Straits Times on Megachurches
(because as usual their website is hopeless)
14th January 2013
WHO ARE SINGAPORE'S MEGACHURCH MEMBERS?
Many from working class: Study
In contrast, members of mainline churches tend to be from middle class
MEMBERS of megachurches tend to be from working-class or lower middle-class backgrounds, a large-scale study of Christians here suggests.
It found that younger members of these churches, those aged 29 and below, tend to come from less privileged and non-English-speaking backgrounds, and live in public housing.
Megachurches in Singapore are commonly understood to comprise New Creation, City Harvest, Faith Community Baptist Church and The Lighthouse.
In contrast, members of mainline Anglican and Methodist churches, as well as independent churches, tend to have middle-class backgrounds.
Responses from some 2,660 Christians across 24 churches were analysed for the study.
Researchers Terence Chong and Hui Yew-Foong of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies have written up their findings in a book entitled Different Under God.
They said the findings suggest respondents from the mainline denominations and independent churches are part of the "established English-proficient middle class", while those from megachurches constitute part of the "emergent middle class".
The study was motivated by the rise of megachurches in Singapore. In the past decade, they have catapulted into public consciousness, complete with images of their rock concert-like worship services and charismatic pastors. Their congregations have swelled from a few thousand to as much as over 30,000.
The study was done through questionnaires and covered Christians' attitudes towards issues such as money, politics and sexuality. It was conducted from December 2009 to January 2011.
Just over a third of respondents were aged between 18 and 29, with the authors accepting that this group was overrepresented compared to those aged in their 30s, 40s (about 20 per cent each), 50s (16 per cent) and 60s (7.1 per cent).
Of the respondents, 21.7 per cent were from the Methodist Church, 22.9 per cent from the Anglican Church, 16.5 per cent from independent churches, and 36.4 per cent from megachurches.
Another finding was that megachurch respondents were more likely to see numerical and financial growth as signs of divine blessing and personal faithfulness.
This, said the authors, also suggests that megachurches articulate Christianity in the language of market ethos and logic, thus "converging with and appealing to the economic aspirations and consumer habits of many young, upwardly mobile Singaporeans".
Civil servant Michelle Toh, who has attended New Creation for four years, said the findings largely matched the background of most of her church friends.
"Many of us, including me, are first-generation Christians," the 25-year-old who lives in public housing said.
"But within my cell group of 40, there is a good mix of those living in flats, condominiums and landed homes."
Sociologist Daniel Goh, who has studied megachurches for more than a decade, said that their theology resonates with young people from the working and lower middle classes as they aspire very much to be upwardly mobile in terms of socio-economic status.
But he disagreed with the authors' conclusion that these Christians had achieved upward mobility, saying instead they "are finding their aspirations blocked in the secular realm", as evidenced by the widening income inequality.
"The extra spiritual push from megachurch membership is helping them overcome the obstacles to achieving upward mobility," the National University of Singapore don added.
limze@sph.com.sg
***
Followers frown on premarital sex and abortion
MEGACHURCH members are as conservative, if not more so, than those from mainline and independent churches when it comes to sex and sexuality values.
They were asked questions relating to premarital sex, homosexuality and abortion.
More than 93 per cent of those from megachurches disagreed that premarital sex is fine, as long as those involved are consenting adults and safe sex is practised.
The corresponding values for the Anglicans, Methodists and those from independent churches were between 81 and 84 per cent.
Those from megachurches were also most likely to agree that homosexuality and abortion are wrong.
The study, by two Institute of Southeast Asian Studies senior fellows, entitled Different Under God, found that Christians from megachurches are, however, more open-minded when it comes to mixing with homosexuals.
More than 62 per cent of megachurch respondents have friends who are homosexuals, followed by 43.1 per cent of both Methodists and independents, and 39.7 per cent of Anglicans.
The findings, said academics who research religion in Singapore, are somewhat surprising.
Professor Robbie Goh said the finding that megachurch Christians are conservative, bucks the popular image of these institutions as concerned largely with church growth and popular teachings.
The National University of Singapore don attributed it to their message to congregations: "It shows that they seem to have a strong component of values teaching - as strong, if not stronger, than the supposedly more conservative mainline denominations."
LEONARD LIM
***
Less likely to support activism
CHRISTIANS from megachurches were found to be less likely to support public interventions in policy matters, the study found.
Only a third of those surveyed agreed with the statement "Christians should collectively express their views on public policy issues in public".
That was lower than the figure for independents (49.2 per cent), Anglicans (52.1 per cent) and Methodists (56.7 per cent).
Sociologist Daniel Goh said the findings confirm his own qualitative research. He said: "The comparisons should not be interpreted merely as a snapshot in time, but in the light of the history of political conservatism of megachurches and the history of social action of the Anglican and Methodist churches."
Despite their conservative outlook towards speaking out in public, megachurch respondents were as likely as their counterparts from other denominations to allow religious values to influence their views on public policies.
Those from megachurches (87.9 per cent) were most likely to agree that their Christian values influence their views on public policy issues such as casinos and abortion.
The corresponding figures for the other denominations were between 83.6 and 87.2 per cent.
LEONARD LIM
14th January 2013
WHO ARE SINGAPORE'S MEGACHURCH MEMBERS?
Many from working class: Study
In contrast, members of mainline churches tend to be from middle class
MEMBERS of megachurches tend to be from working-class or lower middle-class backgrounds, a large-scale study of Christians here suggests.
It found that younger members of these churches, those aged 29 and below, tend to come from less privileged and non-English-speaking backgrounds, and live in public housing.
Megachurches in Singapore are commonly understood to comprise New Creation, City Harvest, Faith Community Baptist Church and The Lighthouse.
In contrast, members of mainline Anglican and Methodist churches, as well as independent churches, tend to have middle-class backgrounds.
Responses from some 2,660 Christians across 24 churches were analysed for the study.
Researchers Terence Chong and Hui Yew-Foong of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies have written up their findings in a book entitled Different Under God.
They said the findings suggest respondents from the mainline denominations and independent churches are part of the "established English-proficient middle class", while those from megachurches constitute part of the "emergent middle class".
The study was motivated by the rise of megachurches in Singapore. In the past decade, they have catapulted into public consciousness, complete with images of their rock concert-like worship services and charismatic pastors. Their congregations have swelled from a few thousand to as much as over 30,000.
The study was done through questionnaires and covered Christians' attitudes towards issues such as money, politics and sexuality. It was conducted from December 2009 to January 2011.
Just over a third of respondents were aged between 18 and 29, with the authors accepting that this group was overrepresented compared to those aged in their 30s, 40s (about 20 per cent each), 50s (16 per cent) and 60s (7.1 per cent).
Of the respondents, 21.7 per cent were from the Methodist Church, 22.9 per cent from the Anglican Church, 16.5 per cent from independent churches, and 36.4 per cent from megachurches.
Another finding was that megachurch respondents were more likely to see numerical and financial growth as signs of divine blessing and personal faithfulness.
This, said the authors, also suggests that megachurches articulate Christianity in the language of market ethos and logic, thus "converging with and appealing to the economic aspirations and consumer habits of many young, upwardly mobile Singaporeans".
Civil servant Michelle Toh, who has attended New Creation for four years, said the findings largely matched the background of most of her church friends.
"Many of us, including me, are first-generation Christians," the 25-year-old who lives in public housing said.
"But within my cell group of 40, there is a good mix of those living in flats, condominiums and landed homes."
Sociologist Daniel Goh, who has studied megachurches for more than a decade, said that their theology resonates with young people from the working and lower middle classes as they aspire very much to be upwardly mobile in terms of socio-economic status.
But he disagreed with the authors' conclusion that these Christians had achieved upward mobility, saying instead they "are finding their aspirations blocked in the secular realm", as evidenced by the widening income inequality.
"The extra spiritual push from megachurch membership is helping them overcome the obstacles to achieving upward mobility," the National University of Singapore don added.
limze@sph.com.sg
***
Followers frown on premarital sex and abortion
MEGACHURCH members are as conservative, if not more so, than those from mainline and independent churches when it comes to sex and sexuality values.
They were asked questions relating to premarital sex, homosexuality and abortion.
More than 93 per cent of those from megachurches disagreed that premarital sex is fine, as long as those involved are consenting adults and safe sex is practised.
The corresponding values for the Anglicans, Methodists and those from independent churches were between 81 and 84 per cent.
Those from megachurches were also most likely to agree that homosexuality and abortion are wrong.
The study, by two Institute of Southeast Asian Studies senior fellows, entitled Different Under God, found that Christians from megachurches are, however, more open-minded when it comes to mixing with homosexuals.
More than 62 per cent of megachurch respondents have friends who are homosexuals, followed by 43.1 per cent of both Methodists and independents, and 39.7 per cent of Anglicans.
The findings, said academics who research religion in Singapore, are somewhat surprising.
Professor Robbie Goh said the finding that megachurch Christians are conservative, bucks the popular image of these institutions as concerned largely with church growth and popular teachings.
The National University of Singapore don attributed it to their message to congregations: "It shows that they seem to have a strong component of values teaching - as strong, if not stronger, than the supposedly more conservative mainline denominations."
LEONARD LIM
***
Less likely to support activism
CHRISTIANS from megachurches were found to be less likely to support public interventions in policy matters, the study found.
Only a third of those surveyed agreed with the statement "Christians should collectively express their views on public policy issues in public".
That was lower than the figure for independents (49.2 per cent), Anglicans (52.1 per cent) and Methodists (56.7 per cent).
Sociologist Daniel Goh said the findings confirm his own qualitative research. He said: "The comparisons should not be interpreted merely as a snapshot in time, but in the light of the history of political conservatism of megachurches and the history of social action of the Anglican and Methodist churches."
Despite their conservative outlook towards speaking out in public, megachurch respondents were as likely as their counterparts from other denominations to allow religious values to influence their views on public policies.
Those from megachurches (87.9 per cent) were most likely to agree that their Christian values influence their views on public policy issues such as casinos and abortion.
The corresponding figures for the other denominations were between 83.6 and 87.2 per cent.
LEONARD LIM