Whether they leave out of preference for another ministry or due to serious conflict, pastors who relinquish parish ministry face misunderstanding and even hostility. "Pastors in Transition" brings clarity to this little-examined aspect of the pastorate by examining the main reasons why pastors in five Protestant denominations have left parish ministry.

The fruit of careful sociological research, "Pastors in Transition" presents the findings of the largest-ever study of recently ended ministries. More than 900 ex-ministers, representing the Assemblies of God, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Methodist Church, were surveyed or interviewed. Besides gathering facts and figures, the book contains personal stories, forthright opinions, and concrete recommendations from former pastors for strengthening parish ministry in the future.

Catholic Press Association Award Winner! Reports indicate that many newly ordained men are feeling demoralized and some are resigning. The accounts raised many questions. How widespread is the problem? What difficulties are the recently ordained priests facing? Is the problem due to changes in lay attitudes or to changes in the ordained themselves? Is the situation different from what it was ten or twenty years ago? The First Five Years of the Priesthood is a collaborative work of the National Federation of Priests' Councils and the Life Cycle Institute of The Catholic University of America that considers this phenomenon. It explores the experience of early priesthood and is based on a pilot survey of two groups - recently ordained priests active in service and those who have resigned. The research team minimized interpretative work on the findings and engaged credible voices in American Catholic life to write commentaries on the implications of the findings. The First Five Years of the Priesthood includes both the research findings and commentaries. Chapters are The Setting of the Priesthood Today," "Attitudes of Newly Ordained Active and Resigned Priests," "What Makes for Satisfied Newly Ordained Priests?" "Four Types of Resigned Priests," "Life Experiences of Newly Ordained Active and Resigned Priests," and "Recommendations Made by the Priests." Dean R. Hoge is a professor in the department of sociology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has done sociological research serving American churches for 31 years and has authored several books and articles on American religion.

This in-depth survey provides a vivid overview of the religious world of the Baby Boomers. The authors worked with a national sample of persons confirmed in the Presbyterian Church, examining the religious faith of Baby Boomers and exploring the reasons they gave for leaving or staying in the church. The authors identify eight types of young adults--half of them churched and the other half unchurched. Their findings provide some unexpected results.

This work covers a study of young adult Catholics aged 20 to 39. It compares Latino and non-Latino Catholics on a wide array of beliefs, attitudes, and practices.

Money Matters presents the findings of the largest and most incisive study of factors influencing church giving in America. The authors conducted an exhaustive study of church giving in five representative denominations: Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian. With detailed information from 625 churches, this book offers surprising conclusions about member contributions - and about the current condition of American churches.