Application of the Pareto Principle to Participation in Christian Churches
Abstract
The Christian church has always encouraged participation of its members. The success of any church depends on how inclined its members are to volunteer their time and effort. This study aims to determine how church participation in Christian churches relates to the Pareto Principle. The Pareto Principle is an economic theory stating that roughly 80% of results come from 20% of causes. Of 166 Christian church leaders surveyed, 78.9% believe participation follows the Pareto Principle, meaning 80% of total participation is performed by 20% of the members. An extension study was conducted to determine if there was a difference among rural versus urban churches. Comparing churches in rural versus urban communities, no difference was found. Although a majority (56.6%) of church leaders in the extension study felt the Pareto Principle applied, this represented a 28.3% reduction from the previously reported 78.9%, demonstrating the impact COVID-19 has had on church participation.