• Protestants are more loyal to toothpaste and toilet paper brands than they are to their denomination.
• Experience may play a big role in the decision of which church to attend.
• Catholics more loyal to denomination than Protestants.

Protestants are more loyal to brand names than their religious denomination, according to survey findings by Ellison Research, a marketing research firm.

The survey found that only 16 percent of Protestant churchgoers would absolutely stick to their current denomination while 51 percent express a preference to a denomination, but would consider others.

When it comes to toothpaste, 22 percent of churchgoing Protestants would only buy a certain brand of toothpaste and 64 percent prefer a brand but would consider others, according to the study. Nineteen percent are loyal to one toilet paper brand while 59 percent are partial to one brand but would consider buying others.

Ralph Del Colle, an associate professor of theology, agrees it's probably true that a good number of people switch denominations.

Del Colle said he can only venture as to the reasons why.

"If they find a congregation in which the pastor and people are welcoming, they feel they can be a part of it, there's good preaching, they might switch affiliations," he said.

Lowell Nelson, pastor of Calvary Chapel, 7368 N. Teutonia Ave., said he wholeheartedly disagrees that Protestants are disloyal to their denominations.

"You can't lump everyone into one group," Nelson said.

Tradition and familiarity are important to people, Nelson said. When someone wants to change denominations, there can be family pressure to not do so, said Nelson.

"Those that are churched are often entrenched in their church," Nelson said.

Most of the members of his nondenominational church were not previously believers before coming to Calvary Chapel, Nelson said.

Pastor Danny Parmelee of the non-denominational Epikos Church, 2308 E. Belleview Place, said he agrees there is no denominational loyalty in today's generation.

There is a consumerist culture in the sense that people are willing to look at different denominations, Parmelee said.

In the study, Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, said "Protestant denominations are simply facing what most companies face as they try to develop brand loyalty — consumers with many different options who may not perceive strong differences among those options."

"More people are basing their choice of church off of experience than doctrine," Parmelee said.

He said he believes this can be good or bad depending on how sound the church is in God's word. People do not know much theologically, Parmelee said.

Del Colle said he believes that experience is playing a big role in the decision of which church to attend.

Some denominational changes are unlikely to happen. Del Colle said there is a big shift between conservative and evangelical denominations to liberal or mainstream denominations. The move from Catholicism to Protestantism is more extreme than switching between various Protestant denominations, said Del Colle.

Six out of 10 Catholics would attend a Catholic parish, with 29 percent preferring Catholicism but being open to other denominations, according to the study.

Del Colle said he does not believe Catholicism is safe from this trend.

"I don't know Catholics have a stronger sense of holding people in church," he said.

Catholic bishops are concerned about Catholics leaving the church, Del Colle said.

In the report, Sellers said this may relate to there being fewer choices of Catholicism as compared to the numerous variations of Protestantism.

A reason for leaving the church could be due to divorce and remarriage, Del Colle said.