Latest Church Trends

What is happening in the church today (as well as a couple of our sectarian/cultic cousins)? Check out this report from yesterday's The Wasthington Times.

Note that the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, a conservative denomination, shows continued erosion, contradicting the general trend for more conservative groups to grow and more progressive organizations to decline. Perhaps the LCMS situation may be due to the more ethnic and sectarian identity of this conservative Lutheran body. Also note that many historically African-American denominations tend to report "no change" in response to these types of surveys. http //video1.washingtontimes.com/beliefblog/2008/02/which_ churches_are_the_country.html

1. The Roman Catholic Church, 67,515,016 members, an increase of .87 percent.

2. Southern Baptist Convention, 16,306,246 members, an increase of .22 percent.

3. The United Methodist Church, 7,995,456 members, a decrease of .99 percent.

4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5,779,316 members, an increase of 1.56 percent.

5. The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no increase or decrease reported.

6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., 5,000,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,774,203 members, a decrease of 1.58 percent.

8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., 3,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 3,025,740 members, a decrease of 2.36 percent.

10. Assemblies of God, 2,836,174 members, an increase of .19 percent.

11. African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

11. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, 2,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

11. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., 2,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

14. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), 2,417,997 members, a decrease of .94 percent.

15. Episcopal Church, 2,154,572 members, a decrease of 4.15 percent.

16. Churches of Christ, 1,639,495 members, no increase or decrease reported.

17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

17. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., 1,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.

19. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1,443,405 members, an increase of .21 percent.

20. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., 1,371,278 members, a decrease of 1.82 percent.

21. United Church of Christ, 1,218,541 members, a decrease of 0.47 percent.

22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International, 1,200,000, no increase or decrease reported.

23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, 1,071,616 members, no increase or decrease reported.

24. The Orthodox Church in America, 1,064,000, no increase or decrease reported.

25. Jehovah's Witnesses, 1,069,530 members, an increase of 2.25 percent.