wfn.org | Though Still Going Down, PC(USA) Membership Decline Slows

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

18-May-1999 
99192 
 
    Though Still Going Down, 
    PC(USA) Membership Decline Slows 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-For the second consecutive year, the membership decline 
slowed in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1998. 
 
    According to statistics released by the Office of the General Assembly, 
total membership in the PC(USA) at the end of 1998 was 2,587,674 - a 
decline of 21,517 from 1997 figures.  Membership loss in 1997 was just over 
22,000. 
 
    Between 1967 and 1997, membership decline had averaged more than 30,000 
annually. 
 
    Baptized children was the only membership category to show an increase- 
41,486 children were baptized in 1998, in increase of 429 over 1997. 
 
    Continuing a longstanding trend, the highest number of membership 
losses were in the "dropout" category.  Called "other" losses in the 
statistical report, they totaled 102,544, far more than deaths (40,115) and 
transfers (36,964) combined.  The figures in all three losses categories 
were lower than 1997. 
 
    But so were gains.  Professions of faith totaled 94,800, down 2,400 
from 1997. 
 
    And while child baptisms increased, adult baptisms declined - from 
13,872 in 1997 to 11,734 in 1998.  Reported church school enrollment also 
declined, by 16,719 to a reported 1,048,669. 
 
    The number of churches in the denomination declined by 35 to 11,260. 
The number of ministers, however, increased by 82 to 20,940.  The number of 
ordinations increased by one to 379, but the number of candidates for 
ordination declined by 42 to 937. 
 
    The number of elders declined by 3,257 to 108,532.  The number of 
deacons declined by 1,002 to 72,674. 
 
    With the exceptions of giving to presbytery and synod mission, PC(USA) 
financial contributions rose in 1998.  Total contributions rose more than 
$65 million to $1.8 billion.  More than 85 percent of those funds were 
retained at the local level for congregational program (64 percent), local 
mission (5 percent) and capital expenditures (16 percent). 
 
    Contributions to presbytery mission declined $553,000 to $39.6 million. 
Contributions to synod mission declined $162,000 to $10.3 million.  Giving 
to General Assembly mission increased $1.5 million to $55.8 million. 

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