800 voting members is “massive”?
Yeah I thought the description of “massive” was a bit exaggerated myself. Though 800 members voting at a single meeting would be a larger than average congregation.
In a Methodist church? Yes. Numbers are plummeting.
In a state of two million with 40% black population 800 is large
This ain’t Houston
My grandfather-in-law was the pastor of a large Atlanta Methodist church - Druid Hills Methodist. Several thousand members at its height. Enormous physical plant with a church that seats 850 (3 services), four-story Sunday School and office building, expansive grounds, a rector's house, etc.
The membership has collapsed - in 2016 DHUMC merged with Epworth UMC to form "Neighborhood Church", for a grand total of *80* members - and are holding services in Epworth's much smaller building near Candler Park. It's of course radical, aggressive pro-LBGTWXYZ - but that's not surprising in Atlanta-Midtown.
DHUMC is a protected historical building so could not be wrecked out. Minerva Homes bought it and turned it into very pricey intown condos - $600K to $1.1M.
Yes, considering most modern UMC congregation’s number a few dozen.