Date
4-7-2026
Department
Graduate School of Business
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Organization and Management (PhD)
Chair
Curtis Brandt-Smith
Keywords
Social Exchange Theory, evangelical churches, perceived organizational support, member attrition
Disciplines
Business | Christianity
Recommended Citation
Watts, Michelle, "The Shift in Stakeholder Attitudes Regarding the Importance of Membership in American Evangelical Churches" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8036.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8036
Abstract
The relationship between members' perceived benefits and attendance frequency in American evangelical churches was examined using a quantitative correlational design grounded in social Exchange Theory and the Flywheel Model. Declining attendance presents ongoing organizational challenges for American evangelical churches. Using a fixed correlational research design, data were collected via an online survey administered to adult evangelical church members across geographic regions, education levels, ages, genders, and urban areas. The survey included the established and adapted Perceived Organizational Support Scale and the Perceived Relational Benefit Scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and hierarchical regression to examine direct and moderating relationships among variables. Results indicated that reciprocal relationships, benefits compared to alternatives, and engagement were significant predictors of attendance frequency. Engagement and gender both moderate the relationship between benefits and attendance. Results suggest that social exchanges meaningfully influence member behavior and engagement. This study's results could contribute to the literature by advancing social exchange theory and the flywheel model in the context of evangelical church participation, and by creating a framework that anchors the flywheel model's abstract customer service concepts in a quantifiable form. Findings provide practical implications for church leaders through intentional investment in engagement strategies and relational value. The study concludes that the decline in attendance in American evangelical churches is not solely a geographic, generational, or cultural issue but is meaningfully influenced by perceived relational value.
