Church membership shows largest decline in three years

Church of the Brethren membership showed its largest decline in three years in 2003, according to year-end figures in the Church of the Brethren Yearbook published by Brethren Press. The denomination had a net loss of 1,363 members last year, a decline of just over 1 percent.

Official Church of the Brethren membership in the US and Puerto Rico now stands at 132,481. The 2003 decline follows losses of 984 members in 2002, 1,051 in 2001, and 2,425 in 2000. The Church of the Brethren last showed an annual net gain in membership in 1974 (a small figure that some attribute to a statistical fluke), but the overall decline dates to the early 1960s.

Fifteen of the denomination's 23 districts reported net losses in membership, while eight were higher. Declines were more intense than increases, however, with six districts reporting triple-figure losses. West Marva District had the largest numerical and percentage net gain, up 154 members (2.66 percent). Shenandoah District had the second-largest numerical gain, adding 65 members, while Atlantic Southeast District--which had the largest decline a year earlier--recorded the second-largest percentage gain, up 1.7 percent (net gain of 33).

Atlantic Northeast District, the denomination's largest, had the greatest numerical net loss in 2003. The district reported a decrease of 442 members, a drop of about 2.85 percent. Idaho District, the smallest in the denomination, grew smaller with the biggest percentage decline at 11.8 percent (a net loss of 83 members). Shenandoah District remains the second largest in the Church of the Brethren, now with about 700 fewer members than Atlantic Northeast. Virlina, Western Pennsylvania, and Mid-Atlantic round out the top five, all with at least 10,000 members. By contrast, Idaho, Missouri/Arkansas, and Southern Plains each have fewer than 850 members.

The total number of Church of the Brethren congregations in the US and Puerto Rico also continued a downward trend, dropping from 1,032 to 1,025. A number of new churches were planted, but not enough to offset the number closing. The number of fellowships and projects remained steady, at 32 and 5, respectively. Total reported average worship attendance was down about 5,000 members from a year earlier, at 67,767 per week.

In some good news, total per-capita giving rose from $41 to $44 per person. Giving was up to all special-purpose funds and to all agencies except for gifts to the General Ministries Fund of the General Board, which fell about 4 percent.

Yearbook figures are based on data provided by congregations that turn in updated statistical reports; about 70 percent did so for 2002. The totals do not count overseas membership in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and the large Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria)--which is now larger than the US church at about 150,000 members and growing.

The Church of the Brethren Yearbook will be sent before Annual Conference to all who have placed a standing order. To order, call 800-441-3712. It also will be sold at the Brethren Press bookstore at Annual Conference.