Contemporary churches on the rise, poll of GBC congregations reveal

Churches with a 1950s approach of reaching their communities, whether through worship, evangelism, or discipleship, are finding it increasingly difficult to be relevant in post-modern society. An estimated 70 percent of Southern Baptist churches are plateaued or declining. A new breed of congregation based on First Century church models, called a missional church, is breathing new life into many congregations.

What once was the exception is slowly becoming the norm.

Georgia Baptist churches are increasingly reporting moving to a blended or contemporary worship style, based on information provided in the 2003 Annual Church Profile.

The ACP asked all churches to identify their music and worship style. Churches could choose between formal (high church), informal traditional (hymns with some Southern gospel), blended (mix of hymns, choruses, and contemporary), and contemporary (music written in recent years with a more progressive beat and sense of expression).

Of the 480 churches that were organized between 1990 and 2003, 293 - or 61 percent - responded to the questionnaire. An overwhelming 84 percent stated that they have a more progressive style of worship, as indicated by their choice of blended (53 percent) and contemporary (31 percent). Those choosing formal traditional/informal traditional, recognized as the historic Georgia/Southern Baptist norm, were rated at 35 percent.

While the poll was not intended to be scientific - churches were allowed to determine the meaning of each category - it does show the direction of the Convention. Underscoring the unscientific nature of the poll, the categories showed a total greater than 100 percent (119 percent) because some churches listed more than one music style.

However, GBC Research Services said the discrepancy could be the result of churches holding multiple services with different music styles or a misunderstanding of the word "blended." There was a 95 percent accuracy rate of the responders, with a 3 percent margin of error.

"The trend for churches established since 1990 appears to indicate a decline in those using blended music styles for a more contemporary service," said Tom Crites, who heads the research section at the GBC. "A further look at each category, year by year, shows an overall decline in each worship style (formal, informal, blended) with the exception of contemporary."