Authors

• Church Research Institute

Keywords

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, civil partnerships, homosexuality, ordination of women, parishes, religions, religious ceremonies, religious communities, religious personnel, religious personnel

Abstract

The church employee survey studied the views of people working in the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Staff views were charted on worship service reform, confirmation training reform, parish activities, ordination of women, other religions and homosexuality.

First, the respondents were asked to rate the importance of a number of activities conducted by the parishes. The activities mentioned included graveyard maintenance, help phone, missionary work, confirmation classes, parish magazines etc. Some questions focused on the worship service reform, its goals and feedback from parishioners. Views were also probed on the successfulness of the confirmation training reform.

Personal opinions on the ordination of women were charted, as well as views on church blessing on same-sex couples and whether church ministers or youth, office or maintenance workers of the church could live together with a same-sex partner. One set of questions explored how positive or negative views the respondents had of other churches (e.g. Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, Evangelical Free Church) or of other religions/religious communities (e.g. Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, scientology, Buddhism, Mormons).

Background variables included the respondent's gender, year of birth (categorised), number of persons in the parish, diocese, job title, length of service in the church, type of municipality (urban or rural), and political party R had voted for in the 2003 parliamentary elections.