| The purpose of this research is to determine whether a relationship exists among healthy growing churches and non-healthy growing churches with respect to the social responsibility of the church. A survey instrument was developed through a multiple response process including a survey instrument review by a five-person panel of experts and a pilot test using pastors, staff members, or laypeople of forty-three churches. Three hundred thirty-four participants of Southern Baptist churches in the United Sates were involved in the research. They returned responses about survey variables related to the social responsibility of the church for a factor analysis. By conducting the factor analysis, the researcher reduced the survey variables to four factors: relief services, personal development, community development, and systematic change.;This research shows that significant differences in a relationship between healthy church growth and social responsibility did not exist. Multiple analysis of variance tests were conducted to determine whether a significant difference existed between the social ministry score of the church and whether the church is a healthy growing church. Also, t tests were conducted to evaluate statistical relationships between factored groups and between each item of social responsibility in healthy growing churches and non-healthy growing churches. Finally, a logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine whether the subscales of social responsibility would predict healthy growth in a church.;The first hypothesis that no difference would exist between the level of a church's involvement in social ministries and whether the church is a healthy growing church was accepted. The second hypothesis that no relationship would exist between the various subscales of social responsibility and their relative ability to predict whether a church is a healthy growing church was accepted. |
