Residents of Nebraska towns smaller than 500 in population are less likely to attend church than those who live in larger towns, perhaps a sign that churches are not the community resource they once were, according to the Nebraska Rural Poll.
The 17th annual University of Nebraska-Lincoln poll was sent to 6,350 households in Nebraska's 84 nonmetropolitan counties in March and April. Results are based on 2,323 responses.
As in past years, the poll asked questions about rural Nebraskans' attitudes about their communities including, for the first time, questions about church attendance and perceptions about church.
The survey used the word "church" generically, and it may apply to a small number of respondents from non-Christian faith groups.
Seventy-five percent of poll respondents said they are members of a church, with 39 percent saying they attend services weekly or more often. By community size, residents who live in or near towns of fewer than 500 were least likely to attend weekly church services; thirty-five percent reported doing so.
That was a bit of a surprise, said Philip Schwadel, an associate professor of sociology and member of the Rural Poll team.
"I expected them to be more highly churched," said Schwadel, who specializes in issues related to religion and faith.
The relatively low rate of church attendance in the smallest communities may stem from decreased numbers of churches, including a lack of diversity in denominations available in small towns, Schwadel speculated.
"Church doesn't seem to be the symbol of stability it once was," he added.
However, rural Nebraskans remain satisfied with religion/spirituality, the poll indicated. Seventy-five percent said they were somewhat or very satisfied with this part of their lives.
By region, the Panhandle lags in church membership, at 65 percent, far lower than membership in the Northeast and Southeast regions, which is about 78 percent. Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, a UNL Extension educator based there, said that likely is a result of the distances that must be traveled to reach churches of one's denomination.
Other poll findings about rural Nebraskans and church:
– Eighty-six percent of people 65 and older are church members, compared to 64 percent of those 19 to 29. Also, 59 percent of older rural Nebraskans attend church at least weekly; just 23 percent of those in the younger age group do so.
– Eighty-three percent of those with agricultural occupations are church members, compared to 56 percent of those who work in production, transportation or warehousing businesses.
– Respondents with at least a bachelor's degree were more likely than those with a high school degree or less to be church members, 81 percent to 74 percent, and more likely to attend services at least once a week, 46 to 41 percent.
– Overall, 77 percent of respondents say their church serves as a resource to the entire community, though there are differences again between groups. For instance, 80 percent who live in cities of 10,000 and up agree with that; 70 percent in towns of fewer than 500 do. Older rural Nebraskans are more likely than the 19-29-year-old group to say that, by 81 to 72 percent.
– Sixty-seven percent believe their church is financially stable, and 66 percent say they are not concerned that their church may need to close or consolidate. Fifty-two percent said they don't think their church will decline over the next few years. Again, differences emerge between categories of communities, with those in the smallest communities less confident about their churches' financial stability and future than those in larger towns.
Other poll findings are similar to past years'.
Fifty-one percent of respondents believe they are better off than they were five years ago, the third-highest in the poll's history. When the poll was taken in the spring, noted Randy Cantrell, UNL rural sociologist, the agricultural economy was strong. "There is a relationship between how that sector is doing and how people feel about their general condition," he said.
Forty-five percent of respondents believe they'll be better off in 10 years and 20 percent believe they'll be worse off – both numbers, again, fairly close to trends over the poll's history.
Rural Nebraskans are most satisfied with the conditions of their marriage, family, friends, spirituality and the outdoors, while less satisfied with job opportunities, current income and financial security during retirement. However, satisfaction with job opportunities increased from 38 percent in 2011 to 46 percent this year.
Cantrell speculated that rural Nebraskans' satisfaction with job opportunities and other factors may be based in part on the attention the state has received nationally for weathering the recession much better than other states.
The Rural Poll is the largest annual poll of rural Nebraskans' perceptions on quality of life and policy issues. This year's response rate was about 37 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percent. Complete results are available online at ruralpoll.unl.edu.
The university's Center for Applied Rural Innovation conducts the poll in cooperation with the Nebraska Rural Initiative with funding from UNL Extension and the Agricultural Research Division in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/n5z