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Deborah Kapp
Edward F. and Phyllis K. Campbell Associate Professor of Urban Ministry
McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois
When my sons were little, every year we went to the doctor’s office for their “well-boy” checkups. During other office visits we attended to emergencies — fevers, sore throats, various rashes — but at the well-boy check, the doctor and nurses covered more of the basics. They poked and prodded, listened and observed, weighed and measured, and evaluated several markers of children’s health. They often showed us growth charts and indicated how the boys compared in height and weight with other males their age.
Comparative Statistics offers us something of an annual well-church assessment for our denomination. With the help of clerks, treasurers, and others at every governing body level, the staff at Research Services has once again compiled data about membership, congregations, ministry, finances, and worship attendance, and in some cases they have set those alongside data from other years. The resulting fifteen tables give us a good snapshot of some dimensions of our institutional health.
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