wfn.org | United Methodist membership continues to drop but at slower rate

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 7, 1998	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-21-71B{397}

By Linda Green*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - A 30-year decline in membership continues in
the United Methodist Church but at a significantly slower rate,
according to statistics compiled in recent weeks from 66 annual
(regional) conferences in the United States.

In 1997, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the
church unofficially reported a loss of 42,000 members. That doesn't
include figures for the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, which lost 444
members the previous year, and the Missouri West Conference, which lost
574 members in 1996.

If officially confirmed by the church's General Council on Finance and
Administration this fall, the 1997 figures represent the smallest
decline in a decade. For each of the previous two years, the church lost
49,000 members.

The denomination has lost members steadily since it was created in 1968
with a merger of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches.
Membership was 11 million in 1968, compared to 8.5 million in 1997. In
contrast to the U.S. membership decline, the church is growing rapidly
in other areas of the world, particularly in the Philippines and parts
of Africa.

The 1997 statistics were compiled by UMNS and Newscope from reports
provided by  the U.S. conferences during their annual sessions in May
and June. UMNS is the denomination's official news agency with offices
in Nashville, New York and Washington. Newscope is a weekly newsletter
published by the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville. 

 Statistics show a total loss of about 482,000 members during the past
decade: 

*	1997: 42,000
*	1996: 49,000
*	1995: 49,000
*	1994: 56,000
*	1993: 62,000
*	1992: 64,000
*	1991: 62,000
*	1990: 64,000
*	1989: 55,000
*	1988: 71,000.

However, the rate of decline has been slowing for the past few years.
That trend is a result of church outreach and evangelism efforts in a
number of annual conferences, coupled with a slower membership loss rate
in other annual conferences, according to Steve Zekoff, staff executive
in the office of records and statistics at the General Council on
Finance and Administration.

Forty-four of the 66 U.S. conferences reported losses in 1997. The
greatest decline, of 6,100 members, was posted by West Ohio, followed by
Nebraska with 3, 022. Others that lost more than 2,000 members were:
California-Pacific, 2,757; Southern New Jersey, 2,375; West Virginia,
2,272; Rocky Mountain (Colorado, Utah), 2,228; Minnesota, 2,221;  South
Indiana, 2,125; and Central Pennsylvania, 2,053.

North Texas led 21 conferences reporting membership gains in 1997. The
Dallas-based region had an increase of 11,523 members, 4,687 of whom
were received on profession of faith as new Christians. Membership in
the conference's 323 local churches was 151,114 at the end of 1997, a
net increase of 1.1 percent or 1,649 over 1996. 

North Georgia had a gain of 4,819 members, the 22nd consecutive year it
has posted an increase.
Central Texas had a gain of  2,398, followed by Oregon-Idaho, 2,078;
Southwest Texas, 1,587; Western North Carolina, 1,381; and Mississippi,
1,224. 

For the first time in 32 years, the Holston Conference gained members,
reporting an increase of 674 for 1997. The Knoxville, Tenn.,-based
conference includes parts of East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. 

Other conferences recording growth were: Alabama-West Florida,
California-Nevada, Iowa, Louisiana, Memphis, New York, North Alabama,
North Arkansas, North Carolina, Oregon-Idaho, Peninsula-Delaware, Red
Bird Missionary (Appalachia), Rio Grande (Spanish-speaking) and (Middle)
Tennessee.

# # #

*Green is news director of the Nashville, Tenn., office of United
Methodist News Service.