Posted on 02/26/2009 4:24:12 PM PST by Grig
NEW YORK (AP) — Membership in the nation's two largest Christian church bodies, the Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention, declined slightly in 2007, according to the latest edition of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.
The Catholic church remains the largest body of believers in the U.S., with 67 million members, the yearbook said. But from 2006 to 2007 the church shed 398,000 members in the U.S. — a 0.59 percent drop. Southern Baptists reported 16.2 million members for a decline of 0.24 percent, or a loss of nearly 40,000 members.
Although the declines are relatively small, both churches historically have reported growth. The yearbook is published by the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical group based in New York.
Among the 25 largest churches in the U.S., four are growing, the yearbook found: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon church (up 1.6 percent), the Assemblies of God (up nearly 1 percent), Jehovah's Witnesses (up 2 percent), and the Church of God of Cleveland, Tenn. (up 2 percent).
Mainline Protestant denominations lost members, but were not alone in suffering declines. Those churches in the yearbook experiencing the highest rate of membership loss include predominantly white, mainline denominations the United Church of Christ (down 6 percent), the Presbyterian Church (USA) (down nearly 3 percent) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (down more than 1 percent).
A more conservative Lutheran denomination, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, reported a decline of nearly 1.5 percent. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church suffered a 3 percent drop.
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Heresy and doctrines of demons are on the rise.
If the economic downturn continues then look for church attendance to increase. It seems to happen in economic down turns as the people have less money to spend on weekend activities so they turn to the church as a means of family/social interaction. jmo.
No wonder main line denominational churches are declining, I like to see the numbers on non-denominational church growth.
LDS growth - hmmm, the “hosing” here on FR must be working
Why would anyone believe a census report coming out of the National Council of Churches? Is there a more left wing religious organization in the US?
This isn’t an Obama thread. :)
Are the Roman Catholic or Southern Baptist Churches members of the National Council of Churches?
The reason the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is declining is that we currently have horrible, horrible leadership at the top-level. Me-too marketing is never successful, and that is what our leadership is trying to do with our synod, making it ‘just like’ the other failing mainline denominations. Current leadership is ruining our synod with cheap advertising gimmicks that waste millions, while slashing support for our seminaries and our brave missionaries. We now also have a costly, bloated corporate headquarters full of do-nothing executive, ex-pastors who are have been bought off by the leadership. Meanwhile, faithful, confessional pastors have difficulty getting calls. This situation has been worsening for years as evil people have gained a stranglehold on the synod. It cannot go on much longer, IMO.
My S.B. church gets new members just about every week - must be those that have quit preaching the Bible that are losing members.
right, because it could NEVER be that the LDS still count those who have left or are inactive. /s
I remember when “children of record” were counted separately from baptized members.
I don’t know about Baptists but not Catholics, the National Council of Churches is way liberal.
that’s the first drop in Catholic pop.
No. Member Communions and Denominations
BTW, only about 46% of US Baptists are in churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. (Composite U.S. Demographics)
If a bunch of cafeteria catholics are bowing out, good. They can come back when they are in full compliance with the magestarium (spelling?). Better to have a smaller church with those on fire for the Lord than those who are defiant and causing scandal.
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