% relationship with a caring Christian friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member, is the single most important factor in seeing a person come to a living faith in Christ.
2. Conversion Process
People come to faith in Christ over a period of time reported 86%.
32% over several months to a year
54% journey to salvation over several years
14% one point in time conversion
3. God is Reaching All Generations with the Gospel
Recent converts came from all age groups in survey population.
GenY 21%
GenX 36%
Boomers 34%
Seniors 9%
4. A Major Disconnect
80% of churches list evangelism as one of their top three priorities. Less than 2% of New England congregations experience ongoing adult conversion evangelism taking place.
5. Church Service
On site experience plays a major role (second only to personal relationship) in conversion for 63%, especially in smaller churches.
49% meeting with pastor
45% class for adults
43% coming to church with a special need or crisis
6. Alpha’s New England Impact
28% of the new converts said they were reached through the Alpha course. Alpha appeared to be more often found in denominational churches rather than non-denominational churches. Alpha was more often found in suburban than urban or rural churches.
7. Effectiveness of Classic Approaches
Only 14% of converts are coming to faith in Christ in one time conversion event experiences. Previous classic methods of gospel presentation are not as fruitful today as personal relationships & lifestyle witness.
8. Educational and Economic Factors
People of all educational levels, including well educated, are coming to faith in Jesus. People from all income levels are finding new life in Christ.
9. Church Involvement of Converts
77% of the new converts report attending church at least four times a month. Only 23% identify themselves as attending church less than four times a month.
10. Mercy Ministries Help Hurting Find Christ
A significant number of new converts report they became open to spiritual truth when they experienced a life crisis. The specific issues are diverse: loss of a job, death of a child, death of a spouse, illness, divorce, financial need, hard times, despair, grief, and depression. Mercy ministries that reach hurting people can help them find salvation.
11. The Pastor’s Role: A High Priority
The influence of the pastor is absolutely critical in the process of evangelism. The pastor leads the way in personal relationship and example. Our survey results found pastoral leadership especially important in reaching younger adults. It is doubtful a church culture of evangelism can prevail without enthusiastic pastoral leadership.
12. Spiritual Seekers
A group of respondents reported they were simply searching for something. They were seeking spiritual resources or answers for their lives. This group represents all the age groups, demographic and income levels. People, who may have had negative experiences with a Christian or church, may be very open to friendships that connect with their spiritual search.
For more information on the Vision New England Convert Study or to purchase a copy call 978-929-9800 x 332 or email: pmcgowan @ VisionNewEngland.org
The Recent Convert Study is available for $10 each plus cost of postage/handling.
