Presbyterian Panel Survey, June 2016 - Environmental Stewardship, Clergy

DOI

10.17605/OSF.IO/4YTQD

Citation

Kopacz, J., & Chang, P. (2021, March 10). Presbyterian Panel Survey, June 2016 - Environmental Stewardship, Clergy.

Summary

The Presbyterian Panel consists of two nationally representative samples of groups affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): members of congregations and teaching elders (ministers of the Word and Sacrament). A new group of panelists are invited to participate every three years. Panel surveys are conducted quarterly, by mail or with an online completion option.

The Panel is maintained and directed by the office of Research Services of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The first Panel was created in 1973 to provide a means of informing leaders of the opinions and activities of Presbyterians across the church. Survey topics and questions are usually developed at the request of, and in consultation with, staff or elected members of national church entities. However, ultimate decisions on content and the disposition of Panel data are those of Research Services. Standards developed by the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) guide Panel surveys, and Research Services is a charter member of AAPOR's Transparency Initiative.

Care for creation has been an ongoing priority for the PC(USA) for many years. Environmental issues were again a part of the discussion at General Assembly 221 in Detroit. This ongoing concern led the executives of the six PC(USA) agencies to form an environmental stewardship working group. This working group has created a 'white paper' which outlines the environmental theology and policies of the PC(USA), as well as describes what each agency is doing (and can do) to protect and honor the environment.

This 'white paper,' titled Collaborative Agenda for Environmental Stewardship, has been adopted by each of the six agencies' boards, and has been sent to the 222nd General Assembly meeting (in 2016, in Portland), for the commissioners' endorsement.

This Presbyterian Panel survey on the environment was conducted by PC(USA) Research Services at the request of this working group, to supplement other aspects of their proposal for the 2016 General Assembly. This survey is the fourth full Presbyterian Panel survey to be completed by the 2015-2017 panelists. It consists of two nationally representative samples of groups affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): members and teaching elders. This particular study consists of 63 percent sampled and 37 percent volunteer respondents.


The ARDA has added four additional variables to the original data set to enhance the users' experience on our site.

Data File

Cases: 786
Variables: 228
Weight Variable: None

Data Collection

Feb 12, 2016 - June 2, 2016

Original Survey (Instrument)

Environmental Panel 2016

Funded By

Presbyterian Mission Agency, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Collection Procedures

A total of 6,059 panelists (sampled and volunteer) were invited to participate in this survey. Surveys were offered in English, Spanish, and Korean, and were distributed via both web-based and paper questionnaires. (The Spanish and Korean versions were only available as a web-based survey.) The paper questionnaire was mailed on Feb 12, 2016 to 4,451 individuals who were sampled to become panelists. A reminder postcard was mailed to all paper questionnaire non-respondents who had filled out at least one Panel survey before (n=646) on April 29, 2016. The web survey was distributed on Jan 29, 2016 via email invitation to 1,608 panel volunteers and sampled panelists who have requested web-based surveys. All web non-respondents were sent email reminders on Feb 11 and Feb 17, 2016. Returns for both versions of the survey were accepted through June 2, 2016.

Sampling Procedures

This is a quantitative study supported with qualitative responses. That is, the survey includes mostly closed-ended questions which are assigned numeric response values, but also includes a few open-ended questions to which respondents provide answers in their own words.

This survey is the fourth full Presbyterian Panel survey to be completed by the 2015-2017 panelists. It consists of two nationally representative samples of groups affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): members and teaching elders.

Principal Investigators

Joelle Kopacz, MA and Perry Chang, PhD.
In partnership with Six-Agency Environmental Stewardship Team

Related Publications

Research Services, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Environmental Stewardship: The Report of the Volume 1: 2016 Presbyterian Panel Survey. Louisville, 2016.