Nick the Pilot
Well-Known Member
7 Startling Facts: An Up Close Look at Church Attendance in America - ChurchLeaders.com - Christian Leadership Blogs, Articles, Videos, How To's, and Free Resources
(The following is condensed from the article.)
"1. Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church — half of what the pollsters report. ...Clearly, a disconnect between what Americans say and what they actually do has created a sense of a resilient church culture when, in fact, it may not exist.
"2. American church attendance is steadily declining. Hawaii, where 13.8% of the state"s population (1.3 million) regularly attends church, was the only state where church attendance grew faster than its population growth from 2000 to 2004. However, church attendance in Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee — all of which have higher percentages of church attendees than Hawaii — was close to keeping up with population growth in the respective states
"3. Only one state is outpacing its population growth. Hawaii, where 13.8% of the state"s population (1.3 million) regularly attends church, was the only state where church attendance grew faster than its population growth from 2000 to 2004.
"4. Mid-sized churches are shrinking; the smallest and largest churches are growing. While America"s churches as a whole did not keep up with population growth from 1994 to 2004, the country"s smallest (attendance 1–49) and largest churches (2,000-plus) did (see graph on page 52). During that period, the smallest churches grew 16.4%; the largest grew 21.5%, exceeding the national population growth of 12.2%. But mid-sized churches (100–299) — the average size of a Protestant church in America is 124 — declined 1%.
"5. Established churches — 40 to 190 years old — are, on average, declining. All churches started between 1810 and 1960 (excluding the 1920s) declined in attendance from 2003 to 2004. The greatest attendance decrease in that period (-1.6%) came from churches begun in the 1820s, followed by the 1940s (-1.5%).
"6. The increase in churches is only 1/4 of what"s needed to keep up with population growth. Between 2000 and 2004, the net gain (the number of new churches minus the closed churches) in the number of evangelical churches was 5,452, but mainline and Catholic churches closed more than they started for a net loss of 2,200, leaving an overall net gain of 3,252 for all Orthodox Christian churches. "In this decade, approximately 3,000 churches closed every year; while more churches were started, only 3,800 survived," Olson explains. In the 21st century, the net gain in churches has amounted to only 800 each year."
(The following is condensed from the article.)
"1. Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church — half of what the pollsters report. ...Clearly, a disconnect between what Americans say and what they actually do has created a sense of a resilient church culture when, in fact, it may not exist.
"2. American church attendance is steadily declining. Hawaii, where 13.8% of the state"s population (1.3 million) regularly attends church, was the only state where church attendance grew faster than its population growth from 2000 to 2004. However, church attendance in Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee — all of which have higher percentages of church attendees than Hawaii — was close to keeping up with population growth in the respective states
"3. Only one state is outpacing its population growth. Hawaii, where 13.8% of the state"s population (1.3 million) regularly attends church, was the only state where church attendance grew faster than its population growth from 2000 to 2004.
"4. Mid-sized churches are shrinking; the smallest and largest churches are growing. While America"s churches as a whole did not keep up with population growth from 1994 to 2004, the country"s smallest (attendance 1–49) and largest churches (2,000-plus) did (see graph on page 52). During that period, the smallest churches grew 16.4%; the largest grew 21.5%, exceeding the national population growth of 12.2%. But mid-sized churches (100–299) — the average size of a Protestant church in America is 124 — declined 1%.
"5. Established churches — 40 to 190 years old — are, on average, declining. All churches started between 1810 and 1960 (excluding the 1920s) declined in attendance from 2003 to 2004. The greatest attendance decrease in that period (-1.6%) came from churches begun in the 1820s, followed by the 1940s (-1.5%).
"6. The increase in churches is only 1/4 of what"s needed to keep up with population growth. Between 2000 and 2004, the net gain (the number of new churches minus the closed churches) in the number of evangelical churches was 5,452, but mainline and Catholic churches closed more than they started for a net loss of 2,200, leaving an overall net gain of 3,252 for all Orthodox Christian churches. "In this decade, approximately 3,000 churches closed every year; while more churches were started, only 3,800 survived," Olson explains. In the 21st century, the net gain in churches has amounted to only 800 each year."
