United Methodist Communications recently surveyed more than 3,000 pastors and church leaders within The United Methodist Church to learn where they receive their denominational information and how they prefer to receive it.“United Methodist Communications is the agency charged with communicating the ministry and mission of The United Methodist Church,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “We continuously assess our methods and tools for engaging our audiences – especially at the local level.”
The survey revealed that, in general, United Methodist pastors and leaders now consider electronic media more important than publications as sources of information. An average of 79 percent of United Methodist pastors and leaders consider electronic denominational resources to be “very” or “somewhat” important to their work, compared to 68 percent who rate publications at a similar level of importance.
Respondents described annual conference Web sites, e-newsletters, and UMC.org as the denomination’s most important electronic media. Interpreter was the most recognized print publication, and respondents deemed it the most important in that category. (United Methodist Communications also offers Interpreter in digital format.)
Additionally, survey respondents indicated that they generally would like more information on church revitalization, leadership development, and welcoming and outreach. Eighty-seven percent said that they are “very interested” in the programs of the church.
Nonetheless, preferences for receiving that information vary by age group. Seventy-one percent of respondents under age 35 said they would support the conversion of UMC publications to digital, versus only 42 percent of respondents over age 65 who would support the conversion.
“This research is important as we develop new ways to make our messages more accessible and relevant to younger, more diverse audiences,” said Hollon. Hollon recently announced that United Methodist Communications will restructure its staff to focus more on developing content targeted at engaging youth and young adults, utilizing new forms of media, and strengthening related functions.
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