Professional Experience:

August 2003-present

Professor of Sociology of Religious Organizations
Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Hartford Seminary
Principal Investigator, Lilly Endowment-funded U.S. Congregational Life Survey               

July 1996-July 2003  

Associate for Congregational Research
Research Services, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Principal Investigator, Lilly Endowment-funded U.S. Congregational Life Survey

August 1988-June 1996

Professor of Sociology, Midway College, Midway, Kentucky
Director, Center for Christian Church Organizational Research
Director, General Education Program (1988-1991)

August 1982-July 1988 

Assistant, Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology
Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma

August 1981-May 1982

Associate Instructor, Department of Sociology, Indiana University

July 1979-July 1981 

Research Assistant, 1979 and 1980 Indianapolis Area Projects
Institute of Social Research, Indiana University 

 

Education:

Ph.D.   1983  

Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Department of Sociology
Minor:  Political Science
Language: German (reading knowledge)
Dissertation: Heterogeneity in Urban Neighborhoods:  A Contextual Approach to Social Behavior and Attitudes

M.A.     1979 

Indiana University, Department of Sociology

B.S.      1977  

Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma
Department of Sociology, Magna Cum Laude

Professional Associations:

American Sociological Association
Religious Research Association
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
American Association of Public Opinion Research

Books:

2004     Beyond the Ordinary: Ten Strengths of U.S. Congregations (Louisville: Westminster John Knox), co-authored with Deborah Bruce

2002     A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations (Louisville: Westminster John Knox), co-authored with Deborah Bruce

Research Publications:

1999   “Integration and Well-Being Among Catholics: Married, Divorced, Annulled,” Journal of Religion and Health (Summer, 38:2), with R. J. Jenks

1999    “Divorce and Annulment Among American Catholics,” Journal of Divorce and Remarriage (Vol. 30:3/4), with R. J. Jenks

1995     “Crime and Safety Related Concerns in a Small Community,” The American Journal of Criminal Justice, with D. M. Austin and Yoko Baba

1994     “Economic and Environmental Concerns as Influences on Growth Attitudes,” Sociological Spectrum (Vol. 14, No. 1:87-99), with D. M. Austin

1992     “A Contextual Approach to Neighborhood Attachment,” Urban Studies (February, 29:1)

1992      “Voluntary Association Boards: A Reflection of Member and Community Characteristics,“ Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (Vol. 21, No. 2), with D. M. Austin

1989       Quality in Ministry. Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky

1987     Prevalence of Student Drug Use:  Enid, Oklahoma. Community Development Support Association, with Teresa Parsley

1986     The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Leadership Priority Study. Division of Homeland Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with Herb Miller 

1985     The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) New Member Study. Division of Homeland Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with Herb Miller

1984     Enid Housing Assessment Study. City of Enid, Oklahoma.

Research Presentations:

2003    “Profile of Numerically Growing Congregations: Findings from a National Sample of Congregations,” presented at the Religious Research Association annual meeting, Norfolk, Virginia, October.

2003     “Generations of Women in the Church,” presented at the International Society for the Sociology of Religion, Turin, Italy, July. 

2003     “Congregational Sociology and Theology: Making Data Work for Congregations,” presented at the Association for the Sociology of Religion annual meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, August.

2003     “The Role of Religion in the Civic Engagement of Latinos: A Comparison with Non-Latinos,” presented at the Harvard University Color Lines Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, August, with Edwin Hernandez, Milagros Pená, Patricia Rodriguez, Caroline Sotello Turner, and Sung Chun.

2002     “What Do We Know About Congregational Community Ministries? Comparing Data Sources from FACT, NCS, and US CLS,” presented at the Religious Research Association, Salt Lake City, Utah, November.

2002     “What Did We Learn About Worshipers,” presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion annual meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, November.

2001     “Preliminary Findings from The U.S. Congregational Life Survey” presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion annual meeting, Columbus, Ohio, October.

2000     “Community Service as Vitality Indicator: Comparisons Across Racial-Ethnic Congregations,” presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion annual meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, November.

1998      “Stewardship of Time and Money: Racial-Ethnic Differences in a Mainline Denomination,” presented at the Religious Research Association annual meeting, San Diego, California, October. 

1996     “When Catholics Divorce: Religious Annulments in the Roman Catholic Church,” presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion annual meeting, Nashville, Tennessee, November, with R. J. Jenks.

1991     “Perceptions and Satisfaction with Safety in Social and Environmental Context,” presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio, August, with D. M. Austin and Yoko Baba.

1991     “For or Against Local Growth: Citizen Attitudes as Determined by Economic and Environmental Concerns,” presented at the Southwest Sociological Association annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, April, with D. M. Austin.

1990      “Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety in a Small Polarized Community,” presented at the American Society of Criminology annual meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, November, with Yoko Baba and D. M. Austin.

1990      “An Alternative Avenue to Homeownership: Environmental Factors and Increased Access to Housing From an International Voluntary Association,” presented at the International Sociological Association meeting, Madrid, Spain, June, with D. M. Austin.

1990     “The Role of Evangelicals in Habitat for Humanity,” presented at the Southwest Sociological Association annual meeting, April, with D. M. Austin.

1989      “Community Characteristics, Resources, and Activity in a National Voluntary Association,” presented at the Anthropologists and Sociologists of Kentucky annual meeting, October, with D. M. Austin.

1989     “Social Class and Denominational Preferences: Churchlike versus Sectlike Religiosity,” presented at the Southwestern Sociological Association annual meeting, Little Rock, Arkansas, April.

1988     “The Measurement of Heterogeneity,” presented at the Southwestern Sociological Association annual meeting, Houston, Texas, April.

1985     “Social Participation in the City: A Study of Neighborhood Status, Race, and Voluntary Memberships,” presented at the Midwest Sociological Society annual meeting, St. Louis, Missouri, April.

1984     “The Use of Telephone Survey Research in Needs Assessment: A Case Study,” presented at the Evaluation Research Society annual meeting, San Francisco, California, October.

1983     “A Contextual Approach to Urban Identification,” presented at the Midwest Sociological Society annual meeting, Kansas City, Missouri, April.

1983     “The Gentrification Movement and Neighborhood Type: A Contextual Approach to Urban Investment,” presented at the Southern Sociological Society annual meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, April, with S. A. Stephens.

1981     “The Social Correlates of Housing Rehabilitation: Indianapolis, 1980,” presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August, co-authored with S. A. Stephens and Lloyd Grooms.

1980     “The Impact of Voluntary Organizational Membership on Social-Psychological Attitudes,” presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting, New York, August.

Awards:

Trustee Faculty Award for Excellence (first recipient), Midway College, 1994

Summer Faculty Grant, Midway College, 1993, 1994

Faculty Development Research Award, Midway College, 1992, 1995

Other Professional Activities:

Steering Committee, Faith Communities Today, Hartford Institute for Religion Research, 2002-present

Consultant, Department of Sociology, University of Louisville, 2001

Consultant, East Russell Community Enrichment Corporation, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, 2002

Consultant, Kentucky Southern Baptist Convention, 1994-present

Consultant, Net Results Inc., Lubbock, Texas, 1985-1999

Denominational Representative to the Cooperative Congregational Study Project, Hartford Seminary, 1996-2000

Adjunct Faculty, Doctorate of Ministry program, McCormick Theological Seminary, 2001-2002

Adjunct Faculty (Urban Ministry course), Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, Spring, 1999

Consultant, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) In Kentucky, 1990-1996