The church\u2019s membership, counted as active baptized members, also declined by three per cent, falling by 59,457 to 2,057,292. The rate of decline in attendance and membership also rose last year, with the 10-year rate of decline in attendance rising from 13 to 16 per cent, and the 10-year rate of decline in active membership rising from 10 to 11 per cent.<\/p>\n
Fifty per cent of US Episcopal churches saw a decline in attendance last year, while only 35 per cent registered growth. The median average Sunday worship attendance in 2008 was 69.<\/p>\n
For the first time the church\u2019s income fell, with recorded \u201cpledge and plate\u201d\u009d income falling by 0.2 per cent.<\/p>\n
Critics assert the numbers may be overstated as some dioceses have not recorded the secession of breakaway congregations. While the Diocese of San Joaquin recorded a membership drop of almost 8,000, or 77 per cent \u201d\u201d reflecting the secession of a majority of its congregations, the Diocese of Los Angeles continues to carry St James Newport Beach\u2019s 1,500 members on its books \u201d\u201d even though the congregation\u2019s fight to quit has already taken the fight to the US Supreme Court.<\/p>\n