The Lewis Center seeks to advance the knowledge and practice of church leadership with targeted research on issues that are vital to the church today. Our research seeks to discern the actionable strategic insights that can guide the church toward enhanced service, vitality, and growth.
Services for Conference Leaders
We offer a range of services and resources to assist bishops, cabinets, and other annual conference leaders respond constructively to the challenges of the church today. We offer data analysis that builds on the Center’s existing knowledge base pertaining to the critical subjects of congregational and denominational vitality and growth. Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., can meet with your cabinet and others to discuss research findings and help you evaluate the actionable strategic insights necessary to guide the church toward the future.
Religious Workforce Project
The Lewis Center has launched a national study of the religious workforce in the United States. Funded with generous support from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Religious Workforce Project will study congregations to provide the most in-depth understanding of how they carry out their missions. The project will also compile the most comprehensive database on congregational economics and staffing.
Research Reports
- Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church
- Lay Staff Ministry in the United Methodist Church (2011) [PDF]
- Reaching More Diverse People in the United Methodist Church (2011) [PDF]
- Second Pastor Study: Findings about Pastors Who Follow Founding Pastors (2010) [PDF]
- Pockets of “Youthfulness” in an Aging Denomination (2009) [PDF]
- The Journey from Readiness to Effectiveness: An Ongoing Survey of the Probationary Process in the United Methodist Church Second Edition (2005) [PDF]
Is There an Ideal Age for Clergy?
Does an Aging Population Explain High Clergy Ages?
Number of Young Elders in the United Methodist Church Reaches a Record Low Number in 2023
Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church: 1985-2023
Still Fewer Young United Methodist Elders in 2022
