United Methodist membership down, constituency up
Mar. 14, 2008
NOTE: Photographs and a related graph are available at http://umns.umc.org.
A UMNS Report By Marta W. Aldrich*
While professing U.S. membership continues to decline in The United Methodist Church, the number of constituents is steadily increasing, according to new denominational statistics.
Membership decreased by eight-tenths of a percent over a one-year period to more than 7.9 million, according to the latest statistics released by the denomination March 11.
Specifically, U.S. membership was 7,931,733 in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available, according to the United Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration, which compiles data for the denomination.
U.S. membership in 2005 was 7,995,429.
Another 45,220 people were listed as clergy members of the denomination for a total of 7,976,953 in 2006. In addition, 871,218 people, primarily children, were listed as baptized, non-professing members.
Worldwide United Methodist lay and clergy membership, which stood at more than 11.5 million in 2005, is still being tallied for 2006 and is expected to be released later this year.
Meanwhile, the number of constituents in 2006 was more than 1.5 million, a 16 percent increase from a decade ago. Denominational records show the number of constituents has increased three of the last five years and eight of the last 10.
"Constituents are the unbaptized children, youth and adults who are not members of the church, but for whom the church has pastoral responsibility," said Scott Brewer, the council's director of research. "It's a growing number, and it reflects that people aren't so big into membership anymore."
Brewer said the church "needs to pay more attention" to this growing category and understand the changing dynamics of religious affiliation in the United States. "It's consistent with what we're seeing in the larger culture, particularly when it comes to attitudes toward membership," he said.
Some people aren't joiners
The Rev. Lovett Weems, the director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., said the constituent numbers should be prudently considered.
"There is certainly a phenomenon today of persons who seem more reluctant to join," Weems said. "There are a number of pastors who talk about people in their congregations who are very active in the life of their church, but they just don't join."
He noted that such reluctance is spilling over into groups within the church. Historically, people would be asked to "join a new men's group" that was forming; today, they might instead be invited to participate in a "men's gathering." Today's churchgoers, especially young people, are less likely to "join" and make long-term commitments, he said, and more likely to participate in short-term activities such as Volunteers In Mission trips, the Walk to Emmaus spiritual retreat and short-term Bible studies.
"There's been a real energy in these types of things in recent years, even in Disciple Bible Study classes," Weems said. "Disciple may be 36 weeks long, but at least there's a beginning and an end."
However, he noted that the constituent category is considered a "soft number" that might be overstated when churches report their membership statistics. He views average worship attendance as a more accurate indicator of church vitality.
The latest United Methodist data puts church attendance at more than 3.3 million, down eight-tenths of a percent from 2005 and a 4 percent decrease from 1990.
Brewer said the church hasn't experienced an increase in attendance since 2001. That increase, he said, was presumably related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Other statistics
The report shows that about 2.68 percent of the U.S. population are professing members of The United Methodist Church. Meanwhile, more than 50 percent of the population reported no ongoing relationship with a religious community in 2000, according to a separate study published by the Glenmary Research Center in Nashville, Tenn.
The number of United Methodist churches was 34,398 with a median size of 111. The percentage of churches that have grown since 1996 was 35 percent, and the percentage of churches receiving at least one member on profession of faith or restored was 58.8 percent, up for the third year in a row.
While the church's decline in membership has continued since the mid-1960s, Brewer cautioned against dismissing excitement about current efforts to revitalize the church with a "renewed emphasis on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
"It's important to remember that it will likely be a number of years before we see the fruits of these efforts in our statistics. We should be hopeful, but we also need to be patient," Brewer said.
Fourteen annual (regional) conferences grew in 2006, double the number in 2005. They were Alabama-West Florida, 0.84 percent; Alaska Missionary, 1.75 percent; Arkansas, 0.37 percent; Central Texas, 0.89 percent; Kentucky, 0.17 percent; North Carolina, 0.01 percent; North Georgia, 1.12 percent; Oklahoma, 0.04 percent; Oklahoma Indian Missionary, 0.59 percent; Red Bird Missionary, 1.56 percent; Southwest Texas, 0.09 percent; Tennessee, 0.75 percent; Texas, 0.77 percent; and Western North Carolina, 0.23 percent.
Churches spent more than $6 billion in 2006, down 3.71 percent from 2005, adjusted for inflation, according to the report.
"With such a large increase in spending in 2005, I am not surprised to see giving leveling off in 2006," Brewer said. "In 2005, we saw a tremendous outpouring of support through the Advance for persons affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the December 2004 tsunami. United Methodists have always been generous people, but it's clear that when we're motivated, we will give far beyond historical norms."
Additional statistical data are being prepared and will be reported to the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, which meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.
*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.
News media contact: Marta Aldrich, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org
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