DETERMINANTS OF RELIGIOUS GIVING IN URBAN PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONS

Using a sample of 320 urban Presbyterian congregations we tested four factors purported to affect contribution levels: socioeconomic level of the congregation, the stewardship approach used, programs sponsored, and the extent of democratic participation in decision-making. The strongest relationships were not with raw contributions but with the square root of contributions as a percentage of overall household income. The most important predictor was the economic level of the membership (the higher the income the lower the percent given to the church). Other predictors were church size (the larger the church the lower percent given), the number of new members, use of stewardship programs, effective congregational programs, and participatory decision-making.