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Types of church: Which types of church took part? How did they differ?

Respondents were invited to describe their church using one or more of these descriptors.

• Lively church
• Student-focused church
• Charismatic church
• Evangelical church
• Gathered or commuting congregation
• Traditional church
• Neighbourhood-based church
• Family-focused church
• Socially/politically involved church
• Emerging church/alternative worship

These may not have specific objective definitional meanings, but in 21st century church culture these are commonly used by members to describe their church to others.

For example, someone might say they go to a lively, student-focused evangelical church, or another to a charismatic, socially-involved emerging church.

In this sample, the majority identified themselves as attending evangelical churches.

Specific and some surprising differences emerged between the types of church. Then follows an overview of all the distinctive elements of each church as reported by single adult Christians. The statistical differences are given in charts here.

Types of church that took part

Differences between types of church appeared for the following:

• Lively churches
• Student-focused churches
• Charismatic churches
• Socially/politically involved churches
• Traditional and neighbourhood-based churches
• Evangelical churches

Lively churches

Lively churches are distinctive in that more of their single adult members than not say that they feel treated as members of the 'church family', unlike all other types.

As a consequence, singles feel accepted and most don't feel a presumption that something is wrong with them. Happiest about their sexuality and singleness, they enjoy:

• having time for faith and prayer
• helping others or pursuing a ministry
• the opportunity to spend time with friends and family.

However, they are concerned about the gender imbalance and single women finding husbands.

Student-focused churches

Distinctively, the student-focused church is the only one where members say it knows what to do with them as singles.

Charismatic churches

Members are the only ones to say that they find not having intimacy in their lives difficult or very difficult.

This may well be because they wish to avoid sex until marriage more than members of other types of church, and are most strongly supportive of the church taking a strong line about it and so avoid intimate situations.

Perhaps, too, this is the reason why they want to, and most often do, discuss singleness with their church leaders.

Socially/politically involved churches

Members say that they feel most part of the church community of all types of church and are highly involved with weekly church activities and community activities.

They are significantly more concerned than other types about the gender imbalance and the implications for single women finding husbands.

Traditional and neighbourhood-based churches

The traditional church is much less concerned about marriage, singleness and sexual ethics than others types. As a result, this may be why members think they are more welcoming to single people.

Neighbourhood-based churches are theologically similar to the traditional church, but single Christians feel much more part of the church community and join in more with both church and community activities.

Evangelical churches

Singleness is much less a positive choice for members who go to evangelical churches. They are much less happy than members of all other churches in being single and enjoy the benefits of singleness less than those members of other types of church.

Looking at the comparison (see graph, below) suggests a reason. They feel expected to marry someone of the Christian faith, avoid sex and yet are given little teaching on relationships and singleness compared to other types of church whose members have similar expectations.

In other words, members of evangelical churches say that that they receive the expectations of behaviour on marriage and sex, but without being as well equipped or supported to meet that expectation.

Differences between types of church

In looking at any differences between types of church, we adopted a stringent statistical test that identified only the most consistent of distinctions.

What sometimes proves interesting is when churches might be expected to be different and are not. These we noted too.

The types of church are listed in order of the most statistical distinctions from the others.

• Lively church
• Student-focused church
• Charismatic church
• Evangelical church
• Gathered or commuting congregation
• Traditional church
• Neighbourhood-based church
• Family-focused church
• Socially/politically involved church
• Emerging church/alternative worship

The single Christian in a lively church

The lively church emerges as most different to the others.

• More agree that other people embrace the single adult for who they are.
• Feel more accepted as single adults.
• Of all church types, they feel most part of the church community.
• Feel treated as members of the ‘church family’ (the only ones overall that do so).
• Think that there are no problems in single people going to church.
• Less likely to think there is presumption that something wrong because they are single (the only ones overall that do so).
• Are most comfortable with their sexuality.
• Say they are happy as a single person and would also be happy if married.
• If single, enjoy having the space and time to:
• devote themselves to faith/prayer
• help others or pursue a ministry
• spend time with friends and family
• socialise with close friends (only student-focused churches doing so more).

In addition, members of lively churches shares some similarities with those of other church types.

• They are less likely to agree that the church is too feminine.
• Receive relatively more advice on relationships and issues of singleness.
• Are medium-ly involved in church activities every week.
• Think they are likely to meet potential partners through church and church-related activities and family and friends.
• They don't see themselves as marrying a non-Christian (though less so than Evangelicals and Charismatics).
• They are fine with with sex belonging only in marriage and over half say it is important to avoid sex before marriage.
• However, of all the larger types of church, they are most concerned about the gender imbalance and that women have less chance of finding a husband.

The single Christian in a student-focused church

Distinctively, the student-focused church is the only one:

• where they report that the church knows what to do with them as a single person
• whose members more involved with sports and hobbies.

They get the most advice on relationships and issues of singleness, and report they have most often heard church leaders teach that Christians should only marry those who share their faith.

However, they are much more willing to marry a non-Christian than four other types of church considered in detail and under half say they are fine with sex belonging only in marriage (behind many other types). Over half say it is important to avoid sex before marriage.

Of all the church types, they enjoy most having the space and time to: - devote themselves to faith/prayer - help others or pursue a ministry - spend time with friends and family and socialise with close friends.

They are most social, as might be expected, and say that the best way to meet potential partners is through church and church-related activities, family and friends.

Of all types, they most disagree that their church ethos is too feminine.

 The single Christian in a charismatic church

Distinctively say that they:

• find not having intimacy in their lives difficult or very difficult
• think that an event or conference would help raise awareness of singleness issues.

In addition, they top the types in:

• wanting to discuss – and most often discussing – singleness with one of their church leaders
• being involved in church activities
• agreeing that the church should take a strong and strict line against sex outside of and before marriage
• being certain that they cannot see themselves marrying a non-Christian
• being fine with sex belonging only in marriage
• believing it important to avoid sex before marriage as a practising Christian.

They receive some guidance on relationship and singleness issues.

The single Christian in an evangelical church

Distinctively:

• disagree that singleness is a positive choice for them
• expect their leaders to be responsible for addressing the needs of single Christians and reaching out to those outside the church.

Compared to student-focused, charismatic, gathered congregations and lively churches, they receive relatively less advice on relationships and issues of singleness, despite hearing church leaders teach that Christians should only marry those who share their faith (most after student-focused).

They don't particularly enjoy being single, unlike lively and student-focused churches, and feel less part of their church communities than many other types.

They are near the bottom of the list when it comes to being involved with church activities at least once each week. They socialise less with close friends at least once each week and generally.

Nevertheless, they:

• more strongly assert there are no circumstances in which they will marry a non-Christian
• are fine with sex only belonging in marriage
• say that it is important to avoid sex before marriage (although fourth behind other types)
• agree that the church is right to take a strong and strict line against sex.

The single Christian in a gathered or commuting congregation

There is little to distinguish gathered or commuting congregations from the average for other churches.

They are only distinct in two places, each time second after student-focused churches.

• Receive relatively more advice on relationships and issues of singleness.
• Say that the best way to meet potential partners is through church or church-related activities.

 The single Christian in a traditional church

The traditional church appears distinctive in a number of places, nearly always as in contrast to others.

• They see others as much more accepted in church and are least involved with church activities at least once a week.
• They receive least advice from church leaders on relationships and issues of singleness.
• They don’t think an event or conference would help raise awareness of singleness issues and, distinctively, they are less interested in attending such a conference or having more teaching to help understand their faith in the context of being single.
• Fewer have wanted to or talked to church leaders one-to-one.
• The least number have heard Church leaders say they should marry someone of the same faith, and are most prepared to marry a non-Christian.
• Fewest think it important to avoid sex before marriage and are the least concerned about the imbalance of numbers affecting chances of women finding a husband.
• Socialise least with close friends, but higher than average generally in a week , and think, most of all types, that the best way to meet a potential partner is through joining clubs, groups and organisations in the community.

The single Christian in a neighbourhood-based church

• Feel much more part of the church community (closely following the lively and socially/politically involved churches).
• Lie in the middle of all the types in terms of church involvement at least once each week.
• Are relatively high in joining in with community activities (after emerging church and socially/politically involved).
• Receive less advice on relationships and issues of singleness (just more than traditional).
• Like the traditional church, they also don't particularly support the Church taking a strong and strict line about sex outside of marriage.
• Consider a good way to meet a potential partner is through joining clubs, groups and organisations in the community (close behind the traditional church members).

In summary, they appear theologically similar to the traditional church but single Christians feel much more part of the church community and join in more with both church and community activities.

The single Christian in a family-focused church

Out of the 10 types, the family-focused church lies in the middle or in the average. The only distinctive separations are as follows.

• Feel slightly more part of church community (fourth).
• Slightly higher involved in church activities at least once a week (fifth).
• Think best way to meet a potential partner is through family and friends (fourth).
• Slightly more wouldn't marry a non-Christian (fourth).
• Slightly more consider it important to avoid sex before marriage (fifth).

The single Christian in a socially/politically involved church

• Feel most part of the church community of all types of church.
• More involved with church activities every week (after student-focused and charismatic).
• Socialise generally more than all others except student-focused.
• Involved most in community activities (after emerging – and unlike student-focused and charismatic).
• They are significantly more concerned than other types about the gender imbalance and the implications for single women finding husbands.

The single Christian in an emerging church/alternative worship

The only distinctive element of an emerging church reported for single Christians outside the average is their involvement in community activities at least once each week.

In figures: Differences by type of church

We identified the following statistically significant differences by type of church attended. (Read about the methodology used.)

Associations were tested for all types of church:

• Evangelical
• Charismatic
• Emerging
• Traditional
• Socially/politically involved
• Neighbourhood-based
• Gathered/commuting congregation
• Student focused
• Family focused
• Lively

Acceptance by the church

Because this is a negative statement, it means those in Lively churches feel more accepted as single adults than in other types of church.

 Marriage and happiness

 Being single I enjoy

Frequency of involvement in socialising/activities/hobbies

What is the best way to meet potential partners?

What do you think of the church's attitude towards and teaching on sexual ethics?

In general, there are more women in the church than men. How do you feel about this?

• For churches
• For individuals
• Ideas for married couples
• The research
  • The numbers in the church
  • What do single Christians say about church
    • What do single Christians say about church
    • Church acceptance
    • A good place to be
    • Single Christians and church leaders
    • Gender imbalance in church
    • Church denominations
    • Gender differences in church
    • Gender differences by age
    • Types of church
      • Types of church
    • About the research
  • Attitudes to single living
  • Who is most readily identified as single
  • Singleness around the world