Church growth continues for Catholic and Pentecostals; six mainline denominations decline

Church Central ^ | March 19, 2004

[NYer]

LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The newest edition of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, a publication of the National Council of Churches, ranks the three largest U.S. churches as the Roman Catholic Church (66.4 million members), the Southern Baptist Convention (16.2 million) and the United Methodist Church (8.3 million), according to PCUSA News.

Four of the top 25 denominations now are Pentecostal. The yearbook editor, Rev. Eileen Lindner, the National Council deputy general secretary for research and planning, says that "reflects the continuing increase in numbers of adherents to Pentecostal traditions.

The four top Pentecostal denominations are the Church of God in Christ, the Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and the Church of God. Seven of the largest 25 denominations are predominantly African-American churches.

The major U.S. churches that recorded growth between 2001 and 2002 included the Catholic Church (No. 1), the Southern Baptist Convention (2), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (5), the Assemblies of God (10), the American Baptist Churches in the USA (19), Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (23) the Jehovah’s Witnesses (24) and the Church of God, new on the list at No. 25.

Six of the top 25 churches reported membership losses: the PC (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and the United Church of Christ.

The fastest-growing Protestant church was the American Baptist Church, whose membership increased by 2.87 percent.

Also reported in the 2004 yearbook, despite a well-documented clergy shortage, the number of students enrolled in theological institutions continues to grow.

Also increasing, is per capita giving, by an average of 5.6 percent, within churches.

[NYer]

Laetare Sunday Ping!

[B Knotts]

Six of the top 25 churches reported membership losses: the PC (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and the United Church of Christ.

Interesting. I'd say that these all tend to be fairly liberal communities (at least in the leadership), save one. I wonder why LCMS is shrinking.

Who was it that said something like "who needs a Church that simply embraces his own sinful behavior?" I wish I could remember the exact wording; it was a brilliant observation.

[sinkspur]

The major U.S. churches that recorded growth between 2001 and 2002 included the Catholic Church (No. 1),

How can this be? I'm told, on a daily basis right on this forum, that the Catholic Church is shrinking like a slug on a salt lick.

Perhaps somebody doesn't know what he's talking about?

[St.Chuck]

Perhaps somebody doesn't know what he's talking about?

I think you are on to something.

[RFT1]

The growth of the Catholic church comes completely from immigration, both legal and illegal, also the Catholic church does not purge its membership files, even if someone has not sat in a pew in years.

[Between the Lines]

The way most churches pad their attendance and membership rolls, this data is useless.

[redgolum]

There is a big fight brewing between two factions in the LCMS. One focuses on the sole leadership of ordained pastors, the other on more of a lay ministry focus. I doubt the two sides will remain together very long, as the Yankee Stadium issue with Pastor Beneke illustrates.

Also, remember the LCMS was founded as an American Lutheran church for those of German descent, mainly in rural areas. As the population demographics change, so has the church memberships. There is a LOT of growth in some congregations, my own is looking at planting another church her in Lincoln because we can't hold enough services to get every one.

[Desdemona]

What good are granaries filled with chaff?

What good is served by judging people.

[ultima ratio]

How can this be? Easy--Mexican immigration.

[Tantumergo]

How's your RCIA class going this year in terms of numbers?

Any idea of how many will be coming into the Church in the US at Easter? I understand it was about 120,000 last year.

I think a certain movie might help those figures escalate over the next couple of years.

[sinkspur]

We've got 18 coming into the Church at Easter; 10 are Christian converts, and 8 will be newly baptized.

Our new inquiry class, beginning right after Easter, already has 18 enrolled, and another ten who've indicated they'd like to attend but just haven't signed up.

[Desdemona]

It all bothers me, but at the same time I recognize that it's also almost all outside my control. I don't let it rule my life. I take care of myself and do the best I can at living as Christ would have me do, set an example if you will.

That's all any of us can do other than pray for the "chaf".

[walking in truth]

Truth judges!

I think Mother Angelica said this once on her EWTN show.
Our own Bishops at their last meeting said 95 per cent of Catholics contracept. Most Catholics in the U.S. are Catholics in name only.

[dangus]

Actually, the growth in the last two years was more than can be explained by immigration. And the Church *does* regularly purge its membership files. The reason some estimates of the number of Catholics are too high is because they often ask in surveys, "what religion are you," and former Catholics will frequently answer Catholic long after they have left the faith, or taken up a new one (as in Presybterian Wesley Clark, New Age freak Dennis Kucinich or apostate John Kerry.)

Mind you, this survey does not measure church *attendance,* only membership. I do suppose attendance has dropped; it dropped drastically, for instance, in the 1970s. But it is still noteworthy if the Catholic Church is gaining members faster than she loses them even in the present crisis; it means that there are people out there reaping a harvest!

Likewise, one can be misled reading that seminary enrollment is at an all-time high, but it is nonetheless a positive sign that the long, devestating collapse in vocations has finally turned around.

[tiki]

I beg to differ. There is not one immigrant in our OCIA class and it has 14 people in it and there has not been one immigrant in it since I have attended this Catholic Church.

I work in the office and the files are purged constantly. If anyone received any of the Sacraments at our church it is on file and will remain on file but our membership contains only those who have filled out a membership form in our parish. It doesn't contain those who left the church, left town, or died and if anyone asked what our membership was it would be correct within 1 to 2 percent either way.

I would imagine that most parishes are operated this way.

[dangus]

>>I wonder why LCMS is shrinking. <<

It's too cold to make babies in Minnesota.

[Tantumergo]

Excellent news!!!

Are the un-baptised coming from non-Christian religions or are they just "nothings" at the moment?

8 is a good number for adult baptisms - are you doing anything specifically to reach out to the unbaptised?

[dangus]

I think the ground troops are in place. There is much greater religious ferver in the new generation than among the baby boomers. Pray for the generals: Rinaldi looks promising; O'Malley looks like discouraging.

Devotions and pieties are way up, and the new morality is not just a protestant thing... The explosion in teenage chastity rates seems across the board, for instance.

[dangus]

And Augustine (i think) said that one man in 1,000 avoids mortal sin. Same as it ever was.

[RFT1]

The information comes from the various dioceses. For example, the San Jose California diocese has around 600K baptised Catholics in its territory, but at the very most, and the diocese did a study on numbers, 100K pack the pews every Sunday, not that different from the numbers the area had 30+ years ago when it was part of the San Francisco archdiocese.

It is great some parishes do well in RCIA, hopefully they are traditional leaning, but it would be at best dis honest to say the Catholic church in the US is well because of increasing numbers, without immigration, the Catholic church would probably be under the number it had in 1970.

[RFT1]

As with Abp. Dolan of Milwaukee, people need to give Abp. O Malley at least a couple of years before they make a more complete judgment on the perfomence of them. Both of these Bishops have a big cleanup job in front of them. One big change is it seems Cardinal George is being more out front on "culture war" issues.

[Desdemona]

It's too cold to make babies in Minnesota.

Ah....nevermind.

[sydney smith]

How can this be? Immigration---idiota!

[dangus]

>>Ah....nevermind.<<
*chuckle* Good idea.

[dangus]

>> Hmmm. I won't find this fact especially encouraging until the lavender mafia is purged from its death grip on many seminaries. What good does it do to churn out more priests of Sodom? <<

Yes, but the Lavendar seminaries are empty; it's the "good" diocese that are churning them out.
Really, if a Protestant said something like that we'd jump all over him, someone would complain to the moderator, etc., etc.
The cynicism is choking!

[dangus]

I like George; I like Dolan. O'Malley just seems to be turning again and again to the secular pop psychologists that screwed everything up in the first place.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

The immigrant Hispanics are no longer a slam dunk. While the majority are still Catholic many of them are not actively practicing. It's more of a cultural Catholicism. Second, there is a growing segment of the Hispanic population which is being wooed away by evangelicals, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.

What we are gaining in Protestant converts we are losing in cradle Catholics. Catholics should be concerned.

[RFT1]

The problem with ministering to Hispanics in the uS as far as the church is concerned is all too often it is the "Peace & Justice" wing of the church that dominates ministry to them, and with this, I do not blame many Hispanics for looking elsewhere, and truthfully, they very well be getting far more or the truth being Evangelicals than being ministerd to by "peace & justice" Catholics.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

is all too often it is the "Peace & Justice" wing

Absolutely. There is a lot of liberation theology and sympathy towards the Central American revolutionaries particularly in the SF Bay area.

[sinkspur]

How can this be? Immigration---idiota!

Illegal immigrants register in parishes?

Yeah. Uh-huh. Sure.

Sorry, guys. That's not even close to reflecting reality.

[fidelis]

This assertion is so laughable, it almost doesn't dignify a serious response. If I were desperate to to discredit Catholicism and take a swipe at illegals, I'd use this.

[xzins]

This survey says it counts "membership."

Membership is an entirely ineffective means of determining the growth of a church. Why? Because the methods of "ending membership" vary so widely and in some instances it is virtually impossible to "end" someone's membership.

The only accurate count (and helpful count) would be that of worship ATTENDANCE at the principal weekly worship service.

Don't tell me about your 1000 members when you've only got 200 in the pews on Sunday morning.

[RFT1]

FYI, I am a Roman Catholic, and even the USCCB itself has more or less said most of the growth in church numbers have come from immigration in the past 30 years.

[Blessed]

How many people do you average in attendance on a Sunday?

Our Baptist Church has an average Sunday attendance of 1200 and we Baptise about 120 people a year.

Just trying to get a feel for relative comparisons.Their are a number of Baptist Churches our size that have more and many that have less.

[sinkspur]

Our average Sunday Mass attendance (at six Masses) is 4500. We brought 42 adults into the Church, and baptized 43 children.

You're increasing your membership by 10% a year, which is unbelieveable.

[bobjam]

The best data is average Sunday attendance. ECUSA claims 2.5 million members, but in reality it only gets about 700,000 to 800,000 a Sunday.

[connectthedots]

Non-denominational evangelical Christian Churches are growing the fastest.

[fidelis]

I live in a smallish town in the Phoenix area. Our parish church holds 1200, we have five weekend masses with standing room only so that's about 6000 a weekend attendance. We baptize about 80 adults a year, not to mention about a dozen babies and children every weekend.

[sydney smith]

Who said anything about "illegal" immigration?

[patent]

I'm not judging anybody, just wondering what good it is to pack a Catholic church with CINO pagans.

LOL. You say you aren’t judging anyone, and then you make a rather unsupportable claim that the new Catholics are CINO pagans. That is textbook judging, and its made on people you don't know.

In my limited experience, they aren’t. Most of those converting to the Church are pretty serious about it, and anything but CINOs or pagans. I’ve met several who have had families disown them when they become Catholic. But of course, they must be CINOs, as you said so.

Does it bother you that no president in this country can be elected without the Catholic vote, and we voted Clinton in twice? Does it bother you that the majority of Catholics vote pro-abortion candidates into office?

BS.

OK, my now standard and saved response:

So how do the Catholics who attend Church vote? A survey during the presidential election for a group called “catholics for a free choice” (or as Catholics like to call them, “heretics are us”) found that Gore was winning among “Catholics who attend church [sic] infrequently (45%-39%) or hardly at all (53%-31%).” On the other hand Bush was winning among “frequent churchgoers (52%-33%), who represent Bush’s strongest voting block among Catholics.

That, of course was a pre-election poll. Post election polls indicate the gap was even larger:

"Among religiously active Catholics, who have a discernible political identity in contrast to the nonreligiously active, Bush won by 55 percent to Gore's 24 percent," Wagner wrote, citing private polling by his firm, QEV Analytics, and Penn Schoen & Berland Associates Inc. "This was the best Catholic showing for a Republican presidential candidate since 1972, equal to Ronald Reagan's 1984 showing and better than his 1980 showing."

Wagner's findings are supported by broader trends: The more religious a voter is (based on church attendance), the more likely the voter is to be a Republican. At the two extremes, voters who attend services more than once a week voted for Bush by 63 percent to 36 percent, said VNS, while those who never attend services voted for Gore, 61 percent to 32 percent.

According to the polling active Catholics voted MORE THAN TWO to ONE (thats 2-1) for Bush over Gore. MORE THAN! Not to mention the 21% not mentioned in this Poll, most of whom found Bush entirely too liberal. When you assume that Catholics vote for Democrats you are falling into a standard media trap. The media hypes up this “Catholic vote” in an effort to convince both Catholics and Protestants that there is a difference between them, and that they can’t trust each other. They try to drive a wedge, and you help by repeating the stereotype. The media finesses this by never telling you that they are polling both apostate Catholics and Church going Catholics, and lumping the two together. Gee, what effect do you suppose that will have on the results? But the fact is that both Churchgoing Protestants and Catholics vote conservative. By a nearly 2-1 margin, and even better than that for active Catholics.

it bother you that the Blessed Sacrament is routinely treated with totall irreverence and the Pope is defied by the Amchurch clergy?

Well, in my diocese we have what must be a dozen or more parishes with perpetual adoration. I don’t see the Blessed Sacrament treated with total irreverence. I know it happens somewhere, but your rather bleak picture doesn’t seem to match reality everywhere. And I wouldn’t consider my diocese to be conservative.

patent  +AMDG

[patent]

How can this be? Easy--Mexican immigration.

Which no doubt bugs you endlessly.

patent  +AMDG

[patent]

>>I wonder why LCMS is shrinking. <<

It's too cold to make babies in Minnesota.

LOL. I view it differently. Sometimes its so cold that it is better to stay home than to go out. We have had four babies so far. ;-)

patent  +AMDG

[patent]

You're increasing your membership by 10% a year, which is unbelieveable.

Sorry to nitpick, but that isn’t necessarily what she said. Baptizing 120 each year does not imply that the numbers are growing by the same each year. You can baptize 120, but if only half attend, and you lose 2% of your congregation to normal attrition, you only gain 3%. Same for us, we can baptize, but that is only the start of the fight. The only way to know for sure is to look through the records from year to year, if those records record who actually still attends or considers themselves a member. Its probably rare for a parish to actually compile and publize that statistic.

All that said though, I don't mean to cast doubt on 10% growth, its entirely believeable. My parish did that for a couple years, but has now stabilized at a bit slower growth rate.

Speaking of which, sounds like great news for your parish, congratulations.

patent