Publications [#255526] of Mark Chaves

Publications

1. Anderson, SL; Martinez, JH; Hoegeman, C; Adler, G; Chaves, M, Dearly departed: How often do congregations close?, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 47 no. 2 (June, 2008), pp. 321-328, WILEY, ISSN 0021-8294 [Gateway.cgi], [doi]
   (last updated on 2025/06/15)

   Abstract:
   We establish for the first time a national mortality rate for religious congregations by determining the 2005 status of congregations in the 1998 National Congregations Study sample. The annual mortality rate for religious congregations is 1 percent, which is among the lowest mortality rates ever observed for any type of organization. This unusually low mortality rate probably indicates an organizational population whose weakest members live on in a weakened state rather than an organizational population that is unusually robust all the way down to its most vulnerable members. © 2008 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.