Rev. Robert "Cam" McConnell, First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan
Dr. Wesley Paddock, professor of Old Testament, Manhattan Christian CollegeKansans rank high in religion survey
By Paula Glover
MANHATTAN – In a recent survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life, Kansans ranked number 13 in the nation in placing religion as important in their lives. Utah was number 12 and the top ranked states, with the exception of Oklahoma, were all in the Deep South.
The Pew Forum measured four factors considered important to measure the level of religious commitment. Sixty-one percent of Kansans ranked “religion as very important”; 62 percent said they prayed daily; 77 percent said they had a “strong belief in God; but only 48 percent said they attended weekly church services.
There may be several factors contributing to the importance of religion in Kansas, local experts speculated. One might be that the state was settled by religious groups or that a small town Midwestern ethic promotes continues to promote the value of religion. But, despite the high ranking, there are still challenges facing religious groups in Kansas.
Wesley Paddock, a professor of the Old Testament at Manhattan Christian College and Father Frank Coady, director of liturgy for the Diocese of Salina and pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Salina, both mentioned that the state was settled by religious groups and that influence remains.
“Until about 30 years ago, each community maintained their religious identity,” Coady said. “Where the culture and religion coincide, it is easier to maintain that religious emphasis.” He noted in western Kansas in particular, the population is dropping, and no different ethnic or religious groups are coming in that might challenge the religious identity.
Paddock said he witnessed supportive interaction between a town and church when he was in Washington recently on a Sunday evening, and found the only place for a bit to eat was the local Lutheran church’s soup supper. “It was a fabulous soup supper, and I found out about it from a sign in the center of town,” he recalled. “When you arrive at a town in Kansas, you generally see a grain elevator, a water thank and a church’s spire,” he noted, often a Catholic Church. “It says something about the people who settled here, that they were willing to put such a commitment into building a church.”
Rev. Robert “Cam” McConnell is the senior pastor at Manhattan’s First Presbyterian Church. He has previously lived in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan. He said the “heartland’s religious values are reflected in the faith and work ethic” of members of the church in Manhattan. “There are talented and accomplished people here, with a deep humility.” Particular to Manhattan, he sees a strong connection between the faith community and the university, for the betterment of both.
“Even in the lowest ranked state, I’m sure you find religious vitality and vigor,” McConnell said. “Our lowest state is probably better than any European nation” in terms of placing importance on religion, he added.
When it comes to attending church services, all three men said it was important, but it represents a challenge facing religious groups today.
“When you talk about spirituality in the country, people think they can go for a walk on the prairie and that is time with God,” McConnell said. However, “as a pastor, I also believe that you find true spirituality in community, in the church, in helping people beyond your own walls, in the Body of Christ.”
While support from the community remains a positive factor, there is also competition from the greater culture that is a challenge.
“The religious scene now is completely different than when I was younger,” Paddock, age 70, said, “with multiple services each week and two week revivals. The attitude was if the church was open, you were there.” He noted it used to be that there were no Wednesday evening or Sunday school activities, and now that has changed. “The sports emphasis is so broad that it has crowded out a lot of other things,” he said.
Coady said that the social aspects are often more important than church and it is fruitless to fight against the greater culture. “It is better to work within the cultural forces,” he said.
“National statistics show that people believe in God, but don’t belong to an organized Church,” Coady said. “People distrust organizations in general, and they want to believe in God, but on their own terms.”
The state is only 20 percent Catholic, Coady noted, but it is still “religiously dishonest as a Catholic to say you want to be Catholic, but not belong to the church.”
While Manhattan Christian College benefits from the more religious emphasis of the state, Paddock said that students often come with a limited knowledge of the Bible, another deficit he’s noted over the years.
Just asking about belief in God is inadequate, Paddock said. He believes a better way of measuring the importance of religion is biblical literacy, and the answer to the question “Does your religious faith change your lifestyle?”
The Pew Forum survey measured 35,556 households in the United States, including all faiths, Christian and non-Christian. For more information on the survey, go to www.pewforum.org
By Paula Glover
MANHATTAN – In a recent survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life, Kansans ranked number 13 in the nation in placing religion as important in their lives. Utah was number 12 and the top ranked states, with the exception of Oklahoma, were all in the Deep South.
The Pew Forum measured four factors considered important to measure the level of religious commitment. Sixty-one percent of Kansans ranked “religion as very important”; 62 percent said they prayed daily; 77 percent said they had a “strong belief in God; but only 48 percent said they attended weekly church services.
There may be several factors contributing to the importance of religion in Kansas, local experts speculated. One might be that the state was settled by religious groups or that a small town Midwestern ethic promotes continues to promote the value of religion. But, despite the high ranking, there are still challenges facing religious groups in Kansas.
Wesley Paddock, a professor of the Old Testament at Manhattan Christian College and Father Frank Coady, director of liturgy for the Diocese of Salina and pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Salina, both mentioned that the state was settled by religious groups and that influence remains.
“Until about 30 years ago, each community maintained their religious identity,” Coady said. “Where the culture and religion coincide, it is easier to maintain that religious emphasis.” He noted in western Kansas in particular, the population is dropping, and no different ethnic or religious groups are coming in that might challenge the religious identity.
Paddock said he witnessed supportive interaction between a town and church when he was in Washington recently on a Sunday evening, and found the only place for a bit to eat was the local Lutheran church’s soup supper. “It was a fabulous soup supper, and I found out about it from a sign in the center of town,” he recalled. “When you arrive at a town in Kansas, you generally see a grain elevator, a water thank and a church’s spire,” he noted, often a Catholic Church. “It says something about the people who settled here, that they were willing to put such a commitment into building a church.”
Rev. Robert “Cam” McConnell is the senior pastor at Manhattan’s First Presbyterian Church. He has previously lived in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan. He said the “heartland’s religious values are reflected in the faith and work ethic” of members of the church in Manhattan. “There are talented and accomplished people here, with a deep humility.” Particular to Manhattan, he sees a strong connection between the faith community and the university, for the betterment of both.
“Even in the lowest ranked state, I’m sure you find religious vitality and vigor,” McConnell said. “Our lowest state is probably better than any European nation” in terms of placing importance on religion, he added.
When it comes to attending church services, all three men said it was important, but it represents a challenge facing religious groups today.
“When you talk about spirituality in the country, people think they can go for a walk on the prairie and that is time with God,” McConnell said. However, “as a pastor, I also believe that you find true spirituality in community, in the church, in helping people beyond your own walls, in the Body of Christ.”
While support from the community remains a positive factor, there is also competition from the greater culture that is a challenge.
“The religious scene now is completely different than when I was younger,” Paddock, age 70, said, “with multiple services each week and two week revivals. The attitude was if the church was open, you were there.” He noted it used to be that there were no Wednesday evening or Sunday school activities, and now that has changed. “The sports emphasis is so broad that it has crowded out a lot of other things,” he said.
Coady said that the social aspects are often more important than church and it is fruitless to fight against the greater culture. “It is better to work within the cultural forces,” he said.
“National statistics show that people believe in God, but don’t belong to an organized Church,” Coady said. “People distrust organizations in general, and they want to believe in God, but on their own terms.”
The state is only 20 percent Catholic, Coady noted, but it is still “religiously dishonest as a Catholic to say you want to be Catholic, but not belong to the church.”
While Manhattan Christian College benefits from the more religious emphasis of the state, Paddock said that students often come with a limited knowledge of the Bible, another deficit he’s noted over the years.
Just asking about belief in God is inadequate, Paddock said. He believes a better way of measuring the importance of religion is biblical literacy, and the answer to the question “Does your religious faith change your lifestyle?”
The Pew Forum survey measured 35,556 households in the United States, including all faiths, Christian and non-Christian. For more information on the survey, go to www.pewforum.org
Appeared in the Friday/Saturday edition of The Manhattan Mercury, Jan. 16.
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