While many studies have examined the relationship between social ties and joining social movements and religious groups, few studies have investigated the relationship between social ties and the likelihood of exiting such groups. Additionally, research has not considered how geography affects the membership dynamics of geographically-based congregations, specifically whether factors associated with residential mobility may also affect congregational exit in geographically-based congregations. The purpose of this study is to examine how familial ties and place of employment affect congregational exit in geographically-based congregations. Drawing on social network and residential mobility research, this study hypothesizes that having parents and/or adult children in the same congregation and having minor children decreases the likelihood of congregational exit and working farther away from the congregation increases it. This study draws on longitudinal archival data from one Amish congregation in the Holmes County Ohio Settlement. It tests the hypotheses using logistic regression models. The results show that having one’s parents/adult children in the congregation and working close to the congregation are associated with a reduced likelihood of congregational exit. Having minor children in one’s household is not associated with congregational exit. This is one of the first studies to consider how geographical requirements for congregational membership has implications for congregational exit. Given the results, congregations may be able to increase member retention by creating multigenerational ministries that support extended families and by advertising in local places of employment. As occupations increasingly shift to being primarily outside the home, Amish congregations in particular may experience more member turnover and membership instability.

中文翻译：

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以地理为基础的教会中的家庭关系、职业位置和会众退出：阿米什人的案例研究

虽然许多研究都考察了社会纽带与加入社会运动和宗教团体之间的关系，但很少有研究调查社会纽带与退出此类团体的可能性之间的关系。此外，研究没有考虑地理如何影响基于地理的会众的成员动态，特别是与居住流动性相关的因素是否也可能影响基于地理的会众的会众退出。这项研究的目的是检查家庭关系和就业地点如何影响基于地理的会众的会众退出。借鉴社交网络和住宅移动性研究，这项研究假设父母和/或成年子女在同一个会众中并且有未成年子女会降低会众退出的可能性，而远离会众工作会增加这种可能性。这项研究利用了来自俄亥俄州霍姆斯县定居点的一个阿米什会众的纵向档案数据。它使用逻辑回归模型检验假设。结果表明，让父母/成年子女在会众中并在会众附近工作与会众退出的可能性降低有关。家里有未成年子女与会众退出无关。这是最早考虑会众成员的地理要求如何影响会众退出的研究之一。鉴于结果，会众可以通过创建支持大家庭的多代事工以及在当地就业场所做广告来提高成员保留率。随着职业越来越多地转向主要在家庭之外，特别是阿米什教会可能会经历更多的成员流动和成员不稳定。