I do not like the new way the website is laid out at all–it is very user unfriendly. In any event, use these numbers to get a sense of where your diocese has been.
Then go to the link at the end of this sentence and enter the name of your diocese (and parish if you desire) and you can see some of the data from 2009 (Click on the “Studying Your Congregation and Community” words under Research if you have any trouble).
If the total ASA is near 700,000 and they have 7,000 churches then the Congregation ASA would be near 100 not 70!
I have seen 70 or 69 as the average attendance before. Can anyone explain this?
I see that the only TEC diocese in the US that has increased ASA is South Carolina. God bless +Mark Lawrence (and you too, Kendall) for keeping with the historic faith!
Interesting numbers for sure. Looking at Tennesee’s numbers I noticed a slight dip in the 2003-2008 period after modest gains in the earlier time period. I wonder if that has anything to do with electing a slightly more conservative bishop than some hoped. I know some who have left parishes in that diocese because the newly elected Bishop was “not pro gay enough”. Look at New Hampshire’s numbers. WOW! lost 20% of their ASA. Now there is a record to be proud of, VGR+. EXCELLENT work! NOT!
Perhaps VGR+ needs to come to the Diocese of SC and have a chat with your fellow bishop, Mark Lawrence+ and many of our clergy here? Perhaps they could clue you in on how to grow a diocese? You know… proclaim the Gospel and all that….. Try it you might like it!!
Elves,
I can’t seem to make the second link work. Any help would be appreciated.
It seems that the Potemkin Diocese of San Joaquin has managed to hold on to a massive 20% of the people it claims to represent.
#4, try it again. Once you get to the page you need to go to the bottom and enter the information for a diocese and/or parish for the data to emerge.
Glendermott: You are correct. The AVERAGE ASA is about 100. The ASA number of 69 or 70 is the MEDIAN value. Thus, about 50 percent of TEC churches had (in 2008) about 69 or 70 ASA. This is a most somber fact as it means that TEC had about 3,500 churches in 2008 with ASA of less than 69 My estimate is that a TEC church with ASA of 69 or less has about ONE chance in 50 of ever attaining a Plate & Pledge of at least $150K (full -time priest, etc). A grim future. Statmann
I would add to Herr Doktor Statmann’s comment: ASA always being greater than zero is never represented by a “bell curve” or standard distribution. The difference between median and mean (or average) is due to the tail on the side of larger churches.
I would humbly correct his statement to say “Thus, about 50 percent of TEC churches had (in 2008) 69 or 70 ASA [i]or less[/i].” (His next sentence implies that this is what he meant.)
Lastly, I would note that the median ASA of about 70 is a figure that won’t probably change in that those churches that fall too much end up closing and falling off the map.
Robroy: Thanks ffor the correction. You raise a most interesting question concerning small churches. I have done a quick review of churches with ASA of 70 or less in 2008 to see if they still existed in 2009. It is amazing how few I found closed. My guess is that many small churches are in old buildings, in small towns, need repairs, no market for old church buildings, etc. In other words, the bishops don’t want them. Costs to maintain them and they have little or no sale value. This is an enormous problem as TEC had about 3,500 churches with ASA of 70 or less in 2008. Statmann
Robroy: While it is still fresh on my mind, here is an example. In 2008, Northern Michigan had 26 churches with ASA of 70 or less. In 2009, it had 25 churches with ASA of 70 or less. Hence, only one small church was closed. Statmann
I’ve only skimmed the province / diocese totals. But I’m struck by two things:
First: The contrast between TEC domestic dioceses and overseas dioceses gets more shocking every year.
Second, with 2003 now being the midpoint of this 10 year series of data, it is increasingly impossible / demonstrably delusional for
a) anyone to deny the impact of the 2003 General Convention and the consecration of VGR or
b) say that:recent losses were just a temporary aberration or just a few disgruntled people leaving. The huge losses continue unabated in even the least “conflicted” or divided dioceses.
It’s one thing to have dramatic headlines of huge parishes or whole dioceses leaving. But now that those headlines are largely a thing of the past, the losses continue. TEC is quietly bleeding to death in many dioceses even without dramatic dissent or headlines. If I were a TEC leader, I would find that much more terrifying than the hugely publicized departures to which they can point fingers.