Do you enjoy numbers, but have trouble identifying "significant digits" from the infinity of figures around you? Not to worry. I sometimes get overwhelmed, too. But I have persevered in the case of the latest edition (1998) of Comparative Statistics, and in this issue and the next, I'm highlighting what I believe are numbers that deserve particular attention from Presbyterians.
| 43% |
|---|
This is the percentage of congregations that have 100 or fewer members. In 1983, 35 percent of congregations had 100 or fewer members. This increase in the number of small churches has been steady, but because the year-to-year change has been small, it has gone largely unnoticed. This change has had a dramatic effect on the denomination: Many believe that the number of congregations that have difficulty affording a full-time pastor has increased. Presbyteries provide the same level of service to large and small congregations alike, but receive less income from small congregations to cover their work. Producers of church school curriculum are facing a shrinking market, but steady or increasing marketing costs. At this time, there is no reason to believe that the number of small congregations will stop increasing any time soon.
| 33% |
|---|
This is the percentage of congregations that did not have an installed pastor at the end of 1998. In 1990, 28 percent of congregations did not have a pastor. This number is influenced not only by the ability of congregations to afford a pastor, but also by the supply of pastors. Thus, the increase may indicate a shortage of clergy. Today, 2,900 congregations with fewer than 100 members do not have pastors. In 1990, 2,496 congregations of that size did not have a pastor. The number of congregations without a pastor has also increased among larger congregations. In 1990, 103 congregations with 300 or more members did not have a pastor. In 1998, that number was 136.
| 2,587,674 |
|---|
This is the membership of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at the end of 1998. In 1988, total membership was 2,938,830. Our loss of members continues. The number of members we are losing each year is declining, but the percentage of members lost has decreased only slightly. We are losing fewer members because we have fewer to lose. It's easy to make fun of people who put too much emphasis on church growth, and it's easy to say that if you're doing the will of God you won't have many friends. But, why do we need to go to extremes? I think the Presbyterian Church has an important message to proclaim, and we should be concerned about the fact that we are reaching fewer people every year.
| 15% |
|---|
In 1982, the percentage of members who were 34 years of age or younger was 22 percent. By 1997, the percentage had dropped to 15 percent (data from the Presbyterian Panel). These figures are important because they point out a major reason why our membership is not rising: we are not keeping our young people. Dean Hoge et al., in the book Vanishing Boundaries (published by Westminster John Knox Press), spell out the reasons we have not kept the daughters and sons of members. If your church has few young people and has difficulties keeping your members' children in the church, this is an important book for you.
| $682.92 |
|---|
This is the average per member contribution reported by congregations. Per member giving has increased steadily in recent years. While we have fewer members, members' giving has not slackened. The denomination still has the financial strength to make changes needed to survive. There is reason to be concerned about our continuing membership losses, but this concern should not paralyze us. We have the resources needed to remedy the situation.
For more: I'll present more important numbers in the next issue. Copies of Comparative Statistics 1998 may be purchased for $5 from PDS at (800) 524-2612 and ask for PDS#65100-99022. Additional information from the booklet is also available on line: Comparative Statistics 1998 -- Table of Contents (with links to actual tables, figures, and text)
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