23-The Church Survey
CHAPTER XXIII THE CHURCH SURVEY THE policies of the local church and the form of the organization should be determined by scientifically observable facts physical, personal, industrial, social, and religious which appear in the life of the community. Some of these may be seen at a glance. Others are discovered only after diligent search. The device employed for uncovering them is commonly called a social survey. It is in some disfavor for the moment because of abuse by “faddists” who do nothing about the data which they assemble by ostentatious effort. In principle, however, the survey is absolutely sound. No pastor or church can do its work properly without taking “a calm, clear look into the community to see what is there/’ This is probably the place to say that one should not form his notion of a survey entirely from the elaborate findings of the Russell Sage Foundation, or other agencies which in recent years have made exhaustive studies of community life. The average pastor has neither ability nor time for such microscopic social analysis. Nor is it necessary. For the most part, such facts as are important for him may be observed quietly as he performs the routine work of the parish. On occasion he may institute an organized canvass in which he should have the assistance of other pastors and competent laymen. But even here the aim of the study should be so clear and definite that nothing irrelevant shall emerge to produce confusion. It is better to make several simple surveys than attempt a more comprehensive study which embraces a bewildering body of facts. Let the surveyor be very certain what specific things he desires to know, and then go about it in the most direct fashion to discover them.
236 THE CHURCH SURVEY 237 i. THE RELIGIOUS CENSUS. In general it may be said that church surveys usually take one of three forms. 1 i. The first is not properly a sociological survey at all, but merely a census in which the enumerators list all persons in the community with reference to their religious affiliations, noting such facts as will be helpful to the churches in serving them. When every house is to be canvassed, all religious organizations in the community should participate. If the work is done by a single organization, scrupulous care should be exercised in notifying other denominations of those who prefer their ministry. Such a canvass is necessary before a complete constituency roll can be prepared and will supply a list of prospective members for evangelistic and Sunday-school campaigns. A card which can be filed in an index for permanent record is filled out for each member of the family.. The information usually asked for includes the following, Name; residence; business address; telephone number; age; married; unmarried; widowed; church membership; church preference; Sunday school attended, etc.
It is possible to increase the number of questions, but these are sufficient to locate the individuals. Other information may be collected later by church visitors. In communities where the population is constantly shifting, this canvass should be made annually.
Accuracy on the part of the enumerators is very important. The pastors should meet -them for training several times previous to the census. When possible, they should go in pairs. In small communities, the pastors themselves can do the work without assistance from the laymen. Prepared forms may be secured from certain agencies, but it is better to make out the particular blank desired and have it printed locally. The importance of such a census cannot be doubted. It is a systematic search for the unchurched, and renders it ’See Fisher, The Way to Win, p.
238 THE PASTORAL OFFICE impossible for any religious organization to be unaware of its obligation to minister to certain people. Of course it is of no value unless an effort is made to bring the church into touch with those who have become dissociated from it. In cities it will be necessary to confine the canvass to the particular geographical area for which the cooperating churches are primarily responsible. Likewise in the open country. In villages and towns the canvass should embrace the whole community.
2. THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, The community survey proper has a very different aim. It is a study of environment, and seeks to note and classify every factor in the environment which influences human well-being. a. Scope, (i) Physical conditions such as climate, soil, rainfall, housing, sanitation, water supply, community health, etc, are always an important part of such a study.
(2) Since a good material foundation is indispensable to the life of the spirit, the inquiry will carry into the field of economics. Does the community depend chiefly upon agriculture or manufacturing? If manufacturing, under what conditions do the workers toil? What wages are received by different classes of workers? Number of hours in the working day? Women in industry? Children in industry? Unemployment? Welfare work? Cost of living? What proportion of the workers receive sufficient income to enjoy a fair standard of living? Are workers organized? etc. In an agricultural community the investigation will concern itself with questions of tenantry, absentee landlords, marketing, crop production, etc.
(3) The survey will give careful consideration to the sociological structure of the community, for race, nationality, sex, family life, inbreeding, immigration, etc, have profound significance for the spiritual life.
(4) The educational agencies will be scrutinized. Number of schools? Graded? Centralized? High schools?
Number of pupilsperteacher? How many young people are in college? How many evening schools? libraries? THE CHURCH SURVEY 239 Whatpercentof the pupils finish the eighth grade? The high school? Are there vacation schools? Parent-teachers’ associations? etc.
(5) Again, it is vital to know accurately what agencies serve the instinct for play and recreation. How many parks are there and what facilities do they afford for baseball, football, bathing, boating, tennis, and other out-of-door games? How many pool-rooms? theaters? movies? dance halls? Where do the young people congregate? Is there a Y. M. C A.? Y. W. C. A.? What are their social activities? Do the churches and public schools make themselves social centers? etc.
(6) Community morals cannot be overlooked in such a study. How many arrests annually by the police and for what offenses? Gambling? Drunkenness? Prostitution? Juvenile crime and delinquency? Jail conditions?
How are child offenders treated? etc.
(7) And all philanthropic institutions will come in for investigation. What organizations assist the needy, such as organized charities, lodges, churches, etc.? How many dependent families cared for by each? Are their methods modern and scientific? etc.
(8) Religious institutions will be surveyed. Number of churches? Membership of each? Amounts raised by each for current expenses? for benevolences? attitude toward evangelism? religious education? community service? missions? Service rendered to social and recreational life of their own young people? of the community as a whole? Do the pastors give full time to their church work? Do the churches cooperate with each other? Is the community overchurched? underchurched? etc. The suggestions made under the several headings are by no means exhaustive. The number of inquiries in each case could be multiplied indefinitely. They merely suggest the vast scope and prodigious labor involved in a comprehensive study of this kind. b* Method, (i) The first step in making a community 240 THE PASTORAL OFFICE survey consists in determining its scope. It may be very elaborate. For ordinary purposes the simpler study which takes account of the more important factors in the community life, and these only perhaps one at a time, Is the more valuable. In any case the initial step involves the preparation of the questions which are to be asked. The same inquiries will seldom be appropriate for two communities.
(2) The geographical area must be defined very accurately.
(3) Who shall make it? In the open country, or in a rural village or town, the pastors themselves can do the work better than other persons. In larger towns and cities the survey may be made a community achievement by securing the cooperation of business clubs, lodges, the Board of Health, the Board o Education, the Woman’s Club, and other organizations. In this event, the survey should be put under the direction of an Executive Committee composed of representatives of the participating groups.
(4) Assistance from the outside. In the more involved surveys, it is better generally to raise a fund and employ a trained director of social surveying -to supervise the whole task. It may be that a near-by educational institution, such as an agricultural school or State university, can supply such a worker. To organize and instruct his assistants will require weeks of time, and to tabulate and interpret the data impressively will consume even a longer period.
(5) Proper interpretation of the facts is quite as necessary as skill in detecting them. The work of interpretation includes map drawing, charting, and graphing so that the eye as well as the ear may be impressed. A single map should not be overloaded with facts. It is much better to make three maps, for example, one showing the location of churches, another the location of schools, and another the location of social service agencies, than to crowd all into one drawing* “Comparisons” and “averages” are devices which give significance to local figures. “The fact that there are 500 children in school means nothing unless that THE CHURCH SURVEY 241 figure is compared with the total number of children of school age.” “A death rate of 9:77perthousand in Washington Heights is not particularly informing unless it is known that the death rate in the city of New York is 1340perthousand.”
(6) After the facts have been discovered, the next question is, “What shall be done about them?” Frequently nothing has happened. A few years ago many American cities appropriated considerable sums for the study of vice conditions, and important findings were made. In almost no- instance, however, were those surveys followed by intelligent changes in public policy with reference to social conditions, and of late there has been much fruitless surveying within the church.
Suppose -that it should appear that the community is not provided with adequate facilities for play? Suppose that the school buildings are overcrowded, badly located, and poorly equipped? Or that there are too many churches?
What change will that make in the program of the church? A community survey will certainly raise embarrassing issues to meet which thoughtful policies and programs must be adopted for a period of years. Better make no survey at all than let it end there.
3. THE CHURCH SURVEY. The third type of survey aims to discover and chart important facts about the church organization itself. It too may be elaborate or simple, dealing with many or with single phases of church activities. It may concern itself with the history of the church; its growth or decay; the benevolences, the financial policy and resources, the buildings, missions, community service, evangelism, religious education. The materials for such a study are found largely in the records of the church and its several organizations, and may be reviewed by the pastor without much assistance from others. Fisher’s The Way to Win, pages 153-155, contains a suggestive list of questions for such an inquiry.
242 THE PASTORAL OFFICE BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY Edwin L. Earp, The Rural Church Serving the Community.
C. E. Carroll, The Community Survey in Relation to Church Efficiency.
Fred B. Fisher, The Way to Win, Chapter VI.
Margaret F. Byington, What Social Workers Should Know About Their Community.
Anna B. Taft, Community Study for Country Districts.
Warren H. Wilson, Community Study for Cities.
SECTION III PASTORAL RELATIONS