Protestant Pastors’ Views on Seminary Education

1. Protestant Pastors’ Views on Seminary Education Survey of 1,004 Protestant Pastors

2. Methodology • The telephone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted December 1-6, 2008 • The calling list was randomly drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Up to six calls were made to reach a sampled phone number • Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called • Responses were weighted to reflect the geographic distribution of Protestant churches

3. Methodology continued • The completed sample is 1,004 phone interviews • The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3.2% • Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

4. Eighty-five percent of pastors have taken seminary classes Pastors of small churches were less likely to have been to seminary. Only 74% of those at churches with an average worship attendance under 50 had attended seminary classes. Have you taken seminary classes?

5. If they had it to do over, 96% of Protestant pastors who have taken seminary classes would take those seminary classes again Among Protestant pastors who have taken seminary classes 1% Don’t Know If you had it to do over again, would you have taken those seminary classes?

6. Seventy-one percent of Protestant pastors strongly agree they regularly use things they learned in seminary classes Among Protestant pastors who have taken seminary classes Pastors that have a Doctoral level education were more likely to agree that they regularly use the things they learned in their seminary classes. Eighty-two percent of those pastors strongly agreed with this statement. 0% Don’t Know I regularly use things that I learned in my seminary classes.

7. Eighty-three percent of Protestant pastors strongly agree that attending seminary was worth the time and money Among Protestant pastors who have taken seminary classes Pastors with a Doctoral level education were also more likely to agree that attending seminary was worth the time and money. Ninety-four percent of those pastors strongly agreed it was worth their investment. 0% Don’t Know Attending seminary was worth the time and money.

8. Eighty-seven percent of Protestant pastors indicate they would require a candidate for hire to agree with their church’s beliefs or statement of faith Percentage of Protestant Pastors 2% Don’t Know If you were to hire someone to lead an age group ministry at your church, which of the following qualifications would you require? The candidate must …

9. Differences in perceptions of qualifications by sub-groups • Pastors in churches with average worship attendance of 50 or less are less likely to say the candidate must have a minimum amount of practical, ministry experience– 50%. • Pastors in churches in the Northeast are less likely to say the candidate must be a member of their church’s denomination – 47%. • Pastors under the age of 40 are much less likely to say the candidate must have a minimum amount of experience serving within their church–35%. • Pastors in churches with an average worship attendance of 250 or more are more likely to say the candidate must have a minimum amount of experience leading the age group – 70%.

10. Two-thirds of Protestant pastors have at least a Master’s Degree Which of the following best describes your highest level of education?

11. Protestant Pastors’ Views on Seminary Education Survey of 1,004 Protestant Pastors