Posted on 04/08/2006 6:57:51 PM PDT by SirLinksalot
Catholic, Mormon, and Pentecostal Churches Fastest Growing
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - The Assemblies of God, the Mormon church and the Roman Catholic Church were the fastest-growing major denominations in the United States last year, according to the just-released 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.
The Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal church, grew 1.81 percent to just under 2.8 million members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increased 1.74 percent to nearly 6 million people. And the Catholic Church, by the far the largest denomination in the United States, grew .83 percent to 67.8 million parishioners.
Only three mainline Protestant churches remain among the 10 biggest denominations in the country. The United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., stayed in the top 10 despite experiencing declines in membership last year.
The Methodists ranked third, with about 8.2 million members. The Evangelical Lutherans Ranked seventh, with nearly 4.9 million people. And the Presbyterians ranked ninth with just under 3.2 million congregants.
The Southern Baptist Convention remains the largest U.S. Protestant group, with 16.3 million members. It is the second-largest denomination in the country, behind the Catholic Church.
The yearbook has been published for 89 years by the National Council of Churches, which represents 35 mainline Protestant, Episcopalian and Orthodox Christian groups.
Actually what this survey misses are the NON-DENOMINATIONAL churches. These are probably growing much faster than any major denomination out there.
In NYC alone, the fastests growing ones are those not associated with any major denomination. I know this for a fact as I live here. The statistics brought out by the Billy Graham Crusade last year also bears this out.
I bet Xenú is pretty angry that Tom Cruise's promotion of Scientology hasn't been that successful.
Not Islam?
/s
You belong to one of the declining churches? :>)
Would Islam be considered part of the church or denomination? Religion wise, I think Islam is the fastest growing. But, this is about Christian churches.
I'm a Mormon :o)
Just teasin'.
93,000 were 8 year old children of members.
The rest, 243,000 were all converts.
Total members on record are 12.5 million.
No problems mon.
Actually I'll bet Islam is number one...Among incarcerated rapists and murderers in the US.
I've noticed VERY high-production ads on TV from two shrinking demoninations.
1. The Methodists started an ad campaign maybe around the start of the year.
2. The United Churches of Christ (the liberal guys formerly known as
"Congregationalists") has ads recently running.
Both ad campaigns (IMHO) are trying to pull in a younger, hipper demographic.
Several weeks ago an Episcopal Priest here in San Diego came back from a yr in Iraq as a military chaplin. Now back at his parish.
Several other Episcopal priests here in military reserves.
is it hard to find a good bible believing church in NYC?
Which side were they fighting for?
How many of those people were dead? :)
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