Pity todays pastors, their desks piled high with magazines, books, reports, computer printouts and mail on countless programs that will make their ministry rock. Their bookshelves can rarely handle their stock, and often sidetables and the floor get the excess. And we arent even talking about the e-mail deluge. So much to devour, so little time.Phoenix-based Ellison Research recently polled Protestant pastors about their reading habits, as well as their radio-listening and TV and film viewing patterns, to see what influences ministers allow into their world to shape their thinking. A companion survey of lay people who attend Protestant churches showed a contrast to what pastors draw from. The surveys of 806 pastors and 1,184 adults who attend a Protestant church at least once a month sought to determine their uses of any of eight Christian media — music, movies, radio, television, web sites, fiction books, non-fiction books and magazines.
The research found the the majority of clergy use various forms of Christian media, but thats not the case of lay people. The Facts & Trends magazine, published bimonthly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, found that for laity, they were most likely to listen to Christian music (78 percent). Of the music they listen to, 42 percent of it was specifically Christian music. Pastors were most likely to use non-fiction Christian books (92 percent). Christian books are 76 percent of all non-fiction books they read.
Ninety-four percent of pastors listen to Christian music, 87 percent read Christian magazines, 84 percent listen to Christian radio (though they tend to split evenly between Christian and secular music) and 83 percent visit Christian web sites. Only 53 percent read Christian fiction and 76 percent go to Christian movies (although they account for 26 percent of all movies seen by them.) Few pastors are anchored to Christian only sources: 14 percent for music, 15 percent for non-fiction books, 8 percent for Christian radio 7 percent only Christian magazines and 1 percent only Christian web sites.
Lay Christians, essentially, are more likely to draw more from the secular world. By denomination, certain Baptist groups (independent Baptist, General Baptist and other Baptists) tended to consume Christian media more than Southern Baptists and significantly more than those from mainline denominations. Methodists are relatively light users of Christian books, radio, music and web sites, the reports summary said. Lutherans are comparatively infrequent consumers of Christian films, fiction, music and radio. Presbyterians are the denominational group least likely to listen to Christian radio. And it found that those laity who are church leaders are more likely to use Christian media than others.
The surveys found Southern Baptists pastors are especially heavy users of Christian radio and movies. Pentecostal and charismatic pastors rely more than others on Christian music. Lutheran clergy read less Christian fiction, listen to less Christian music and radio and watch less Christian TV than average, the report said. Presbyterians consume less Christian television and radio. Methodists are fairly average in their media use.
Ellison Research president Ron Sellers said the findings show that Christian media is big business with wide reach. Secular corporations have been backing movies with strong religious themes, buying Christian publishing companies and releasing albums from Christian artists, and these figures really show why, he said. Details of the study can be seen at www.ellisonresearch.com/releases/20060627.htm
