wfn.org | LCMS - Membership losses level off, gifts slip in 2001 Synod stats

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services

LCMSNews -- No. 58
September 4, 2002

Membership losses level off, gifts slip in 2001 Synod stats

By Joe Isenhower Jr.

Statistics reported by Missouri Synod congregations at year's end 2001 show 
a leveling off of membership losses from the year before and a drop in 
financial-gift totals after a dramatic rise reported for 2000.

The Synod's Office of Rosters and Statistics released the statistics last 
month after gathering them from congregations.

For 2001, the total reported for baptized membership in LCMS congregations 
is 2,540,045, or 13,926 less than reported for 2000.  Confirmed membership 
for 2001 is 1,920,949, a 13,167 decline from the year before.

The baptized membership total for 2000 was 28,469 less than for the year 
before and total contributions for 2000 rose by a reported figure of more 
than $119.3 million.

Congregations reported that members gave a total of $1,217,157,294 last 
year.  That is $12,087,535 less than reported for 2000, but it is the 
fourth year that member giving topped $1 billion.

 From the 2001 total, congregations kept $1,092,453,907 for their own work 
($9,236,687 less than in 2000), and sent to outside causes (including LCMS 
districts) $124,703,387, or $2,850,848 less than in 2000.

Dr. John O'Hara, research analyst for the Synod's Department of Research 
Services, cautioned against "drawing firm conclusions" when comparing the 
2000 and 2001 statistics.

"We hope that the revised reporting form that congregations first used last 
year resulted in more accurate statistical reporting than before," he 
said.  "And we really can't start seeing trends in reporting until we look 
at results from the third year that congregations use the revised form, and 
that would be a year from now."

For the same reason, O'Hara said that he is reluctant to say that the 
reasons for the reported drop in giving are tied to the downturn in the 
economy last year or to contributions other than through congregations for 
victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The percentage of congregations that reported their statistics for 2001 
stands at 69 percent, or 3 percent less than for 2000.

When congregations do not report statistics, the rosters and statistics 
office normally uses the most recent numbers they have for those 
congregations, O'Hara indicated.  An exception to that is the figures for 
membership gains and losses, which are given only for those congregations 
that reported current numbers for 2001.

Among statistics that rose last year are:
* 8,497 men on the clergy roster (up 240); and
* 21,658 non-members enrolled in weekday classes (up 1,361).

Included in numbers that fell from 2000 are:
* 156.8 -- the average weekly worship attendance per-congregation
(down 1.0);
* 5,623 Sunday schools (down 35);
* 492,751 enrolled in Sunday schools (down 12,939);
* 4,546 weekday religion classes (down 332);
* 192,744 enrolled in weekday classes (down 7,958);
* 4,119 vacation Bible schools (down 78);
* 32,606 children baptized (down 1,259);
* 24,534 children (teenagers) confirmed (down 788);
* 19,964 adults confirmed (down 1,782); and
* 40,947 members gained from the outside (down 549).

One figure stayed the same for 2000 and 2001 -- the number of LCMS 
congregations, at 6,150.

The statistics for 2001, including tables with breakdowns by district, will 
be in "The Lutheran Annual" for 2003. The annual will be published and 
distributed by Concordia Publishing House near the end of this year.

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LCMSNews is published by the News and Information Division, Board for 
Communication Services, of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.  Please 
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LCMSNews release, contact Joe Isenhower via e-mail at 
joe.isenhower@lcms.org, or by phone at (314) 996-1231.

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