Chapter Seven - 2010 Statistics

Today's data relates to the relationship of membership growth and worship attendance. 

Of all churches with at least 5 members  in 2010:

• 34% reported an increase in membership. Of these churches, 40% reported a decrease in worship attendance, 14% reported no change in worship attendance, and 46% reported an increase in worship attendance.

• 19% reported no change in members.  Of these churches, 38% reported a decrease in worship attendance, 37% reported no change in worship attendance, and 25% reported an increase in worship attendance.  

* 47% reported a decrease in members. Of these churches, 60% reported a decrease in worship attendance, 15% reported no change in worship attendance, and 25% reported an increase in worship attendance.

 Of those churches that reported no change in membership or worship attendance,  84%  had suspicious numbers  in that they reported  zeros in all categories of growth and loss, as opposed to the other 16% that reported gains and losses that when  added together equalled zero. If the suspicious numbers are removed, the following changes occur:

• 36% reported an increase in membership. Of these churches, 40% reported a decrease in worship attendance, 14% reported no change in worship attendance, and 46% reported an increase in worship attendance.

• 14% reported no change in members.  Of these churches, 56% reported a decrease in worship attendance, 7% reported no change in worship attendance, and 36% reported an increase in worship attendance. 

• 50% reported a decrease in members. Of these churches, 60% reported a decrease in worship attendance, 15% reported no change in worship attendance, and 25% reported an increase in worship attendance.

I was surprised to see that less than half of the churches that had an increase in membership also had an increase in worship attendance. I was also surprised that 40% of those that lost membership either held steady or increased in worship attendance.  

The U.S. Congregational Life Survey indicated that the younger the United Methodist worshipper the less frequent was his or her attendance. So, if a goal for the denomination is more young people, I wonder if we should expect that a church that is growing in the number of young adults as a percentage of their total adult membership, should also expect to see a decrease in average worship attendance as the number of people more likely to attend two out of four Sundays becomes a greater percentage as compared to those who attend four out of four Sundays? Or another way of saying this — is increasing membership and decreasing worship attendance a marker of a growing congregation that is getting younger or of a congregation that is never cleaning its membership rolls?

The statistical data included herein were provided at no charge by the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church (GCFA) and may be obtained directly from GCFA, PO Box 340020, Nashville, TN 37203-0029. This data is proprietary and is owned by GCFA and may not be used in any commercial or exploitative way, to make a financial profit, or in a manner that defames the United Methodist denomination or its agencies or organizations. GCFA does not endorse any particular use of the data or accept responsibility for its interpretation or analysis by another.