Southern Evangelical Seminary Responds to Revealing Statistics on Well-being of Church Attendees

‘The old adage that there is a hole in the human heart that only God can fill certainly takes on new meaning when faced with such strong evidence’

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— The Christian Broadcasting Network recently highlighted a poll by analytics firm Gallup on the positive correlation between church attendance and personal wellbeing. According to data from Gallup’s January Mood of the Nation survey, 92% of those attending church weekly reported being satisfied in life, compared to 82% of those who attend monthly or less. The difference is even more stark among those who say they are extremely satisfied in life, reported by 67% of weekly church attendees and only 48% of infrequent attendees.

Judge Phil Ginn, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES, www.staging.ses.edu), commented on these findings.

Ginn stated, “In a world that is hurting, there is at least some validation for those of us who hold our faith in God dearly and who seek to practice our faith on a regular basis.   

“According to a recent report, January Gallup data has found that regularly attending religious services ‘has a compelling impact on people’s life view.’ Further, the study suggests that those who attend religious services on a weekly basis are even far more satisfied with their personal life than those who infrequently attend. In fact, regular church attendance brings more satisfaction than material possessions and a yearly income of more than $100,000, according to the study. Go figure!”   

Ginn noted that this data validates what believers have long understood.

“Certainly, this data confirms what people of faith have claimed since the beginning of time. Those of us who seek and have a relationship with Almighty God live more contented lives than those who do not. Our God is a God of order. On the other hand, the gods of this world bring only chaos to the equation. The old adage that there is a hole in the human heart that only God can fill certainly takes on new meaning when faced with such strong evidence. Each of us longs for meaning that ultimately can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. As the world, and particularly America, plunges toward anarchy, maybe we would be well served to consider true faith as an alternative to the self-destructive pursuit of those things that can never bring real and lasting happiness and contentment.”

Ginn suggested that these insights should prompt Americans to evaluate society’s collective trajectory.

“Just maybe it’s time for America to stop and think about where we are heading as a nation,” Ginn commented. “This national insight can only come about through changing the hearts of individuals. At SES, we are all about training men and women to be Steadfast in the Truth. Not only that, but we teach them how to translate that truth to our hurting world that is made up of people who are longing for meaning in their lives. These are the ones who desperately need to hear about and know the true God who is the only power that can fill the God-void that exists in each of us.”