Media Release 20 March 2003
Recent research commissioned by Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and conducted by ACNielsen shows that spirituality is still very strong among New Zealanders who don't attend church or any formal religious institution.
Overwhelming international events such as the September 11 bombings showed that in New Zealand and overseas, increasing numbers of people looked to the church as a spiritual resource. And the recent research revealed that despite the majority of New Zealanders not attending church or any formal religious institution that as a nation we are actually very spiritual.
"The Presbyterian Church commissioned the research because we want to listen to people's expressions of spirituality and to understand what barriers there are to the church being a place where people express their spiritual belief," said Moderator of the Church, the Right Rev Michael Thawley. "With the current global uncertainty surrounding war in the Middle East, New Zealanders need to know that the church is here as a place for prayer and comfort for individuals, families and the community" added Thawley.
"The research findings provide an in depth understanding of key community themes about people's sense of spirituality and their attitude to church, that are relevant throughout New Zealand", says ACNielsen's Research Director Shannon Brown.
"The central shared idea to this sense of spirituality is the belief that there is 'something more' to life than just existing, a greater purpose or meaning of some sort, a belief that one does not become 'nothing' on death," Brown added.
"People varied widely in their descriptions of spirituality from those who had conventional Christian beliefs through to those who had more non-conventional ideas. This included people who believed in some higher power or force but not in conventional God terms, a focus on the inner self, and people who were still searching for spiritual beliefs they could be certain of.
A common theme from the research was that spirituality is seen as a personal, inward, reflective process and did not see a need for an external institution, like the church to guide them in defining their beliefs. The other key factor underpinning peoples' response was the degree to which church retained any personal or social relevance to that individual" said Brown.
"When people described their ideal place for a spiritual gathering key themes emerged. These were to do with a free, relaxed, interactive, environment where people were able to explore their spirituality in a non-prescriptive fashion. Spiritual imagery of ideal places tended to be associated with venues like a familiar social occasion like a picnic or barbecue in the outdoors, or with natural images like trees. These themes are in direct contrast to their perception of the church" Brown added.
The Presbyterian-ACNielsen study ties in with other research about New Zealander's attitudes to spirituality and faith, says Mr Thawley. A 1998 Massey University study of 1200 people by Dr Alan Webster concluded that 35 percent of people believed in a personal God and 40 percent in some sort of life force or spirit. The conclusion of Dr Webster's study was that belief seemed to be evolving rather than fading away. This was also the conclusion drawn in a study by Kevin Ward, of the Presbyterian School of Ministry, in his Otago University PhD on Church and Culture.
"What has emerged in New Zealand and internationally is that despite the fact the church has experienced serious decline, people have continued to remain overwhelmingly religious or spiritual," Ward concluded.
"The feedback from the ACNielsen research shows that there are some significant barriers in the minds of people that hold them back from wanting to approach the church as a place to be in their spiritual experience. The church needs to take these views very seriously, to listen to what people are saying and where-ever possible address these issues." said Mr Thawley.
"The next step for us is to look at how the Presbyterian church needs to change in the way it interacts with people and the sort of welcome it gives them. We will also study and build on the positive associations people have with the church such as caring for the poor, working in the community, helping with people in need generally and being the cornerstone of the community" Thawley adds.
"We have to make sure the Presbyterian church is a vibrant place that both connects with and is relevant to the lives of contemporary New Zealanders in the 21st century." Thawley concludes.
## Ends ##
Contacts for further information
Presbyterian Church
Michael Thawley 027 234 5528
ACNielsen
Research Director Shannon Brown ph 09 488 3188
Wider church and culture studies
Kevin Ward 03 473 6709, mob 025 689 7355
Media liaison
Mary Macpherson 04 381 8284, mob 021 353 020, www.presbyterian.org.nz
Amanda Wilkinson Senior Marketing Executive ACNielsen (NZ) Ltd Level 2,
ACNielsen Centre 129 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna PO Box 33819 Auckland 9 DDI 09 488 3198 Cell 021 625 159
ACNielsen, 2002 Winner of the MRS Research Effectiveness Supreme Award and Research Innovation Award.