Tired of these sorts of news articles on the latest Presbyterian statistics?:
The numbers are in for 1999. For the 34th year in a row, Presbyterian congregations experienced a net decline in membership, dropping by 27,473 (-1.1 percent), to 2,560,201.
"Yes," you likely respond. "What's that got to do with all the great things happening in my congregation?" I'm glad you asked. I share your frustration. For too long we've placed great significance on the trend in a national abstraction with no relevance for daily ministry. Other indicators paint a more positive picture. Rather than an outdated institution on the slow path to oblivion, they show a vigorous church hard at work doing the will of God on earth. See if you don't agree.
People Are Joining. Lots of them. The focus on "membership decline" can easily leave the impression that some folks left while everyone else sat in their pews and watched. The reality is more complicated. Some people left, some people joined. A few more may have left than joined overall, but that net difference should not obscure the fact that every day, on average, several hundred individuals choose to become part of the PC(USA). In 1999, 156,266 people signed on as new members. That's an average of 428 per day! Put differently, on average each of our 11,216 congregations welcomes a new member every 26 days.
Gains are Everywhere. Every presbytery added new members in 1999. Fourteen presbyteries reported gains of more than 2,000, led by Grace (3,848) and Greater Atlanta (3,787). Even tiny presbyteries, such as Alaska and Dakota, added several new members.
For many presbyteries, member losses exceeded these gains. But not for all. In 45 presbyteries, scattered among 14 of the16 synods, gains in 1999 were greater than losses in 1999. Standouts in this regard include Central Florida (net gain of 437 members), Charleston-Atlantic (+434), Charlotte (+426), Hamni (+391), and Seattle (+385). In relative terms, the biggest net gainers were Hamni (up 7.6 percent in total membership), Yukon (+3.1 percent), Western Colorado (+2.7 percent), Providence (+2.6 percent), and Charleston-Atlantic (+2.5 percent).
Elders Volunteer. Responses to the Presbyterian Panel tell us that, on average, each elder spends more than six hours every month leading, teaching, or otherwise serving congregations. That translates to more than 700,000 hours of volunteer time per month in 1999 from the 108,207 active elders, or a total of around 8.5 million hours over the course of the year. Based on minimum wage, Presbyterian congregations received the equivalent of $43,847,254 in donated time last year from their sessions. At more realistic levels of compensation, we're talking about $100 million or more in donated time. And that doesn't begin to assess the volunteer time donated by the other 96 percent of the membership.
Giving Exceeds Inflation. Individual Presbyterians contributed $1.86 billion to program and ministry in 1999, a record amount. Contributions have grown each year for more than a decade, both absolutely and in per-person terms. In 1989, individual contributions for program and ministry averaged $433. By 1999 that had grown to $726 per member, a gain of 68 percent. Even when we adjust for inflation, individual contributions grew in real dollar terms by 22 percent over the decade, or more than 2 percent per year.
Other Numbers to Celebrate. PC(USA) ministers baptized 41,009 children and 11,457 adults last year, a total of 52,466. That averages almost 5 per congregation, 143 for every day of the year, and enough to fill most major league stadiums. More than one million people were enrolled in Presbyterian church schools, an average of almost 100 per congregation. Thirty new congregations were organized in 1999. A total of 337 individuals were newly ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. And another 1,000 waited in the wings, preparing as official candidates for ministry.
Think Positive. The list could go. But you get the point. So next time someone mentions "membership decline," remember that's a small part of a much longer and more intricate narrative. Other numbers tell different tales. The PC(USA) is alive and well. Rejoice!
For More Good News. The 1999 annual edition of Comparative Statistics is available for $5 from PDS at (800) 524-2612 and ask for PDS #65100-00023 or for free on the Web. Go to our Comparative Statistics site.
Email the author: Jack Marcum
Research Services