I would guess that these disaffiliating parishes probably see a consistently high number of weekly communicants - i.e. they have 1,000 people on the books and see about 700 or more in church on any given Sunday, while the others may have 439 on the books but probably see less than 220 on any given Sunday if VA is consistent with the national Episcopal average.
That would imply that one out of every six active Episcopalians in VA is disaffiliating and yet they are retaining less than one-twentieth of the diocesan assets.
"I would guess that these disaffiliating parishes probably see a consistently high number of weekly communicants - i.e. they have 1,000 people on the books and see about 700 or more in church on any given Sunday, while the others may have 439 on the books but probably see less than 220 on any given Sunday if VA is consistent with the national Episcopal average."
If Falls Church, et al., are like typical Evangelical churches, they get more attenders than members. E.g., my church has about 1,000 members but about 1,5000 to 2,000 people in the pews in Sunday services. It's a mark of a growing and living church as new people are being brought in.
The typical Episcopal Church is the reverse, maybe 150 members on the books, but only 30-60 show up for church.