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Churchgoers want to hear more sermons with biblical instruction on sexual issues than pastors think they want. Forty-four percent of churchgoers want their pastor to provide more teaching from a biblical perspective on sexual issues. Just 22 percent of pastors think their congregation wants more teaching on this subject. An equal number of parishioners (44 percent) want to maintain the same level of teaching on sexual issues as they are currently getting.

The discrepancy between pastors and laity exists because pastors believe they are already preaching about sexual issues more often than parishioners realize. Eighty-five percent of pastors say they speak about sexual issues at least once a year, while just 63 percent of churchgoers agree. Among congregants who want more teaching on sexual issues, only 47 percent claim their pastor brings up this subject once or more a year. Perhaps this desire for more biblical exposition on sexual issues exists because pastors are not speaking forcefully or clearly enough while exposure to sexual images and messages in today's media is evermore heightened.

Of all the sexual issues listed in the survey, pastors believe that pornography addiction and sex outside marriage are inflicting the most damage on their church (see Graphic 2). Fifty-seven percent of pastors mentioned pornography addiction as a damaging issue. Pastors also see sex outside of marriage, whether for single adults (34%), married couples (30%), unmarried teens (28%), or divorced people (13%), as very damaging to their church.

Churchgoers were given the same list of sexual issues and asked to indicate which issues are most important to them personally. Again, pornography addiction came out on top with 36 percent mentioning it. Sex outside marriage is also a major concern, with sex among unmarried teens a greater concern for parishioners (34%) than for pastors (28%). Adultery is an issue for 28 percent and sex among single adults is a concern for 26 percent, which is slightly less than what pastors indicated. Three sexual issues of far greater concern to parishioners than pastors are abortion for unwed mothers (27% vs. 3%, respectively), homosexual/lesbian behavior (22% vs. 3%), and sexual abuse (17% vs. 9%).

Between May and July 2003, Christianity Today International conducted mail and Internet surveys of pastors and churchgoers. A total of 680 pastors and 1,972 churchgoers responded yielding a margin of error of plus or minus 4 and 2 percentage points, respectively. A complete copy of the 53-page report this article is based on can be purchased and downloaded today for $19.95 at www.bclstore.com/chandsex.html.

John C. LaRue, Jr. is vice president of research and development at Christianity Today International. Send questions by e-mail to yceditor@christianitytoday.com. Previous Special Reports can be found here.

Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today/Your Church magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Your Church.
January/February 2005, Vol. 51, No. 1, Page 88

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