A Lesson from the Moonies

In the 1960s, sociology professor and expert Rodney Stark went to watch the spread of the Moonie cult in San Francisco. From the viewpoint of social science, he wanted to observe how a new and fledgling religion spread in a hostile environment, to better gain an idea about how early Christianity might have spread in the first century Roman world. His findings were startling.

During her first year, Miss Kim (the Moonie missionary to America) tried to spread her message directly through typical outreach events: talks to various groups, press releases, radio spots, and renting facilities for public meetings. These outreach attempts yielded nothing. The Moonies did grow, but it wasn’t through typical outreach methods. It was through their interpersonal relationships. Of all the people whom the Moonies encountered, the only ones who joined were the ones whose interpersonal attachments to members overbalanced their attachments to nonmembers. His conclusion? “Conversion to new, deviant religious groups occurs when, other things being equal, people have or develop stronger attachments to members of the group than they have to nonmembers.” Conversion in practical terms is less about theology and more about personal relationships. Since the 60s there have been dozens of empirical studies conducted that have backed up these findings.

What does that mean for Christianity today? In Stark’s own words, “The basis for successful conversionist movements is growth through social networks, through a structure of direct and intimate interpersonal attachments.” Growth primarily happens through the development of interpersonal relationships, as opposed to structured outreach events. I’ve seen this lived out numerous times, holding a ‘successful’ outreach event, only to not see anyone join the church because of it. On the other hand, when a new prospect came with a friend that was already a member, their chances of plugging in skyrocketed. I’d already sensed this truth. I just didn’t have the social science to back it up.

What’s the danger for churches today? “Most new religious movements fail because they quickly become closed, or semiclosed networks. That is, they fail to keep forming and sustaining attachments to outsiders and thereby lose the capacity to grow.” Am I preaching to the choir yet?

As churches, our potential for growth lies squarely in the ability of our members to maintain open interpersonal relationships with the outside world. If we discourage that or program against that (by filling up calendars with so many activities that Christians have no time to develop authentic relationships outside the church), then a church will slowly stagnate and die. It’s our choice.

* information comes from Rodney Stark’s book, The Rise of Christianity.