According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s figures, Nevada has grown in population from 1,998,257 in 2000 to 2,643,085 in 2009. This represents a population growth of approximately 32.7%.
According to Episcopal Church statistics, the Diocese of Nevada went from Average Sunday Attendance (or ASA) of 2,338 in 1998 to 2,127 in 2008. This represents an ASA decline of about 9% over this ten year period.
In order to generate a pictorial chart of some Nevada diocesan statistics, please go [url=http://www.episcopalchurch.org/growth_60791_ENG_HTM.htm?menupage=50929]here[/url] and enter “Nevada” in the second line down under “Diocese” and then click on “View Diocese Chart” under the third line to the left.
I can’t remeber–where is the PB from?
#1, a reminder: Nevada has been exploding in population for a long time. When Ms Schori was diocesan bishop of Nevada, she actually decreased ASA, and if one considered population adjusted growth, she was dead last among all domestic dioceses. Despite this abysmal record, she was still elected PBess. This has to be the most egregious case of the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle ]Peter Principle[/url].
Now, Dan Edwards took over in 2007. If you note, the ASA stabilized. Bp Dan is thoroughly revisionist (he declared Stand Firm to be “unsavory”, served on the Diocesan Committee on Same Sex Blessings and promotes interfaith/ ecumenical dialogue in his role as Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, he apparently incorporates [url=http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/9080/ ]native American “smudging”[/url] into the liturgy, etc.), but he also seems very personable. His blog is [url=http://bishopdansblog.blogspot.com/]here[/url].
Hey! Doesn’t Mrs Schori say Haiti is the LARGEST diocese? Then why does it show only 16,000 ASA?
has she ever tried to offer an excuse for her dismal performance?
robroy (#2) and David Keller (#1),
I’m glad you reminded us all, not only where the PB is from, but about her utterly incompetent and disastrous record while she was in office there in Nevada. Her dismal performance does indeed inevitably make one wonder why in the world she was ever elected.
David Handy+
You may not believe this, but it is true: I have on my book shelves The Living Church Annual 1948. The statistics it gives for the then Missionary District of Nevada were:
baptized persons, 3,759
Communicants, 1,944
It also reports the population of the state (1940 figures) as 110,247.
By my rough calculation, if the Episcopal Church had kept up the proportion of the population it had at that time, then its ASA now would be in the region of 44,000. But I failed math in high school (this is true) and have never looked back so would be glad if Statmann could check my calculation.
My figures above assume a rough correlation between the meanings of ASA (today’s standard) and communicant numbers (as in 1948).
I bought the book from a bookseller who bought it when USPG moved in with CMS some years ago and USPG liquidated some of their library. Now both missionary societies are in separate headquarters again.
Nevada had a rather uneven record during 2002 through 2008 with Members down 2.6 percent, ASA down 14.2 percent, and Plate & Pledge (adjusted for inflation) down 10.6 percent. (Causes one to suspect that Members loss was actually greater.) As a result, using these data, I ranked it at 30 of 95 dioceses considered. The youthful nature of Nevada is reflected in 116 Infant Baptisms and 97 Burials in 2008. The more somber news is that 79 percent (26 of 33) of its churches had Plate & Pledge of less than $150K in 2008. This means that each “rich” church had four “poor” churches to help. Also in 2008, 24 of its 33 churches had ASA of 70 or less (the TEC median would predict 16 or 17). And of these 24, 9 had ASA of 20 or less. It is rather obvious that TEC did little to create the real estate bubble in Las Vegas. And these stats were the product of the (pre-Sept, 2008) meltdown when the wood was wet. If i were a betting man, I would predict a bright future with the odds of a hard way eight. (Terry Tee is hereby awarded a retroactive passing grade in math.) Statmann
WHY was she elected? Because she put up a cloud of double-talk that sounded good and she is a woman. Period. Apparently results do not matter.
Thank you Statmann. I may get to put a GED on the wall next to the PhD.
Seriously: one other startling statistic for Nevada to complement what you say above, drawing again on the 1948 Living Church Annual:
2008 infant baptisms: 116
1948 infant baptisms: 309
Interesting to see that the Diocese of South Carolina has a double digit gain over the same decade. Now, don’t you think the PB should be investigating what we are doing here so that the diocese is growing instead of declining ?? Oh wait a minute, she is…. threatening letters to the diocese, press conference saying that we are “mis-informed” because we get our info from the internet. What a joke she is!
She is Bruno’s lap dog that’s why…
Intercessor
#3 she thinks Haiti is the largest diocese in the country of Haiti
She was elected PB because she was the most liberal person on the slate.
Isn’t Nevada home to Sin City? It looks like the Episcopal church doesn’t have a very active mission to save sinners even in one of the hotbeds of sin.
I graphed ASA relative to population from 1992 through 2008 at the following link, noting the Presiding Bishop’s tenure. It is very interesting.
Nevada stats
Agreed Bottom Feeder.
I thought I’d do the same with another diocese. Check out the Los Angeles trends. Bishop Bruno’s tenure noted.
[url=http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3fnty/id8.html]Los Angeles[/url]
Brent B, how about Chane (Wash, DC) and Beisner (No Cal), too?
Washington and Northern California done.
[url=http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3fnty/id9.html]Washington (DC) and Nor. Cal.[/url]
Oooh, Beisner’s graph is gonna leave a mark. I guess Chane’s almost breaking even, considering overall trends.
Thanks, Brent B!
Beisner’s tenure started in 2007, so not so bad for him, as bishop. But his bio says “He was named Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Northern California in 2002 and took on responsibility for congregational development, transition ministry, clergy support and development, and shared ministry in a geographically widespread and demographically diverse diocese.” So the decline started maybe in 2001, or 2002, when he had a position of responsibility.
Kudos to Brent! #16 is a fantastic pictorial display of Ms Schori’s leadership skills. Really deserves a separate thread and widespread dissemination. Utterly damning display combining the dramatically falling ASA and exploding population that one can’t see just with the tables.
Yet another funny but makes you want to cry things that the revisionists chose someone who is so terribly incompetent – actively driving people away and whose sermons are comparable to the one at [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbqv3MwwVd8 ]the wedding in Princess Bride. [/url]
None of this any meaning for TEC leadership. There is no ownership in the problem since the problem, if any, is due to forces beyond anyone’s control. And, of course, a failure to communicate.