Source: Missional Moment in CMR Insights, October 2006, The Unchurched Impressions of Southern Bapti

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Impressions of Southern Baptists by the Unchurched

• Center for Missional Research
• Ed Stetzer
• Richie Stanley

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• People who attended a church service in the past
  six months had a more favorable impression of
  Southern Baptists than those who had not attended
  (41 versus 19).

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• Surprisingly, over 40 percent of those who'd
  attended a service were not familiar enough with
  Southern Baptists to have an impression.

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• And over half (55) of the people who had not
  attended a service were unfamiliar with Southern
  Baptists.

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• Almost half of those surveyed just have no
  familiarity with who we are (Southern Baptists).

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• Twenty-two percent of those who attended a church
  service within the past six months said they
  would be more likely to visit or join a church if
  they knew it was Southern Baptist.

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• Those who didn't attend a Christian service
  within the past six months were less favorable
  (11) about visiting or joining a church if they
  knew it was Southern Baptist.

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• However, even those who reported attending a
  service still have more negative than positive
  reactions to knowing a church is Southern
  Baptist.

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• Among the unchurched people who expressed an
  opinion, almost three times as many said it would
  have a negative impact. 

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• Although the positive perception of Southern
  Baptists in the South was the highest for any
  region, the negative impressions were actually
  higher than the positive.

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• In other words, the surveyed unchurched in the
  South who have an opinion about Southern Baptists
  were more negative than positive.

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• We also examined the survey results by age and
  willingness to "visit or join" a church. The same
  pattern was found from the last study-younger
  adults were substantially less willing to visit
  and join a church if they knew it was an SBC
  church.