Doctoral defence: Ago Lilleorg "A Study of Church Growth Using the Example of Estonian Protestant Churches. Formulating a Church Development Strategy"

On 13 October at 16:15 Ago Lilleorg will defend his doctoral thesis "A Study of Church Growth Using the Example of Estonian Protestant Churches. Formulating a Church Development Strategy" for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Theology).

Supervisor:

dr. theol. Kaido Soom, University of Tartu

Opponent:

Professor Kati Tervo-Niemelä, University of Eastern Finland (Finland)

Summary

In the Western cultural context, particularly in Western Europe, the influence of Christianity has steadily diminished over the past centuries. In post-Christian Western societies, both the number of Christians and the proportion of active congregations are decreasing. A similar trend is evident in Estonia. Given that church membership is generally in decline in Estonia and more broadly across Western Europe, an inevitable question arises: what measures could help to slow down or even reverse this process – and do such measures exist at all? This dissertation seeks to address this question by examining growing churches in order to identify the characteristics that distinguish congregations which, contrary to the broader trend, are experiencing growth.

The dissertation "A Study of Church Growth in Estonian Protestant Churches: Formulating a Church Development Strategy" focuses on analyzing churches that have managed to grow despite the overall pattern of decline and the widespread disengagement from Christianity. The study is based on Estonian Protestant churches that experienced growth between 2003 and 2017, situating them in a broader context and comparing them in part with findings from the "Elust, usust ja usuelust" (EUU) studies. Their growth is examined within wider sociological and missiological frameworks, with the aim of identifying factors that promote sustainable mission work and, consequently, church growth.

More specifically, the research explores the features of church growth and the distinctive traits of growing congregations in order to determine which factors create favorable conditions for effective development and mission. The purpose is to provide both theoretical and practical support for churches, as well as to share empirically grounded insights with a wider audience, including scholars of religion and society.

The findings of this study indicate that the congregations studied strive for holistic and balanced development. This is characterized by a simultaneous focus on both God and on meeting human needs, linking internal spiritual growth with service to society, and a predominance of balanced members who value comprehensive development. The study also reveals a similarity with the church health model, which emphasizes the harmonious development of various aspects of church life. On the basis of these findings, a church development strategy was formulated, offering a theoretical and practical framework to support congregations facing the challenges of decline.