Thursday, August 12, 2010

Survival of the Spiritual

Good Morning, my Doves!

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%
* Only congregations existing on December 31 are included in the overall membership statistics. Prior to 2002, all congregations that existed during the course of the previous year were included.

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

2 comments:

  1. That chart speak loads! It's like a diamond in formation! The ELCA is concentrating like coal that will become a future diamond.

    Moahr please!

    Rod

    ReplyDelete
  2. Any notes on how the worship attendance has changed, dear Bishop Barbie?

    ReplyDelete