This is a summary of the major findings of the 1988 survey of adult members of the Seventh-day Adventist church in North America. A full report is available from the Institute1. This paper highlights those findings of priority concern to church leaders.
Previous studies by the Institute in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry, have shown that Adventist youth are using drugs at a rate, which while lower than found among non-Adventist high school students, is still disturbing. Anecdotal evidence suggests that use of alcohol may be increasing among adults as well. Market studies of populations from which new members are drawn suggest that alcohol and tobacco use are likely to exist among many before they are baptized. Though use may cease at baptism, if addiction is present the person is at high risk of relapse and the addictive personality traits continue to pose problems. Family members also may be drug users.
A random sample of 5053 households was drawn from the mailing list for the NAD edition of the Adventist Review. A 6-page questionnaire, SSAE, and cover letter assuring confidentiality was mailed; two reminder mailings were done. Hispanic names received both an English and a Spanish version. The study was supported by the American Health/Temperance Association as well as the Institutes of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency, and Church Ministry.
Respondents. There were 2319 respondents representing 45.9% of the sample. The sample was 61% female, 84% caucasian, and 82% U.S. citizens. A sizeable minority (43%) were first-generation Adventists; however, only 1.3% had been baptized less than a year. Nearly 80% had been members over 10 years.
Opinions. Respondents showed evidence of a changing attitude toward use of alcohol and drugs. One-third disagreed or were undecided about whether the Bible clearly forbids all alcohol use. Fourteen percent agreed that use of wine or beer was socially acceptable in their congregation; another 5% was undecided. There was considerable concern about drinking by youth (68%) and agreement that the church needs a stronger prevention program (64%). Only 39% felt entirely comfortable discussing a personal alcohol/drug problem with their pastor.
Usage. Wine is currently (within the past year) being used by 12.4% of the respondents overall, beer by 8.1% and hard liquor by 6.8%; tobacco is currently being used by 5.2%. Abuse of tranquilizers is reported by 4% and cocaine use by 0.8%. Alcohol use is largely in social drinking (2/3 of users), but about 8.4% of wine users report addictive drinking patterns (daily or nearly daily) with another 14% drinking weekly. Fortunately, 60.4% still report never having used wine.
When present use of wine is examined by age group, an alarming upward trend in younger generations is noted. Current wine drinking by pre-baby boomers (age 44-65) is 9%; this increases to 19% among baby boomers (ages 30-43 years), and to 27% in the post-baby boom generation (under 30). Thus at least a fourth of young adult Adventists are currently drinking. These findings are similar to those from surveys done on two different NAD Adventist college campuses2.
If drinking wine is evaluated by length of church membership, some surprising results appear. Significant levels of drinking (18%) persist among those who had been members from 6 to 20 years. Only among respondents holding church membership for greater than 20 years did the level of drinking drop to 9%. Because long-standing members comprised almost 60% of the respondents, their low usage rates influence the overall rate making it only 12%. This finding reinforces the concern for intergenerational increases in drinking behavior.
Drinking is also affected by the home environment. If married to an Adventist spouse, only 8.7% of members drank wine. If married to a former Adventist, drinking increased more than two-fold, to 21%. Of those married to a non-Adventist, drinking was 27%. If the spouse drank, the respondent was over six times more likely to drink: 21% among those with drinking spouses compared to 3% by those with abstinent spouses.
Many adult members have high risk childhoods as shown below.
| Childhood Experiences | |
|---|---|
| One or both parents drank excessively | 19 % |
| Parents were separated or divorced | 20 % |
| Parents were extremely strict with me | 36 % |
| * I often felt like a social misfit | 31 % |
| * There were times when family violence occurred | 22 % |
| * There were times when I was physically or sexually abused | 13 % |
| * One or both parents were absent from home for long periods | 16 % |
Asterisked items were associated with greater likelihood of former and current drinking. Children of alcoholic parents were more likely to have been former drinkers, but were significantly less likely to be drinking now.
Family Drinking. Current family problems resulting from alcohol were also surprisingly common. Potential co-dependency was noted for spouses (10%), siblings (16%), children (10%), a parent (6%), or other adult relative (16%).
As a result of such drinking by a family member, 23% report experiencing marital strife and family break-up, 15% endure violent behavior with 3% reporting sexual abuse in the home, and 12% report severe parent-child conflict. Co-dependency is a serious concern for 1 in every 5-6 Adventists.
The church is experiencing an unhappy change with regard to its opinions, attitudes, and practices where addictive chemicals are concerned. This is particularly threatening because abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, and other narcotic drugs is the cornerstone of the Adventist health advantage. This change differs from other lifestyle changes which may be evident among members; it is not merely symbolic of liberalism. Few other lifestyle practices are as destructive of soul, body, and interpersonal relationships as chemical use and abuse. The problem is more frequent among younger members, forecasting greater difficulties in coming years. Immediate attention to these trends is warranted.
Where other family members use or abuse chemicals the degree of use increases, and serious family trauma results. Co-dependency is a surprisingly frequent issue for members; creating a special challenge to ministry. The church cannot hope to grow in numbers and vitality when a significant minority of members live in traumatic personal situations. Preparation of congregational leaders to assist with recovery from co-dependency is an additional priority.
1. McBride, D.C., Mutch, P.B., Dudley, R.L., and Julian, A.G. "Substance use and correlates among adult Seventh-day Adventists in North America." Technical Report 89-2. Institute of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI 49104. 1989.
2. Unpublished data, Institute for the Prevention of Addictions, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI. 1991, 1992.
