Posted on 12/02/2004 7:23:55 AM PST by sionnsar
Well, the official numbers are out. And memberships losses in the Episcopal Church accelerated in 2003. But was the General Convention and the consecration of Gene Robinson that year the big factors behind that? Nooooooo.
Well, actually, yes. But you’re not going to hear that from the Episcopal spin doctors. See that 900 pound gorilla in the room? Just ignore it. It’s not important.
I have to give the two ECUSA directors in the interview some credit, though. They are right that the Episcopal Church's membership problems didn’t begin in 2003. And Mr. Fulton seems to actually admit that the mainline penchant for offering not much in the way of being a church that holds forth the Way, the Truth, and the Life might, just might, hurt membership:
The bread-and-butter of mainline denominations, what we really do offer people, is belonging. And that’s not what the church at its truest offers people, just to belong. You can belong a lot of places.
Aeyyyy-men! Oh I forgot – I’m Anglican now.
Further, uh, dialogue, that’s it, may be found at Titusonenine.
Q&A: Context, analysis offered on church membership statistics
Read it all.
Here is an email from a blog reader about the article:
Below is a link to a Nov 29 ENS Q&A discussing why attendance and membership is falling in the Episcopal Church that might make a good post to TitusOneNine. Very interesting reading. Apparently the problem (according to 815) is that wealthy, educated people are not having enough children.
The given link goes to a longish interview published by the Episcopal News Service. There's some humor to be mined from it, but it's too long to repost here. --sionnsar
ECUSA has been inflating attendance figures for years. Sort of like on the order the "Million Man" March. I would seriously doubt there are a million fannies parked in ECUSA seats on any given Sunday.
Here are the numbers from the story:
36,000-person decline in membership
a decline of almost 24,000 in average Sunday worship attendance.
In 2002 the decline was only 8,000
From the denominational web site:
There are 2,320,221 baptized members.
(For comparative purposes, about 3.5 million in the early 1960s)
These guys are delusional.
ahadams gave me the number 800,000 practicing episcopalians -- (before general convention trauma)
"Practicing" what?
LOL.
You are right Sir. They are not practicing--they are good at it!
About the only way to get your name off most parish registers is to officially request a transfer of your letter to another Episcopal Church. If you just stop going altogether, or join another denomination, in all likelihood your name may well remain on the parish registry - oftentimes for decades. It can therefore be counted when the parish sends it's membership stats to the diocese.
You are right. I am probably still on the Methodist rolls.
But I bet we're still on the rolls, 'cause we didn't transfer our letters. I don't know of any way to CANCEL your letters!
Most denominations distinguish between active members and members they're simply carrying on the rolls. Nobody wants to purge them, of course. Won't get done.
But even if they won't let go of my name, they sure as certain ain't getting any more of my money!
(And really, that's what they care about the most.)
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