True, but if someone has a problem with mainline beliefs, why would they go to a more conservative church with stricter dogma? People with higher levels of education tend not to be conservative.
@Seabeacon
I was never a member of a church with sacraments, but I think I understand the nature of this question. This isn't from a book, but its from window shopping a little bit. I think the reason some go to stricter churches is 1. they like hymns and tradition and not being fingered in services so they go Catholic 2. the mainlines are experimenting right now, mostly as a reaction to the loss of congregants over recent decades 3. Some of the mainlines are themselves encouraging stricter and more fundamentalist approaches, so they justify switching to more conservative churches. 4. Some people are afraid of too much liberalism, or they believe that there needs to be a line in the sand on certain issues. One man I knew (10 years ago) left his Episcopal church for the Catholic church over an issue pertaining to tithing or death penalty or something. I don't remember the details, but apparently there was some moral issue that he disagreed with; so he switched. 5. They don't like hymns and like the new service style. I can't understand this, but it happens. Someone leaves a nice church with hymns, because they want to dance up front. 6. Bible fundamentalism just appeals to people sometimes. They start reading and it just becomes their world.
Since mainlines have been losing congregants for a long time you actually can observe, right now, what the mainline reaction is; which has probably not been officially studied yet. I have visited a few mainlines and seen a few reactions and come up with a ballpark idea. Well one of the weaknesses of mainline churches is their seminaries. Their ministers all get the same education, so they all have the same solutions to obstacles. They are like thoroughbreds. So how are these thoroughbreds dealing modern obstacles that have been cutting into service participation? There are several major ways I think though there is a spectrum between.
A lot of them have begun to adopt tricks from the evangelical/charismatic manual. They are tossing out hymns and telling parishioners to be more fervent in singing and to lift their hands or act more joyful. They use guilt and tell everyone that they're stubborn or proud if they won't participate. They increase solo singing and incorporate the repetitive chanting with synthesizers that is today called 'Worship music'. They use more amplification in their microphones and crank up the ceiling fans during music services and encourage parishioners to feel passionately 'Close' to God during services. It is torturous to watch a church in the middle of this transformation. Some people leave and others stay. That is happening in mainline churches (as well as Baptist churches). I know a lot about this firsthand and have seen it in multiple churches in the South USA. Its hard on congregants but it pays the bills.
Other mainline ministers are incorporating ecumenical things into sermons. They preach about unity, about not judging others. They may or may not update their worship programs. They tend to be more liberal than other churches but can be politically very conservative. This can include some Baptist, some of the sacramental churches. Also some of the non mainline churches have been doing this lately in my area. These are solid but slow-growth strategies I think.
Some go Bishop Sponge's route. These ones decide that in order to stay relevant they must re-write Christianity top to bottom. These are borderline Universalist churches, except that they are Christianity where everything is a do-over. They try to take the 'Good' and throw away the 'Bad'. Well, obviously, not everybody agrees when this happens.
