CIRCLING THE DRAIN

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

If these results from something called the 2010 Faith Communities Today Survey are accurate, the Episcopal Organization is still a going concern. Going straight into the crapper. Here are just a few of them:

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.

A majority (53%) of Episcopal parishes and missions were founded before 1901. The post-war baby boom years (1946-1965) saw a huge rise in new church development as many parishes (18% of all congregations) were organized during those twenty years. Only 3% of Episcopal congregations were founded from 1993 to 2009.

In 94% of Episcopal congregations one racial/ethnic group predominates. 86.2% of Episcopal congregations are mostly white, 5.6% are multi-racial, and 4.9% are predominantly Black.

The large majority (69%) of Episcopal congregations report that more than half of their members are age 50+.

Episcopalians tend to be older than the general population. Overall, 30% of Episcopal members are age 65+, as compared to only 13% of the U.S. population. The Episcopal Church has proportionately fewer children, youth and young adults.

89% of Episcopal congregations reported having conflicts or disagreements in the last five years (up from 86% in 2000, but down slightly from 93% in 2005 and 90% in 2008). At least one area of serious conflict was reported by 61% of churches.

Interesting. Anybody want to hazard a guess as to what the main source of conflict was?

The ordination of gay priests or bishops was the most frequently mentioned source of conflict.

Huh. Didn’t see that one coming. But bottom-line it, Johnson. Why are Episcopal numbers so awful? Simple.

Relatively few Episcopal churches reported that their members were heavily involved in recruiting new members. Only 20% say their members are involved “quite a bit” or “a lot.” The more typical involvement is “a little” (36%) or “some” (40%).

I guess when you’ve got nothing to say, there’s not a lot of point wasting your time trying to get people to hear it. Read the whole thing.