The study of congregations is both descriptive and prescriptive. In the brief history of congregational studies, a thesis like this amounts to stepping into a minefield. Some ardently defend that such research should be purely descriptive and hold no further stake in the matter. Again, we may rightly doubt whether this really happens so neatly. Frequently, simply conducting field research, let alone sharing that information with congregants, initiates a process of local reflection and assessment that soon becomes a catalyst for change.
