–Over half of Episcopal congregations (52.4%) are small, family-sized congregations where average worship attendance is 70 persons or less (2009 Parochial Report data). Pastoral-sized congregations make up the next largest proportion of parishes and missions (28.6%). Corporate-sized congregations with 351 or more in worship represent only 3.3% of Episcopal congregations.
–The median Episcopal parish had 66 persons at Sunday worship in 2009 according to the annual Parochial Report””down from 72 in 2006 and 77 in 2003.
One bullet point in this report merited a response of “well, DUH!”
[em]Churches with greater involvement in
recruitment activity are more likely to have
experienced growth in worship attendance.[/em]
Gee, REALLY? Who’da thunk it?! 😉
*LOL*
Very apt, Karen B!
I wonder if Statmann can confirm: median ASA in TEC is 66 persons? That sort of size would be fine if we are talking about recent church plants, no more than 5-10 years old, which implies an upward trajectory – but somehow I suspect in TEC’s case that this refers to old and established congregations.
Surely that is not good? Here in diocese of Sydney, the average ASA seems to be about 300 (based on ASA for the archdiocese at the last survey of about 60k, and we have just over 200 parishes).
At the risk of stepping on Statmann’s toes, we have to be sensitive and intentional about the language we use here. “Median” means that number that has an equal number of congregations below and above it. If I have the following congregational ASA figures:
700
350
66
12
9,
then 66 is the median, but it certainly isn’t the average, or “mean” (which, on the above figures, would be about 230). When you just focus on the average, a few “outliers”–members of the set that are uncommonly high, or uncommonly low–can skew your view of the numbers. So, theoretically (and only, theoretically, since I have no idea of the true figures), average ASA in Sydney could be about 300–and the mean ASA could be TEC’s 66.
To round out the data, the “mode” is the most commonly occurring number in the set.
And with that, I have exhausted everything I remember from two semesters of Economic Statistics that I took twenty-mumble-mumble years ago.
KevinBabb,
To clarify, I was aware of the difference between median and average when I composed my post. As it happens, because I live here, I am aware that the median ASA in diocese of Sydney is probably also around 300 (we don’t have many “huge” congregations here), but I kept to the correct terminology without conflating the terms.
Since my comparison was only of the most general kind (I hope nobody seriously thought I was drawing detailed conclusions about TEC by comparison with a diocese on the other side of the earth?!) I don’t think that was unreasonable.
So yes, I was being both “sensitive” and “intentional” about the language I used, but also extremely general!
Let’s see… 9 out of 10 churches report conflict in the congregation, with 61% reporting that it’s serious conflict, and yet, the area of ministry where clergy spend the least amount of time? Conflict resolution. Well there’s food for thought.
As I pointed out in another thread, the most depressing number is that there is a smaller proportion of 1-19-year-olds than there is in the 35-49 set, when there should be somewhat more. This means that to keep up numbers we have to recruit a lot of adults– which we’ve always done, but surely there is an upper limit.
About the only growth in ECUSA congregations is from “cafeteria Catholics” and those fleeing what they perceive to be “legalistic” conservative protestant congregations. Both these groups are too “religious” to drop out entirely, but too rebellious to take God at his Word. But even the supply of these people is limited, so the future bodes evilly for Episcopalians.
The charts are pretty clear regardless of mean/median/mode/averages. 81% of churches have ASA of 150 or less. 56% of Episcopalians are over 50. Do the math–this means we are a dying denomination.
Wow, guess our parish is in a real minority. Our ASA is about 300.
Ah, the sound of mean, median, and mode is like a dog whistle for me. The TEC median for ASA is indeed 66 as published by Mr. Hardaway in TEC Fastfacts for 2009 The median is very useful as it tells us that TEC had about 3,450 (50 percent of 6,495) churches with 66 or less for ASA in 2009. I have updated my review of TEC churches with ASA of 66 or less and still feel confident in stating that a church wwith ASA of 66 or less has about One chance in Fifty of attaining Plate & Pledge of $150K. A dismal financial future for such a large number of TEC churches. The upper 50 percent of churches are spread from 67 to almost 1700, hence the ASA distribution is skewed to the right and the mean ASA is above the median and was 99 in 2009. Golly, that was fun! Brings back memories of my students wildly applauding my lecture on this subject. Statmann
Oops, TEC had 6,895 churches in 2009 and not my misprint of 6,495. Yhe 3,450 is still OK. Statmann
C. Wingate is right when he points to the Youth issue in TEC. We make appropriate comments about Members, ASA, and Plate & Pledge declines, but the truly awful stats are tose reflecting the dramatic declines in Marriages and Infant Baptisms wwithin TEC. I am ssure that many know of grandparents attending TEC while their children and grandchildren are attending (or even more sadly, not attending) elsewhere. Statmann