ELCA Statistics

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) had 4,774,203 baptized members in 10,470 congregations at the end of 2006, according to the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary. Those figures represent decreases of 76,573 baptized members and 79 congregations since 2005.

In the past 16 years the ELCA lost approximately 466,000 baptized members from the 5,240,739 members reported in 1990, Almen said. More than two-thirds of the decline occurred between 2002 and 2006, with a combined decrease of 325,674 baptized members

Nineteen congregations with a combined baptized membership of 7,196 withdrew from the ELCA in 2006.

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GJ - Most of the losses took place after Archbship Mark Hanson was elected (2002) and started pushing his agenda.

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Bruce Church has left a new comment on your post "ELCA Statistics":

http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com/the-latest-post/2008/6/23/the-evangelical-decline-and-other-interesting-links.html

excerpt: The PCUSA continues to lose members--some 57,000 last year alone (that's about the same number of people in the OPC/URC combined). The loss is blamed on the church's liberal theology and blue hair--the church's aging membership. Many congregations have left to join the EPC. If you don't give people a reason to stay in your church, they won't. The PCUSA isn't alone in this. The Methodist Church has lost 23% of its membership since 1970, and the Episcopal Church is down 33% since the mid-sixties. Of course, what these churches need is more liberal theology and "contemporary worship."