Usage of Christian media is much higher for Protestant clergy than for Protestant lay people, a new survey shows.
The survey, by Phoenix-based Ellison Research, found that 78 percent of Protestant churchgoers listen to music that is specifically Christian, and Christian music makes up about 42 percent of their listening choices. Ninety-four percent of Protestant ministers listen to Christian music, which makes up about 66 percent of their music choices.
The research suggests that Christian media’s wide reach is big business. “Secular corporations have been backing movies with strong religious themes, buying Christian publishing companies, and releasing albums from Christian artists,” said Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research.
But Christian media did not generate as much interest as secular choices among those surveyed.
Christian Web sites attracted 64 percent of Protestant churchgoers, which accounted for 20 percent of their total Internet usage. For pastors, 83 percent visit Christian Web sites, accounting for 51 percent of the sites they visit.
Only 44 percent of churchgoers read any Christian magazines, compared to 87 percent of clergy who read them.
Ellison Research conducted the survey using a representative sample of 806 Protestant church ministers with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percent, and a companion survey of 1,184 adults who attend a Protestant church at least once a month, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent.
The results was published in the July/August edition of Facts & Trends, published by LifeWay Christian Resources, a publishing entity of the Southern Baptist Convention.
