Diocesan Survey Results (Appendix D)
This January, the Joint Process Committee (JPC) surveyed the Diocese of El Camino Real for guidance in the search for our next bishop. Those surveys have been compiled by an outside consultant and reported to Diocesan Council and several diocesan committees. Results of the survey confirm themes that emerged during the conference series held during 2005, and are remarkably similar between the laity and clergy of our diocese. Specific information concerning the methodology for the survey and the subsequent analysis is found at
http://www.edecr.org/bishopsearch/JPC/jpcsurvey.htm.
The highest priorities for the diocese and our new bishop, for both laity and clergy were:
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Developing a diocesan structure that is functional and effective.
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Encouraging Christian education at all ages.
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Promoting youth ministry.
The next tier of priorities, over the entire set of responses:
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Promoting clergy continuing education and vocational development.
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Attracting and making disciples of new members.
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Promoting clergy wellness of body, mind and spirit.
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Moving toward broader inclusiveness of all minorities within the church.
A third tier of priorities included:
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Providing support for social service ministries.
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Working to increase the connections between congregations and the diocese.
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Implementing an equitable process for determining the funding of missions.
The portion of the survey which addressed desired attributes of our next bishop reveal a pervasive desire for a non-traditional leader who empowers others, who is comfortable dealing with conflict and confrontation, who speaks out on controversial issues, and who teaches, preaches, and leads worship in challenging and provocative ways. Again, both clergy and laity shared similar priorities, in similar order. Although less universal and strongly felt, the diocese also prefers a bishop who bases ethical decisions more upon circumstances than absolute standards; who reads the New Testament gospels as an interpretive portrayal of Jesus’ mission and ministry and the Bible as a community’s record of its relationship with God; and who would permit the blessing of same-sex unions. Clergy expressed a preference (49%) for a bishop with 11-20 years of experience since ordination, although many (18%) prefer a younger bishop, with only 5-10 years since ordination, or expressed no preference (15%).
The response revealed a diocesan community that is optimistic about the direction and future of individual parishes and the future of the diocese, but is ambivalent about whether the diocese has a clear sense of direction. Clergy are slightly less confident than the laity in the diocese’s sense of direction.
The survey was distributed to all congregations, differentiated by laity and clergy, and was submitted in Spanish translation to the Hispanic congregations. The JPC received 979 lay responses, and 79 clergy responses. Demographically, survey respondents were primarily older (69% of lay respondents were 55 or older, 72% were 45 or older) and long-term Episcopalians (68% have attended an Episcopal church for more than 10 years, and 51% have attended for 25 years or more). Of lay respondents, 56% are female and 37% are male (48% of clergy are female, 52% are male). 72% of respondents are Caucasian, 5% are Latino, 3% are Filipino, 2% are Asian, 1% African-American, 1% Native American. Lay respondents report that they are in church every Sunday (87%), and most have embraced their own role in the ministry of the church (56%). Because many surveys were returned without parish identification, it is impossible to gauge the regional or parish distribution of respondents.
Please review the diocese's survey results report for complete numerical results of our survey.
In addition, through a clergy conference and clericus focus groups the JPC and Conference Planning Team sought comments from clergy with respect to attributes sought in a bishop. Keywords repeated by clergy were: grassroots leadership, mutual accountability, consultative, consensus builder, flexible, genuine delegation, shared ministry, safe for risk-taking.
