The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America saw a slight drop in membership in 2006, continuing a trend of decline of more than a decade.
The total of baptized members at the end of 2006 was 4,774,203, a 1.6 percent decrease from the 2005 total of 4,850,776, denomination officials said.
The denomination has lost about 466,000 baptized members in the last 16 years, said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary. In 1990, there were 5,240,739 members.
Does anyone know what has happened to membership in the LCMS (Missouri Synod) over the same time period?
My vague and anecdotal understanding is that it has done quite poorly in membership.
If so, I am unsurprised.
But perhaps others will come in with some accurate figures, which I do not have.
Sarah–just wondering why you’re not surprised. LCMS is very sound, and seems to be a strong option for people fleeing ECUSA. I would hope they would be doing better than ELCA–if not, that’s very disturbing.
What’s the LCMS? LM
LCMS+ Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. I believe they broke off from the ELCA in the 1920’s, but you might want to check a better source about that. In any event, they are much more conservative than the ELCA, and are not party to the Lutheran agreement with ECUSA.
Actually, the LCMS dates from the 19th century, and isn’t a breakoff from anything. The ELCA is actually a new denomination, formed through a merger of three Lutheran denominations in 1989. They are more conservative than ELCA, but are not a live alternative for many conservative ELCAers because they tend to be very rigid on any of a number of peculiarly Lutheran theological issues.
From a LCMS press release in 2004:
Baptized membership for the year, based on reports from 74 percent of LCMS congregations, stood at 2,488,936, or 23,778 fewer than for 2002. That reflects a slight slowdown from the 27,331 decline in the baptized membership from 2001 to 2002. The number of confirmed members reported for 2003 stood at 1,894,822, or 13,101 fewer than reported for 2002, which posted a decline of 13,026 from 2001. O’Hara noted that the membership declines “continue a trend of the past 30 years.”
Also, “The 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches”, with 2005 figures shows the LCMS with 2,463,747, reporting another decrease, or 1.01 percent.
RGEaton
I couldn’t find a comprehensive statistical layout, but I did find references to membership losses in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2006. Each of those years the decline was about 1%.
My wife is ex-Missouri Synod. (if not “ex” per say she doesn’t practice anymore…if you catch my drift)
Anyway…
It is a hard-line type group. I was refused communion because I was not confirmed LCMS. Apparently my required pre-service chat with the pastor about my faith/belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior wasn’t cutting it.
Maybe not all LCMS parishes are like that, but the rumors I hear are that most are like that.
But don’t let that get you down. At least the communion means something to the LCMS. Better than a wishy-washy, mean nothing, oozy-poozy communion snack at the drive-through clown service.
We were ELCA members until 2005 when we joined a confessional church in the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Our church doesn’t have a prise band, it uses traditional Lutheran Worship and practices close(d) communion. The Missouri Synod has all male Pastors and doesn’t allow ordination of homosexuals.
Thanks for the numbers, Rob Eaton!
In Newark, I’ve investigated a number of options. Missouri Synod reminds me of some other small and strict denominations [I won’t say which] that seem essentially okay with being small [it’s a benefit, not a flaw] as long as they can keep their particular and specific and as I see it minor doctrinal points.
I do not see either attitude [either, it’s okay if we’re small, we like it that way OR we must have this minor doctrine] amongst growing things.
I just can’t help but think that things that are healthy grow. If they don’t one must ask why?
ECUSA would be one of those things that, if healthy, would simply grow. It doesn’t. It declines.
“I just can’t help but think that things that are healthy grow.”
Wouldn’t this suggest that the healthiest faith in the US is the thriving mass of unobservant folks, for whom Sunday mornings are set apart for soccer tournaments and trips to the Home Depot? The Great Unchurched are certainly the fastest-growing “religious” group by a wide margin.
On the whole, I find the LCMS theology to be quite solid and largely consistent with what I am taught at my home parish (there are some differences ex: the nature of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and the question of falling from grace but overall very similar). They are rigid but at least not wishy-woshy. Their numbers may have dropped slightly but I commend them for sticking to their guns and letting God to the rest. They have an active mission and outreach effort even to Jewish folk. Some of their parishes do have praise bands (this is not necessarily a draw for me pwesonally but I have nothing against it). If Anglicanism were to implode I could easily see myself on the St. Louis trail. Check out their website lcms. org; it is a rich theological resource. The daily devotions are generally quite good. If you ever have a question about Lutheran theology and history, they have folk at their HQ available to answer by E mail. I have huge respect and admiration for LCMS.
There are a few misconceptions in the above posts. First, there seems to be the idea that all ELCA Lutherans are liberals, and that one must flee the denomination to be a confessional and faithful Lutheran. This is not so. Of the ELCA membership, the majority of laypersons are traditional in their views. It’s the clergy that are more liberal, although not as great a percentage as most might think. Second, there seems to be an assumption that the LCMS is growing while the ELCA is shrinking. This is not true either. The LCMS has been shrinking too, as have most mainline churches. So this is a wider phenomenon than just liberal vs. conservative. Finally, while it is true that the ELCA is “new” in the sense that it was incorporated in 1988, it is a merger of Lutheran denominations that found their roots in this country in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Some were more conservative, some were more liberal. That is still the case. The LCMS simply declined to join in the mergers that began in the 19th century. Finally, there seems to be the idea that the ELCA permits the ordination of active homosexuals. While there are a few unfortunate cases of non-enforcement, gay clergy are not permitted. While we anticipate yet another vote to overturn the ban this summer, the ban remains in place.
RE: “Wouldn’t this suggest that the healthiest faith in the US is the thriving mass of unobservant folks, for whom Sunday mornings are set apart for soccer tournaments and trips to the Home Depot?”
Like I said, growth is a sign of health. But it is not the ONLY sign of health. My theory is that an organism does not have health without growth. But an organism could certainly grow without being healthy [as with cancer].
Hope that clarifies.
And yet it is bigger than TEC!
Most likely true. Here in the Pittsburgh area the ECLA is more liberal than TEC. In fact, the [url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_518439.html] newly elected [/url] ECLA bishop of Southwestern PA appears to be a diehard “reappraiser”.
If I am not mistaken, LCMS is larger than Mainline stalwarts like the UCC, Disciples, ECUSA, and the American Baptist Churches. And in fairness, their rate of loss seems a little slower.
The problem is the culture, not a traditional church. I don’t always approve of LCMS’ views, especially in their relationship with other Christians and Lutherans. But in our country of pop-culture feel-good religion, they do as well as anyone.
It reminds me of something on the Jon Stewart show last week. “In Hollywood, Catholicism is a wierd cult. It can’t hold a candle to the big three: Scientology, Kabahla, and the Manson Family.”
But I digress.
Randall
In Hollywood, Catholicism is a wierd cult
An interesting statement, given that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has 4,174,304 Catholics, comprising more than 37% of the local population. That’s as of 2004; the hispanic in-migration has probably boosted those numbers somewhat.
But, in the insular world of Hollywood, one suspects that yes, Catholicism is a weird cult.
The headline states [b]ELCA Sees Membership Decline[/b].
Hmm…must be that gay bishop they consecrated. Oh, wait…
Oh, I know. I bet they’re gettin’ teh gay cooties thru the æther via their communion with TEC. 😉
A good intro to the LCMS may be found at http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/introlcms.pdf
There is a lot of other information about the LCMS at the main web site http://www.lcms.org.
As far as close(d) communion – it is the official stance of the Synod, and was restated again at the triennial national convention last week. However, there is some leeway in its application. Some pastors will go so far as to ask you at the rail if you are LCMS or a member of a body with which we have pulpit and altar communion, and give you a blessing instead of communion if you are not. In my church we publish a statement about close(d) communion in our bulletin, and our pastor make a verbal note about it before the service starts. However, unless he knows something specific about a person at the rail, he will give them the benefit of doubt and commune an unknown person the first time. However, he will not routinely commune someone who has not accepted Lutheran doctrine.
For more info on LCMS and close(d) communion see: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=422
RE: “Hmm…must be that gay bishop they consecrated.”
Nonsense! The national leadership of the church is quite liberal enough to decline without having to consecrate a non-celibate gay bishop.
; > )