Churchgoers Seek Control Over Offerings, Study Says : Finances: National look at five denominations indicates that parishioners are inclined to be more generous when they have a say over how money is spent.

Let the churches say what they want about sex--financial accountability is the issue that arouses more passion among American Christians when the collection plate is passed, according to a major new study of religious giving.

The national survey of nearly 11,000 Christians in 625 congregations found that denominational leaders’ headline-grabbing pronouncements on sex have little effect on how much people give each week.

Instead, what makes churchgoers reach deeper into their pockets on Sunday is the sense that they have a say in how the money is spent and are kept informed of the financial affairs of their congregations.

For the Roman Catholic Church, the study punches a hole in the theory that parishioners’ relatively low rate of giving reflects discontent with church teachings on birth control and abortion. The study instead reveals a strong desire for a more democratic approach to parish finances.

In more than two-thirds of the Catholic parishes surveyed, the pastor had the final say over the budget. However, 78% of Catholics surveyed said lay people and clergy should handle financial matters jointly. Only 9% wanted to leave finances to priests only.

“In the old days, it felt natural that the clergy ran the whole show,” said sociologist Dean Hoge of Catholic University of America. “But it doesn’t feel natural to the American Catholic laity anymore.”

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Researchers Michael J. Donahue of the Minneapolis-based Search Institute, Patrick McNamara of the University of New Mexico, Charles Zech of Villanova University and Hoge reported the findings of the 1993 study at the annual meeting of the Religious Research Assn.

The Lilly Endowment-funded project, which Hoge called the most comprehensive look at church giving yet, examined 125 congregations in each of five denominations--Assemblies of God, Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist Convention, Evangelical Lutheran and Presbyterian. In addition, 10,902 members of the congregations were surveyed by mail.

In a finding consistent with past studies, Catholics gave far less than members of other churches, even though their incomes were higher than all but Presbyterians.

The average contribution per household reported by congregations ranged from $386 for Catholics to $1,696 for Assemblies of God members. Baptist households gave an average of $1,154. Presbyterians were next with $1,085 per household, followed by Lutherans at $746 per household.

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In the mail survey of church members, which was not a random sample because those queried were among the most active and the highest givers in their congregations, Assemblies of God members reported giving $2,985 per household, with Baptists giving $2,479, Presbyterians $1,635, Lutherans $1,196 and Catholics $819 per household.

As expected, regular churchgoing and high incomes were predictors of larger levels of giving. Giving also generally increases with age, with the biggest givers 45 to 75 years of age.

But the study also found that controversial positions on issues of sexuality or public policy did not hurt church giving. The only correlation found was that Catholics who agree with the church’s stand on abortion tended to give slightly higher percentages of their incomes to the church.

What church members responding to the study did indicate, however, is that churches that want them to give more should be prepared to give them a say in how the money is spent.

Catholics expressed the greatest dissatisfaction with being left out of financial decisions.

For example, while approximately three-quarters or more of Protestant respondents reported a democratic process for reaching important decisions, fewer than half of Catholics said such decisions are made with open discussion by church leaders and members.

Similarly, more than two-thirds of Protestant respondents said members have enough influence in how church money is spent, compared with 48% of Catholics who said they had enough influence.

Catholics who strongly approved of the decision-making processes in their congregations reported giving $1,220 a year, while those who strongly disapproved gave $742 a year.

In parishes where members felt strongly that there were opportunities for lay leadership, Catholics gave $1,145 a year, compared with $569 a year among Catholics who did not perceive clear opportunities for lay leadership.

Laurence Iannaccone, an economist from Santa Clara University, said it is unclear why Catholics don’t contribute more, but added that changing their habits may also be difficult. “I’d be surprised if something as straightforward as changing the sense of ownership would do the trick,” he said.