I don't have much time this morning, what with my ecumenical arrangements, internal meeting, and a vestment fitting, but I posted the following article yesterday and wanted to be sure you viewed the information with the proper hermeneutical lens: Darwin.
Now observe the following chart:
ELCA Membership by Year
Statistics compiled by the ELCA Office of the Secretary
| Year | Members | Change | % | Congregations | Change | % |
| 1987 | 5,288,048 | 11,133 | ||||
| 1988 | 5,251,534 | -36,514 | -0.69% | 11,120 | -13 | -0.12% |
| 1989 | 5,238,798 | -12,736 | -0.24% | 11,067 | -53 | -0.48% |
| 1990 | 5,240,739 | +1,941 | 0.04% | 11,087 | +20 | 0.18% |
| 1991 | 5,245,177 | +4,438 | 0.08% | 11,074 | -13 | -0.12% |
| 1992 | 5,234,568 | -10,609 | -0.20% | 11,055 | -19 | -0.17% |
| 1993 | 5,212,785 | -21,783 | -0.42% | 11,023 | -32 | -0.29% |
| 1994 | 5,199,048 | -13,737 | -0.26% | 10,973 | -50 | -0.45% |
| 1995 | 5,190,489 | -8,559 | -0.16% | 10,955 | -18 | -0.16% |
| 1996 | 5,187,363 | -3,126 | -0.06% | 10,936 | -19 | -0.17% |
| 1997 | 5,185,055 | -2,308 | -0.04% | 10,889 | -47 | -0.43% |
| 1998 | 5,178,225 | -6,830 | -0.13% | 10,862 | -27 | -0.25% |
| 1999 | 5,149,668 | -28,557 | -0.55% | 10,851 | -11 | -0.10% |
| 2000 | 5,125,919 | -23,749 | -0.46% | 10,816 | -35 | -0.32% |
| 2001 | 5,099,877 | -26,042 | -0.51% | 10,766 | -50 | -0.46% |
| 2002* | 5,038,006 | -61,871 | -1.21% | 10,721 | -45 | -0.42% |
| 2003 | 4,984,925 | -53,081 | -1.05% | 10,657 | -64 | -0.60% |
| 2004 | 4,930,429 | -54,496 | -1.09% | 10,585 | -72 | -0.68% |
| 2005 | 4,850,776 | -79,653 | -1.62% | 10,549 | -36 | -0.34% |
| 2006 | 4,774,203 | -76,573 | -1.58% | 10,470 | -79 | -0.75% |
| 2007 | 4,709,956 | -64,247 | -1.34% | 10,448 | -22 | -0.21% |
| 2008 | 4,633,887 | -76,069 | -1.61% | 10,396 | -52 | -0.49% |
| 2009 | 4,543,037 | -90,850 | -1.99% | 10,348 | -48 | -0.46% |
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Resources/Stats.aspx
Yes, yes, I know that so many of our naysayers will try to pronounce terrible judgment upon the future of our Brave New Church. How silly! We must take note of two points.
First: We have no need for judgmental individuals.* God (Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer) never judged anyone and we must follow suit.
Second: Note the Darwinian process. We are simply noticing the decline of congregations as we lose the less vital, less relevant, less forward thinking population. This is a statistic we take great joy in observing! Those who have left have either died or gone to other denominations to offer their poisonous rhetoric and judgment. We have no use for such backward minded thought in our Brave New Church!
So take heart, my beauties! You are a member of a progressive church! A church of love and understanding! A church of interpreting God through a brave new libertine lens! There is hope for Higgins!
Butterfly Kisses to you from Heaven above!
Bishop Barbie
*Members of the church at Higgins Road and all supporters therein are exempt from this decree
That chart speak loads! It's like a diamond in formation! The ELCA is concentrating like coal that will become a future diamond.
ReplyDeleteMoahr please!
Rod
Any notes on how the worship attendance has changed, dear Bishop Barbie?
ReplyDelete