Trends in Communications Needs
as Discovered in UMCOMM Audits

Introduction:

This report is a brief and generalized summary of trends the Conference Resourcing Team of United Methodist Communications has identified through the completion of 12 communications audits of annual conferences throughout the United States. These audits were conducted 1998-2001 (this report written October 2001.)

Challenges:

In most cases we've seen, clergy look upon the Conference Office with a certain amount of distrust. Leaders among the laity do not generally have this same attitude, probably because their dependence and relationship with the Conference is very much different, and is often mediated through pastors.

Distrust of the Conference Office is a communications issue, though not necessarily created or perpetuated by the communications office or program.

Generally, pastors do not feel the Conference Office listens to them, and that the only time they receive attention from the Conference (this lack of attention included from district superintendents, as well), is when they are in trouble (or causing trouble by not paying their apportionments).

The farther away geographically local churches are located from the Conference Office, the more alienated they feel.

In this high tech world, pastors and local churches still want to have high touch; to feel they are listened to, and their opinions and ideas valued.

Many times, we heard the complaint, "Local churches do not exist to serve the Conference. The Conference exists to serve the local churches." Top down programming almost always was criticized. Instead, pastors are asking to be partners in creative programming and problem-solving. They want to see the church do things in new ways to respond to a changing world.

The implication for a Communications Office is to provide internal public relations consultation for Conference leadership: celebratory events where conference staff and local churches share together the joys and successes. The Communications Office can institute ways that help share information about where in the conference their apportionments are being used, successes that local churches are experiencing and partnerships that local churches need. It is incumbent that the conference staff understands the critical importance of listening as a part of effective communications.

A printed and electronic conference staff directory with photos, titles and where to go for help is essential.

Local church needs:

Local churches want help on many fronts - and they would like the conference staff to at least be able to lead them to those resources if not provide specific help that would strengthen the local churches. They are looking for help with:

• Ways to be in ministry with an growing multi-ethnic population and with an increasingly unchurched population
• How to effectively reach and talk to the unchurched and to various generations
• Marketing, public relations, advertising
• New church development
• Youth programming
• Small church challenges
• Dealing with controversy
• Bad national p.r. about the UMC
• Funds for new or updated facilities
• Choosing worship styles (contemporary vs. traditional)
• Multi-media worship
• Discipleship
• Helping new members understand the United Methodist Church
• Evangelism
• Getting stories placed in the secular media
• Electronic connection
• Website development/use
• Effective church leadership
• Faith sharing
  

Resources:

Small churches often feel like stepchildren within the annual conference. Large membership churches don't feel like the Conference has much to offer.

Clergy in all sizes of churches say they want great programs to meet their needs, but feel like The United Methodist Church doesn't offer what they want and need so they go out of the denomination to find it.

Clergy say they aren't always aware of the resources available to them for their specific needs - even what events or opportunities are available (being held) in other parts of the conference. In geographically large conferences, this is especially a problem and a p.r. hot bed.

Laity say they especially do not know what resources and opportunities are available. Sometimes this is due to gate keeping of information by pastors, which indicates that laity are not receiving the information from the original source - or not in a way they are utilizing.

Implication for Communications: develop processes and avenues where clergy and laity receive or have easy access to information about resources - what they are, where they are located, who they need to contact - and upcoming training events.

Information flow:

Laity say they generally depend upon their pastor and district newsletters for information. Pastors say theydepend upon their district superintendents and informal networks for information.

Clergy say they get too much information (paper); laity say they don't get enough information.

Clergy would LOVE to be in a database where they can receive only directed (targeted) information according to their needs, rather than getting so much that does not apply specifically to them.

Related to that issue, a large majority of the pastors say their district superintendent doesn't know anything about their church - and therefore, knows nothing about its needs.

Positive attention and recognition go a long way.

Conference news:

Clergy and laity want to receive their information in several formats, depending upon the nature of the communication. Laity especially like conference newspapers; clergy prefer to get timely conference news and announcements quickly through e-mail. If something comes from the bishop's office, they prefer that it is a letter. The majority would appreciate the yearlong and updated conference and district calendars to be on the web.

Laity and clergy say they want announcements and descriptions of workshops to be located on the web so that everyone has a chance to see them.

Older laity value the connectional system and want to see articles in the conference newspaper about what other churches are doing, missions trips, and ideas that work. Clergy say they would like to know about partnership opportunities and needs of other churches, how to help hurting families.

Finding out what is working in other local churches is one of the top needs.

Clergy would also like to hear from their bishop - what is he/she currently reading, thinking, doing, etc.

When controversy rocks the church, clergy and laity say they want balanced reporting - both in regards to sides of the issues and in focus (time and space devoted to the issue). This is not without some debate, however. Some clergy and laity only want good news to be shared.

Apportionments and benevolence interpretation:

There appears to be no clear-cut answer to interpreting apportionments. Some clergy say it wouldn't be a good idea for their congregations to know where the monies go. Most laity say they want to know and feel people would give more if they knew; and they do want information about worldwide missions and special givings.

What is clear: information doesn't always get to the right people. If a church treasurer gets a brochure about benevolence interpretation from the Conference Office, for example, it may go no further.

This is an area that requires much creativity, effort, and face-to-face contact.

Direction:

It's imperative that the conference has a stated mission and vision - and that it is communicated clearly to clergy and lay leadership, so they feel that there is direction and understand how and what ministries and programs fit into the plan.

Technology:

Too much paper, too many meetings, and too many "priority" programs are chief complaints. It is hoped that conferences will use technology to provide clergy and laity with resources, meetings, data, forms, and information that meet their direct needs.

Conference communications still need to include a conference newspaper or magazine in print form, as well as an electronic version of important stories and other information.