The Agape Force Report 2011

THE DATABASE

It’s Origin
Back in 1998, I developed an Agape Force web site for the purpose of creating an alumni network. One of the features the web site had at that time was a directory of AF alumni with their email addresses. As this list grew, I began wondering if there was an “official” roster of those who served as staff members in the Agape Force out there somewhere that I could use as a guide to help me track down more alumni. I eventually made contact with Steve Harrison and he kindly emailed me the roster that he had constructed on a MicrosoftWorks spreadsheet. Not long after the AF web site was established, Ken Light started an AF email list. We used this AF roster as a tool for verifying the alumni status of those seeking to get on the AF email list. So, this roster has underwent a lot of updating and honing for more than a decade. I have since transferred the data over to an Excel spreadsheet and have added more data fields. So, this roster that Steve gave has evolved into a database that reveals statistical information that provides a lot of insight about who we were.

The Sampling Sizes & Statistical Accuracy
As is the case when one studies trends and patterns in any culture or society, the researchers base their conclusions on a random sampling of the data that is available to them. Few researchers have a 100% of all the data on the field they are researching. This study is no exception to that rule. All the stats that you will read in this report are based on a sampling. Suffice to say, the task of gathering information for this database is and will be an ongoing work in progress.

Tracking down data on about 800 people is no small task, so you can expect this report to be updated every year or few years. Having said that, the more information I receive from other AF Alumni in the upcoming years, the more accurate these stats will be. So the numbers that you will be reading in this report now will be based on the data that I have effective the date of this report.

Thanks to all of you who have given me information for the AF database up until now. Let’s keep working together on this.

THE AF STAFFER

The Profile
My best estimate is that there were 804 people who served as a staff member of the Agape Force from 1970 to 1989. The gender balance was 51% female and 49% male. The average length of service for an AF Staffer was 4.9 years. This stat is based on a 96% sampling. However the accuracy on most of the years of service from that 96% is questionable and needs additional verification which will be an ongoing activity.

The vast majority of Staffers were white, Americans from the Baby Boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964). There were Staffers representing other races, ethnicities, and nationalities. And, there were a few who were from the Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1945). However, I don’t have enough data yet to give any hard conclusive numbers. Hopefully, I will have something in the next report.

The average age one entered the AF was 24, and the average age of departure is 31 (21% sampling size). That statistic combines those of the Silent Generation and the Baby Boom Generation. The average ages for just the Baby Boomers are, 22 entering and 29 departing (20% sampling size).

As of yet, there is no record of anyone from Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) being a Staff member in the AF. Annette Applegate Lanson and Marc Dalton are believed to be the youngest of the Baby Boom generation to join the AF at age 17.
The Staffer Criteria

The criteria for an AF Staffer (as opposed to a Missioner or paid Employee) varied a bit over the years while the AF was in existence. However, this is the general criteria that I have established for this database that I have developed. A staffer usually (there are always exceptions) met all of the following:
1. He/she completed and passed the established AF training course, whether it was called DTI, AFTI or CSI;
2. He/she lived and worked under the discipline structure of the AF in a 24/7 environment.
3. He/she went door to door selling books and/or records in order to raise funds for the ministry.
From time to time, a Missioner or an Employee may have done one or more of the above. However, that would have been the exception, not the rule. Also, this database does not include those who completed one of the training schools and did not go on to join the AF.

Years of Service (YOS)
As far as this database is concerned, one’s tenure begins effective the year he/she entered in to one of the AF training schools. Also, the year one entered and departed the AF has been rounded out. For example, those who entered the training school in September/October would be credited the entire year. Subsequently, those who left the ministry early in the year, such as Janurary/February, they would be credited the entire year. The reason for rounding out the years is to keep the calculation process simple. Being that everyone entered and left at various times of the year, the stats will average themselves out anyway.

The Anthony Paul Factor
Around 1984, the idea of another organization spinning off from the AF for the purpose of becoming a for profit business was conceived. The name of the organization was called Anthony Paul and it officially became an organization in December of 1985. During that time, there were many AFers who went with AP upon its formation. As far as this database is concerned, the APer’s tenure with the AF is considered terminated after 1985 and their years of employment with AP from 1986 and forward is not figured in to their AF YOS.

The Deceased
Of the estimated 804 AF Staffers, I have record of 22 of them being deceased. Here is the list I have for those who are deceased:
Linda Adams
Dennis Britton
Fernando Castillo
Leonard Chastilaine
Kevin Chatwin
Charlotte Christian
Debbie Copeland
John Cordoza
Bob Gardner
Susan Ivanovich
Walter Jay
Jim Locke
Bob McWilliams
Rick Motter
Ray Nicholson
Mark Olson
Jeff Paul
Debbie Davis Pendergrass
Irvin Plummer
Gail Shoemaker
John Surma
Greg Vasquez
Let’s face it reality here, none of us are getting any younger and this list will continue to grow. So I can use all the help I can get keep it current. The dates of death (DOD) will be another field of data that I will be inquiring about.

AF MEMBERSHIP OVER THE YEARS

YEAR NUM. OF MEMBERS
1970 007
1971 032
1972 054
1973 095
1974 165
1975 251
1976 313
1977 364
1978 373
1979 350
1980 371
1981 377
1982 328
1983 287
1984 262
1985 120
1986 065
1987 046
1988 031
1982 014

AF MARRIGAGES

The Types of Couples
Of the 804 people who served as Staffers in the AF, 346 (43.0%) of them, served while being married for part of their tenure or their entire tenure. The 173 married couples who served In the AF have been divided into two categories. Those who joined the AF single and met their spouse and went through their courtship and marriage while serving in the AF. I call this group the After Couples. The other category is the couples who were already married before they joined the AF and joined as a couple. I call this group the Before Couples. The After Couples are by far the larger category with 124 couples. This comprises 71.7% of the AF couples.

There were only 49 Before Couples who served which comprised only 28.3% of the AF couples. The scope of this database does not include those who left the AF single and met and married their spouses after they left the AF. As interesting as a study as that would be, it would be very difficult to do because there are more variables to contend with.

The After Couples
Of the 124 After Couples, 93 of these couples have been accounted for. Meaning, the marriage statuses of these couples have been confirmed. Of these 93 couples, only 19 of them are divorced which gives us a divorce rate 20.4% (75% sampling size). The marriages of 7 of the 93 couples were ended with the death of one of the spouses, and of course those numbers are not figured in this divorce rate.

The Before Couples
Of the 49 After Couples, 13 of these couples have been accounted for. Meaning, the marriage statuses of these couples have been confirmed. Of these 49 couples, only 3 of them are divorced which gives us a divorce rate 23.1% (26.5% sampling size). The marriages of 2 of the 49 couples were ended with the death of one of the spouses, and of course those numbers are not figured in this divorce rate.

Conclusion
In total 106 AF married couples (including before and after) have been accounted for and only 22 of them are divorced which gives us a combined divorce rate of 20.8% (61.3% sampling size). I think an overall divorce rate of 20.8% is remarkable given that the divorce rate in mainstream society is about 50%. I think these numbers reflect well on the AF. The sampling size for the Before Couples is a little small as compared to the After Couples, but we will see how these numbers hold up as more data comes in.

Special Note
If you happen to know of an AF couple that is divorced, and are unsure if I have a record of it in this database, I ask that you let me know in a private message in order to maintain discretion and avoid any further embarrassment to the couple in question.

FINAL COMMENTS
As I stated before, this report is and ongoing work in progress and will be updated at least once a year. I am looking forward to making contact with more of you and getting more data on your YOS, DOB and other info. Thanks for your help.