The chart above shows the number of members in your congregation for the years 1998 through 2008. Membership for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor denominations (the UPCUSA and the PCUS) peaked in the early 1960s, then began a steady, slow decline. From 1998 to 2008, PC(USA) membership has declined by about 1.7% annually. In general, smaller-membership congregations (less than 250 members) were more likely to experience net losses in the last ten years and larger-membership congregations (more than 250 members) were more likely to experience net gains. Nonetheless, a majority of all congregations (including larger-membership congregations) experienced net losses over this period.

Changes in membership result from the difference between new members added (membership gains) and current members subtracted (membership losses). The overall trend since 1998 has been one of declining gains. Since 1998, certificate and other losses have decreased more substantially than losses due to death. The total number of PC(USA) members lost each year has been declining in the last 10 years but the trend has not been sufficient to make up for the greater yearly decline in membership gains.

The average Presbyterian Church has 200 members (the mean in 2008). About 27% of the total congregations report between 1 and 50 members. Another 23% report between 51 and 100 members.

Most PC(USA) members are white (92.9%). Other racial and ethnic members include African-Americans (3.1% of the total membership of the denomination), Asians (2.3%), Hispanics (1.2%), Native Americans (0.2%), and others (0.3%). Despite changes in the total membership of the PC(USA), the percentage of racial-ethnic minority members has stayed about the same since 1998. The ratio of female members (58%) to male members (42%) has also remained stable since the mid-1960s.

Key Questions:

• Is your congregation larger or smaller than the average PC(USA) congregation?
• How does the percentage increase or decrease in membership of your congregation compare to that of the denomination as a whole?
• What factors in your congregation help explain the membership trends in your congregation?
• What factors in the community are relevant to your membership trends?
• What will be your congregation's strategy to increase its membership?