Posted on 02/21/2011 10:52:36 AM PST by Titanites
The 2010 Yearbook from the National Council of Church USA is out and the news continues to be good for Catholics.
The Catholic Church, the nation's largest at more than 68 million members, reported a slight membership loss in 2009 (for the year 2007) but rebounded . . . with a robust growth of 1.49 percent in 2008.
Other groups that posted significant gains were the Mormon Church (Latter Day Saints) which grew 1.71 percent to 5,873,408 members and the Assemblies of God grew 1.27 percent to 2,863,265 members.
The big losers: mainline Protestants continue their slide
Presbyterian Church (USA), down 3.28 percent to 2,941,412; American Baptist Churches in the USA, down 2 percent to 1,358,351; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, down 1.92 percent to 4,709,956 members.
The 10 largest churches were
1. The Catholic Church, 68,115,001 members, up 1.49 percent.
2. Southern Baptist Convention,16,228,438 members, down 0.24percent.
3. The United Methodist Church, 7,853,987 members, down 0.98 percent.
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5,974,041 members, up 1.71 percent.
5. The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no membership updates reported.
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc, 5,000,000 members, no membership updates reported.
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,633,887 members, down1.62 percent.
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., 3,500,000 members, no membership updates reported.
9. Assemblies of God (ranked 10 last year), 2,899,702 members, up 1.27 percent.
10. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 1(ranked 9 last year), 2,844,952 members, down 3.28 percent.
(Note that the LDS Church is #4 and growing.)
FYI: The Episcopalian Church is #15 and the Greek Orthodox Church is #17 with 1,500,000 members on the books (although I've been told by insiders that actual attendance at Divine Liturgy is a small fraction of the official number)
Not surprisingly, congregational giving was down:
"The financial reporting in the 2010 Yearbook is based on the financial income reports of the 64 churches reporting. The almost 45 million members of these churches contributed almost $36 billion, showing a decrease in the total income to the churches of $26 million."
>>Yea she sure is with 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren and more on the way!<<
Amen!
I truly feel that the sign of a loving family is having a ton of grandchildren who have a ton of great-grandchildren!
Didn’t you read the quote? Do I have to explain the vulgar petulance of one who quotes “judge not...” on their own behalf?
Good point — time for the laity to force orthodoxy on them. The Pope is slowly weeding out lax bishops, but it will take time for top-down, unless we also have a bottom-up approach at the same time.
yes, in 30 years and completely out of touch with the Church today.
>>Didn’t you read the quote? Do I have to explain the vulgar petulance of one who quotes “judge not...” on their own behalf?<<
For Heaven’s Sake, the original poster said this...
>>If Catholics LIVED the faith, you would see parents married for life with large families. Divorce and avoiding having children are signs of hypocrisy in one who calls themselves a Catholic.<<
..to one of the known Anti-Catholics on FR.
That poster was judging ALL CATHOLIC families who do not live up to his/her expectations on what a good Catholic is. Not me exclusively, everyone. I used myself as an example for the debate, to give credence to the fact that some Catholics live the faith but have other circumstances that make her LOOK otherwise to the judgmental poster.
If you still feel that the statement has a tone of “vulgar petulance”, yes, please explain it.
Thank you dear netmilsmom for that information — this shows how incorrect are those who claim that we count even those who have left just to inflate statistics.
I’ll chip in with mockingbyrd. I have a lot of respect for netmilsmom. She goes out of her way not to hurt other folks, even when they attack her. Papertyger — you have miscontrued her remarks.
It’s because that’s the way they WANT it to be.
It’s just like the Anti-Catholic on this thread stating that her pastor prompted her to say “Membership in the Church” at her child’s baptism when asked, “What do you want for this child?”
It’s what they want said.
Having had two children of my own Baptized and being the Godmother to five (my daughters call them my posse), I could have argued the point, showing in the form, doing the research, but it was fruitless.
Besides, it’s almost Ash Wednesday!
Thank you so much, Dear FRiend!
>>you do not indulge in such non-Christian activities<<
LOL!
I have my moments, Dear Heart!
Have I misread you?
Did you not volunteer, without any hint of repentance, the unsolicited information that you had yourself surgically sterilized, then throw the “judge not” card on the chance a faithful Catholic might say something about it?
Perhaps.
Nevertheless, it’s not like I haven’t met my share of “a la carte-lics” whose lips drip honey...until you oppose them.
Perhaps, however, netmilsmom is not one of these. you can check her posting history if you wish.
>>the unsolicited information that you had yourself surgically sterilized<<
Surgically sterilized? No. I had a hysterectomy (note, my womb removed, not my tubes tied). It isn’t an elective surgery.
I would have LOVED to have more children. My husband wanted at least six, but we’re happy with the blessings God gave us. We are still struggling to get the money to adopt. My health is not good enough to foster.
So yes, you have misread me. However, I can see where you would become righteously indignant. If a woman had a voluntary tuba-ligation then told other Catholics not to judge her, I think I might have reacted too.
Please accept my sincerest, and humblest apologies.
I was confused about your role by what seemed to be assuming responsiblity for your surgery.
Again, please forgive my aggressive posture.
Oh no problem at all!
We can’t see each other’s faces and sometime all of us read things differently than they were intended.
God Bless!
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