Introducing the Head of Global Applied Sociology

As part of our commitment to bringing you the latest social-scientific research on religion, GCRR is proud to introduce the Head of our "Applied Sociology" division, Dr. Josh Packard.

Dr. Packard is an accomplished researcher, speaker, and academic studying the sociology of religion and new forms of religious expression. He has written numerous articles and given dozens of speeches about religion in America. He is also author, with Ashleigh Hope, of Church Refugees: Sociologists Reveal Why People are DONE with Church but Not Their Faith. He has a Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University after studying English as an undergraduate at Texas Lutheran University. He was the first in his family to go to college and never loses sight of the practical value that education and research can bring to the world.

Dr. Packard lives in Greeley, CO, where he  is also a professor at the University of Northern Colorado and serves as executive director of the Social Research Lab there.

We highly recommend checking out his influential book:

As millions of church members fall into inactivity each year, they've probably also started skipping church on Sunday.  We need answers—not statistics. We need to understand and hear from people who are leaving church so we can find a way to turn around the trend. This book uses in-depth sociological research to get to the heart of the issue. The data is collected from interviews with real people about why they left and who they really are. These aren’t the “nones” who have no religious affiliation. They’re the “dones” who’ve been faithfully serving in local churches for years. This is their story.

Partner with Dr. Packard

If you are, or someone you know is, a sociologist and would like to partner with Dr. Packard in conducting research into the sociology of religion, send him a message: info@gcrr.org

Also, Dr. Packard's Social Research Lab is staffed by seasoned, professional researchers. Their research firm can craft a customized  program evaluation, survey, needs assessment, or other research just for you and your organization.

Their expertise lies in combining the best of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Allow them to partner with you to design, research, and discover insights that will deliver for your organization and the young people you serve. Contact them to talk about how they can  get you the data and insights you need to make a difference.