Introduction

At the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, October 27, 2001, the Right Reverend Douglas E. Theuner announced his intention to retire in 2004. In the spring of 2002, at the request of the Standing Committee, all six regional convocations elected representatives to a Search and Nomination Committee and an Election and Transition Committee.

As part of the discernment for the search process, the Profile Subcommittee of the Search and Nomination Committee designed and implemented a diocese-wide research effort in June 2002. The methods utilized were a survey and a series of focus groups conducted by all six regional convocations, in eight parishes, and for the clergy.

Methodology

A questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions was distributed to all congregations and made available on the Search and Nomination website, conforming with a "Survey Sunday" model. Parishioners completed and returned the questionnaire to their congregation on Sunday, June 23 or Sunday, June 30, or mailed it to a central location. Approximately 4250 questionnaires were mailed out, with 1506 returned by the processing deadline. A sub-sample of 427 surveys received after the processing deadline was coded for open-ended responses only. All congregations received surveys, and all were encouraged to photocopy as necessary. Some respondents chose to download and print the survey from Search Process website.

Taking into account the total number of completed surveys, a total of 1933 New Hampshire Episcopalians actively participated in the data collection phase of discernment. This sample represents 37% of the 5209 active churchgoers, and 9% of all 16,836 baptized members of the faith (Year 2000 data). Data entry and tabulation were conducted by the Survey Research Center/ISPSS, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, under the supervision of Andrew Smith, Director, and Martha Belanger, Field Director.

Demographic Profile

The majority of respondents (94%) are lay persons, with 6% ordained. Of all lay respondents, 64% are female; among ordained respondents, 65% are male. The percentage of respondents under 35 years of age is by far the smallest age cell (6%), and 35-44 is the next smallest category. Of the total diocesan sample, 66% is aged 55+. Nearly three-quarters of respondents are married. The largest percentage of married persons (84%) occurs in the 55-64 age cell, followed by the 45-54 cell (80%).

Church attendance is significantly high among the Episcopalians surveyed, with 81% reporting weekly church attendance, and 13% attending every other week. Given the maturity of the survey respondents, it is not surprising that two-thirds of the sample (67%) have been members of the Episcopal church for 25 years or more. When questioned about their level of involvement in the church, just over half the respondents (55%) had held an elected or appointed position in their congregation. Involvement in diocesan affairs was much lower, with only 20% participation overall. However, among ordained respondents, 58% have been elected or appointed to a position within the diocese.

The Episcopal Church in New Hampshire cannot be described as ethnically diverse, with only 2% of the sample identifying themselves as belonging to a category other than Caucasian. These percentages are reflective of the state as a whole: the 2000 U.S. census reports the racial mix of New Hampshire as 96% white and 4% other races.

When asked to describe their local community, half the sample is located within a town (51%), with the next largest group (22%) living in a rural area. Approximately one quarter (27%) described themselves as urban or suburban.

 

| Introduction | Methodology | Demographic Profile | Analysis of Results |
| Focus Groups | Conclusion |