1969-1984
Beginning in the late 1960s, the Research and Statistics Department of the Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources) of the Southern Baptist Convention prepared periodic statistical and survey reports know as Baptist VIEWpolls for agency and state convention leaders of the SBC. The purpose of these opinion polls was to keep Southern Baptist leaders informed of the “pulse” of Southern Baptists on a wide range of social and denominational issues. Social issues addressed in the reports include abortion, the death penalty, divorce, gun registration, hunger, marijuana use, marriage, ministry to ethnic and language groups, national political issues, and race. Denominational issues addressed include the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, associational missions committee, attitudes toward the Cooperative Program, baptisms, bi-vocational pastors, Bold Mission Thrust, deacons, directors of missions, evangelistic visitation, midweek activities offered by churches, sponsorship of refugee families, starting churches, TELL witness training, and ways to improve preaching. The Baptist VIEWpolls contain both narrative and statistical information. The reports range from 7 pages to over 110 pages in length. Each report is any word searchable.
