Congregational Profile
We mailed approximately 125 surveys to members of the congregation in May 2008 and received 60 responses. This high rate of return is yet another example of the excitement and enthusiasm felt by the members of St. John’s for their Church and the concern of those members in making their voices heard. The responses to the survey were tabulated and analyzed to provide a “snapshot” of this particular group of people at this particular moment in time.
St. John’s has approximately 200 active baptized members on its membership rolls. Our weekly Sunday attendance, as well as participation in activities, is boosted by nonmembers who attend regularly and by visitors who come for the historic aspects of the Church.
Attendance is almost evenly distributed between the two Sunday morning services, with 58% of survey respondents preferring the 11:00 service and 42% the 8:30 service. The average attendance for both services each Sunday is approximately 87 worshipers.
St. John’s has a primarily older congregation. Eighty-five percent of members responding to the Search Committee’s survey were age 40 or older with the highest number being in the 60-69 age group.
Many worshipers at St. John’s have been faithful members for over 40 years. However, the majority of members have attended the Church between 10 and 19 years. Some of our parishioners grew up on Church Hill and are life-long members of the Church.
Members of our Church come from all over the greater Richmond area. The majority of those surveyed travel more than 10 miles to attend St. John’s.
Although many of our members grew up in a Protestant denomination other than Episcopalian (40%), 90% of those surveyed indicated that they now consider themselves to be Episcopalians.
In summary, the Search Committee’s survey showed that the members of St. John’s are primarily married Episcopalians in the over-40 age group who hold college and advanced degrees (73%), have attended St. John’s for more than 20 years, and travel more than five miles to attend this Church.
As the demographics show, there is a real need at St. John’s to increase our membership, especially with young people and those in the Church Hill neighborhood. Church members are acutely aware of this need and actively seek to reach out to new members.
What demographics cannot show is the love St. John’s members have for their church, the commitment to its preservation and growth, the warm fellowship among members that is actively extended to visitors, and their mission to openly share the Good News of Christ.