Researchers Ask 'Are Women Happy at Church?'

Researchers at the Barna Group on Monday released part one of their "Christian Women Today" series and asked the question, "Are Women Happy at Church?"

The study was conducted by surveying 603 adult women in the U.S. who say they are Christians and have attended a regular church service within the last six months. Overwhelmingly, the majority of women expressed "a great deal of satisfaction within the church they attend when it comes to leadership opportunities," the study's author wrote, but others are not so satisfied.

While 73 percent of women say they are making the most of their gifts and potential in their churches, 72 percent feel their ministry work is meaningful and 59 percent say they have "substantial influence" in their own congregations, some women say their experiences haven't been so positive.

A smaller percentage of women say they are held to low expectations in the church (31 percent), are under-utilized (20 percent), under-appreciated (13 percent) and taken for granted (11 percent). As the study indicates, these percentages are somewhat small but, on a national scale, they represent millions of women.

David Kinnaman, president of the Ventura, Calif.-based Barna Group, explained in a statement that the research can help people to better understand the context for the debate over women's roles in the church. "It's tempting to take the examples of those closest to us as representative of all Christian women today," said Kinnaman. "Yet, the research shows there is an enormous range of experiences for women in today's churches, from those who are very satisfied to those who feel as if the church is one of the least welcoming places for them to be." Read more

Photo: Willow Creek Association