COVID-19 & Church-21: New survey
"In May 2020, the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education (MDCCE) conducted a survey measuring the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on adult churchgoers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The survey took place in collaboration with York St John University who were investigating the impact for churchgoers in England, Scotland and Wales. Now, in January 2021, we are launching a follow-up study called COVID-19 & Church-21.
The research team aims to get a sense of how clergy and lay people are coping after many months of varying restrictions. The blossoming of different forms of online and socially-distanced worship has shown the creativity of local churches, but also the variations in how much can be achieved. We would like to make a detailed audit of what has been done, how those who produce or access services feel about them, and what might faith in the future for adult churchgoers in Ireland look like?
A link to this significant online survey can be found below.
This online survey will take you about 20 minutes to complete. It is designed to be taken by people from any Christian denomination in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and you should receive questions relevant to your context once you indicate your denomination and where you live. Most of the questions simply require you to tick boxes, though there are options to specify your particular circumstances, and an opportunity at the end for you to tell us your views in your own words. Alongside questions about the pandemic and ministry there are sections which ask about you: these are important because they will allow us to see how the lockdown is affecting different sorts of people in different contexts.
The survey can be completed on mobile phones, though it is more quickly completed on devices with larger screens such as tablets or computers. You can access the survey using the following link: Covid-19 & Church-21 Survey
If you have any questions about this survey, please contact the research team. Contact details below:
Dr. Gareth Byrne, Director Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education, Dublin City University. Email: gareth.byrne@dcu.ie
Dr. Bernadette Sweetman, Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education, Dublin City University Email: bernadette.sweetman@dcu.ie
The Revd Andrew Village, Professor of Practical and Empirical Theology, York St John University;
The Revd Canon Professor Leslie J. Francis, Visiting Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, York St John University;
Professor Francis Davis, Professor of Religion, University of Birmingham.
Full ethical approval of this study was provided by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Humanities, Religion and Philosophy at York St John University."
Information taken from the Mater Dei website.