ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 29, 2005
ELCA Reports 4.9 Million Members In 2004
05-136-LA*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) reported a baptized membership of 4,930,429 in 10,585
congregations in 2004. That figure represents a decrease of
about one percent or a reduction of 54,496 baptized members from
2003, according to the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary.
In the past 14 years, the ELCA baptized membership has
decreased about 300,000 down from 5,240,739 members reported in
1990. More than half the decline occurred between 2002 and 2004.
The combined decrease for these three years resulted in a drop of
169,448 baptized members.
Parochial reports showed the loss was because of a decrease
in the number of new members, the disbanding of 40 congregations,
and "roll cleaning" in many remaining congregations. Roll
cleaning accounted for a loss of 192,825 members in 2004 and
181,022 members in 2003. Those reductions occurred when long
inactive members who indicate no interest in continued
participation are removed from the rolls of congregations.
Twenty-six congregations with a combined baptized membership
of 9,816 withdrew from the ELCA in 2004. Four congregations with
a combined membership of 1,683 were removed from the roster of
ELCA congregations.
The average number of people in worship on Sundays decreased
slightly in 2004. About 30 percent or 1,474,767 of all baptized
members participate in worship each week. Average worship
attendance, an indicator of active participation by members in
congregations, has fluctuated in the ELCA between 30 and 31
percent.
Confirmed membership in 2004 decreased by 38,334 to
3,685,987. Communing and contributing membership, which
demonstrates active participation, decreased by 44,879 to
2,304,976 in 2004, following a decline of 44,730 in 2003, for a
two-year total slide of 89,609.
The last time a gain of ELCA membership occurred was in 1991
with a net gain of 4,438 baptized members. Losses in baptized
membership for previous years were: 53,081 in 2003; 61,871 in
2002; 26,043 in 2001; 23,749 in 2000; 28,557 in 1999; 6,830 in
1998; 2,308 in 1997; 9,517 in 1996; 8,559 in 1995; 12,752 in
1994; 21,783 in 1993; and 10,609 in 1992.
The decrease in ELCA membership reflects a pattern reported
by many U.S. church bodies during the same period.
For 2004 in the ELCA, new memberships by baptism,
affirmation of faith and transfer from other ELCA congregations
declined. There were 555 fewer baptisms of children -- 71,150 in
2004, down from 71,705 in 2003 and 73,494 in 2002. There were
593 fewer affirmations of faith -- 57,321 in 2004, 57,914 in 2003
and 60,780 in 2002 -- and 3,072 fewer transfers from Lutheran
congregations -- 79,719 in 2004, 82,791 in 2003 and 86,053 in
2002.
Adult baptisms decreased by 260 -- 7,168 in 2004, 7,428 in
2003 and 7,397 in 2002 -- and new memberships from non-Lutheran
congregations declined 382 -- 18,682 in 2004, 19,064 in 2003 and
19,430 in 2002.
There were 1,366 fewer deaths in 2004 -- 47,191 compared to
48,557 in 2003 --and 2,463 fewer transfers to other Lutheran
congregations -- 57,100 in 2004 and 59,563 in 2003.
The average number of baptized members per congregation
decreased in 2004 by three people to 469, and the average
confirmed membership decreased by two people to 351. In 2004 the
average number of communing and contributing members slipped by
three to 220 per congregation.
For 2004 about three percent of ELCA baptized members were
identified as people of color or whose primary language is other
than English.
-- -- --
A table summarizing membership statistics since the ELCA was
formed in 1988 is at http://www.ELCA.org/co/news/table.html on
the Web.
* The Rev. Lowell G. Almen is secretary of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
