Attrition of Adult Children of Seventh-day Adventist Clergy

by Martin Weber

Publisher:

Martin Weber

, 2008

Overview

Why do so many pastors’ children abandon the church upon growing up? What’s behind this exodus from the parsonage into an unchurched adulthood?

This study is unique in its focus on Seventh-day Adventist clergy parents, specifically their philosophy and methods of upbringing. Weber’s research provides a valuable window into the formative surroundings that contribute to or detract from future adult faithfulness. The core question is: What type of parsonage environment is associated with retention rather than attrition? Extracted from 21,000 data cells of information, Weber identifies 40 attrition factors—11 of them extreme.

Among his findings:

• The strongest predictor of future faithfulness as an adult is whether the PK during growing up years takes initiative to approach a clergy parent to discuss spiritual matters.
• There is no greater cause of attrition than attempting to shield children from knowledge of, or to resist discussion about, church or denominational conflict.
• While parental conservatism regarding lifestyle standards is not statistically significant in attrition, legalism in teaching or practicing those principles is a major negative factor.

Undertaken as Martin Weber’s doctoral project, this study won top prize among his cohort at Carey Theological College, a Baptist seminary on the campus of University of British Columbia.

In the Logos edition, Attrition among Adult Children of Seventh-day Adventist Clergy is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Investigates the causes of attrition versus retention in the SDA parsonage
• Focuses on pastoral parents and home environments rather than the young people themselves
• Presents an award-winning doctoral study at Carey Theological College

Product Details

• Title: Attrition among Adult Children of Seventh-day Adventist Clergy
• Author: Martin Weber
• Publication Date: 2008
• Pages: 98
• Language: English
• Christian Group: Seventh-day Adventist
• Resource Type: Monographs
• Topic: Practical Life; Ministry Resources

About Martin Weber

Martin Weber, during four decades of ministry, pastored 11 congregations throughout the United States and Canada, trained clergy on five continents, was an associate editor of Ministry magazine, and served as a police chaplain. He attended Regent College and Carey Theological College, doing doctoral research on the attrition of young adult children of SDA clergy. Among books Weber has authored are My Tortured Conscience and God Was There: True Stories of a Police Chaplain. He currently manages SDA content for Faithlife, makers of Logos Bible Software.