MAINLINE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP DECLINE CONTINUES, BUT MORE SLOWLY

The National Council of Churches has released their annual report on church membership in the United States. The report states: "The direction of membership (growth or decline) remains very stable. That is, churches which have been increasing in membership in recent years continue to grow and likewise, those churches which have been declining in recent years continue to decline." Aptly stated.

The report also stated that income across the churches decreased by $26 million.

Churches reporting a decline in membership included:
The Southern Baptist Church, 16,160,000, down .42%.
The United Methodist Church, 7,774,931, down 1.01%.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,542,868, down 1.96%.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, 2,312.111, down 1.%.
The Episcopal Church, 2,006,343, down 2.48%.
The American Baptist Church, 1,310,505, down 1.5%.
The United Church of Christ, 1,080,199, down 2.83%.

Those reporting an increase in membership included:
The Roman Catholic Church, 68,503,456, up .57%.
Jehovah's Witnesses, 1,152,686, up 4.37%.
Seventh Day Adventist Church, up 4.31%.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, up 1.42%.
Assemblies of God, up .52%.

More: www.wfn.org/2011/02/msg00045.html