Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Second Advisor

Dr. Denise Casey

Abstract

The church as a faith community seeks to expand interpersonal and ethical communication by inviting new members. However, much of the effort to successfully communicate with non-attenders has fallen on deaf ears as the church in the United States has seen stagnant growth over the last few decades. This study considers the various tactics employed by the faith community to overcome this malaise and attract new people by asking how new churchgoers choose a church. Using source credibility as the theoretical basis, this study attempts to show that most churchgoers choose a faith community based on the pastor’s source credibility; that is, his or her ability to communicate in a trustworthy and expert manner as perceived by the listeners. Further, it addresses the role of communication through websites, social media, Facebook, and other online tools and their effect on church attendance, and, finally, asks non-attenders why they choose not to attend or participate in the faith community. These findings should be helpful in better defining what attracts people or does not attract people to the faith community as a whole and can be used to refine the faith community’s attempt to communicate with non-attenders and retain current attenders.

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