Title: ELCA Membership Drops 1.6 Percent to 4.85 Million in 2005 ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 1, 2006
ELCA Membership Drops 1.6 Percent to 4.85 Million in 2005 06-113-FI/LA*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reported a baptized membership of 4,850,776 in 10,549 congregations in 2005, according to the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary. That figure represents a decrease of about 1.62 percent or a reduction of 79,653 baptized members since 2004, he said.
In the past 15 years the ELCA baptized membership has decreased about 390,000 from 5,240,739 members reported in 1990. About half of the decline occurred between 2002 and 2005. The combined decrease for these four years resulted in a decline of 249,101 baptized members, according to annual reports from congregations compiled by the ELCA Office of the Secretary.
Parochial reports indicated the loss was due to a decrease in the number of new members, the disbanding of 31 congregations and "roll cleaning" in many remaining congregations. Roll cleaning resulted in a loss of 208,436 members in 2005 following a loss of 192,825 members in 2004. Those reductions occur when long inactive members who indicate no interest in continued participation are removed from the rolls of congregations.
Twenty-two congregations with a combined baptized membership of 14,083 withdrew from the ELCA in 2005. One congregation with membership of 111 was removed.
The average number of people in worship on Sundays decreased slightly in 2005, Almen said. A total of 1,439,747 or 29.68 percent of all baptized ELCA members participated in worship each week. Average worship attendance, an indicator of active participation by members in congregations, has fluctuated in the ELCA between 30 and 31 percent.
Confirmed membership in 2005 decreased by 49,039 to 3,636,948. Communing and contributing membership, which demonstrates active participation, decreased by 48,276 to 2,256,700 in 2005. That followed a decline of 44,879 in 2004 for a two-year total decline of 93,155.
A gain in ELCA membership last occurred in 1991, with a net gain of 4,438 baptized members that year. Losses in baptized membership for previous years were: 54,496 in 2004; 53,081 in 2003; 61,871 in 2002; 26,043 in 2001; 23,749 in 2000; 28,557 in 1999; 6,830 in 1998; 2,308 in 1997; 9,517 in 1996; 8,559 in 1995; 12,752 in 1994; 21,783 in 1993; and 10,609 in 1992.
The decrease in ELCA membership reflects a pattern reported by many U.S. church bodies during this period, Almen said.
For 2005 in the ELCA, accessions by baptism, affirmations of faith and transfers from other ELCA congregations declined: + 3,498 fewer baptisms of children -- 67,652 in 2005, down from 71,150 in 2004 + 3,360 fewer affirmations of faith -- 53,961 in 2005 and 57,321 in 2004 + 3,201 fewer transfers from Lutheran congregations -- 76,518 in 2005 and 79,719 in 2004
There were 6,764 adult baptisms in 2005 -- down from 7,168 in 2004. There were 17,794 accessions from non-Lutheran congregations in 2005 -- down from 18,682 in 2004.
There were 19 more deaths in 2005 -- 47,210 compared to 47,191 in 2004. There were 3,671 fewer transfers to other Lutheran congregations -- 53,429 in 2005 compared to 57,100 in 2004.
The average number of baptized members per congregation decreased in 2005 by six people to 463, and the average confirmed membership decreased by three people to 348. In 2005 the average number of communing and contributing members slipped by four to 216 per congregation.
For 2005, 3.1 percent of ELCA baptized members were identified as persons of color or persons whose primary language is other than English, essentially unchanged from 2004. -- -- --
A table summarizing annual statistic reports is at http://www.ELCA.org/news/table.html on the ELCA Web site.
* The Rev. Lowell G. Almen is secretary of the ELCA.
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