Research Findings
Partners for Sacred Places , along with the Institute , found that on average , one rural United Methodist Church in North Carolina generates $ 735,800 in annual economic impact . For the 1,283 rural UMCs in North Carolina eligible for Duke Endowment ’ s Rural Church program , the economic impact totals over $ 944 million annually .
Given that any calculation can be affected by outliers at either end of the spectrum , an alternative way to determine value would be to remove churches with the lowest overall economic contributions and remove churches with highest overall economic contributions . If this approach were taken , the total sample size would be 69 congregations , the middle 80 % of the original sample . And the average annual economic contribution per congregation would be $ 488,598 . Applying this to the wider group of 1,283 churches , this represents a total of $ 626 million across North Carolina each year .
Overall , the research shows that rural Methodist churches contribute to economic life in a significant way :
• Rural United Methodist Churches support jobs and local businesses .
• Congregations are community hubs , providing a variety of flexible and affordable space that encourages neighbors to come together to solve problems , serve and be served , and build social capital .
Partners for Sacred Places , along with the Institute , found that on average , one rural United Methodist Church in North Carolina generates
$ 735,800 in annual economic impact .
• Congregations are important supporters of early childhood education and provide valuable childcare services in areas underserved by childcare centers .
• Congregations counsel , support , and make referrals for individuals and families struggling with a range of issues .
• UMCs are also a magnet for visitors , attracting on average , 195 visits to its town or locale each week . In fact , only half of these visits ( 53 %) were for worship activities , while the other half were by individuals attending an event or participating in a program .
Churches support their community outright , by employing , on average , 1.4 fulltime employees , and 4 part time employees . They purchase goods and services from a network of local small businesses and individual vendors , supporting an important community economic ecosystem .
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