PC(USA) - Research Services - Comparative Statistics


	Comparative Statistics 2002

	Highlights for 2002 — Why So Many Vacant Pulpits? A Look At The Numbers by Jack Marcum, Research Services

	Conventional wisdom in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) holds that there is currently a shortage of ministers — how else to explain the growing number of congregations without pastors? There is some truth in this viewpoint, but only some; the full story is more complex. As I will describe in this essay, the situation is less a shortage of ministers than a coming together of related trends that result in a growing number of very small congregations with limited financial resources at the same time that dual careers and other personal considerations have made ministers without calls more selective in their searches. [Read more]—


	Technical Information

	•Sources of Data		•Definitions
	•Guidelines for Use		•Availability of Data


	List of Tables

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	Some tables are not formatted exactly as they appeared in the print version of Comparative Statistics 2002 and we apologize for these changes. We assure you that no data were affected by the formatting changes.

	PC(USA) Congregations and Membership 1992-2002 Distribution of PC(USA) Congregations by Church Membership Size and Synod — 2002 PC(USA) Membership by Region and State/Territory — 2002 Membership Gains and Losses of PC(USA) Synods and Presbyteries — 2002 PC(USA) Congregations with One-Fifth or More Minority Racial/Ethnic Membership by Synod — 2002 Fifteen Largest PC(USA) Congregations Based on Membership Size — 2002 Descriptive Statistics of PC(USA) Ministers PC(USA) Ministers by Call and Synod — 2002 Number and Percent of Active PC(USA) Ministers by Call and Gender — 1997-2002 PC(USA) Membership, Total Contributions, and Local Program and Local Mission Information By Synod and Presbytery — 2001 and 2002 PC(USA) Congregational Receipts — 2001-2002 PC(USA) Congregational Expenditures — 2001-2002 PC(USA) Synod and Presbytery Rankings Based on Per Member Validated Mission Expenditures — 2002 Race/Ethnicity and Gender of PC(USA) Members, Elders, Deacons and Ministers — 2002 Number of Congregations, How They Are Served, Giving Information, and Worship Attendance by Church Membership Size — 2002


	List of Figures

	Total Number and Number of Very Small Congregations Number of Total and Very Small Congregations without Pastors Number of Ministers by Types of Call Ministers Ordained and Retiring in Each Year


	Order 2002 Comparative Statistics (PDS# 65100-03026) from Marketplace. For information about Comparative Statistics, email Ida Smith-Williams. Research Services 100 Witherspoon St. Louisville, KY 40202 (888) 728-7228 x2040 (voice) (502) 569-8736 (fax)