From VirtueOnline

Numbers never lie. They may be interpreted differently to suit different audiences, but when the direct light of reality hits, one can only stand in awe at what we learn. The Episcopal Church is a case in point.

VOL has been examining the statistics on The Episcopal Church's decline. They are bad, very bad. TEC has gone below the benchmark 700,000 in average Sunday attendance (ASA) and below 7000 parishes in 109 dioceses. The average age is now about 65. There is virtually no growth forecast in the immediate or foreseeable future. Already two dioceses are planning on merger (Eau Claire and Fond du Lac), but this is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be more "junctures", as they are officially called, in the coming months as dioceses watch their numbers decline and parishes fail. Every diocese, without exception, is down in attendance, some more than others. Conservative dioceses, too, are feeling the backlash of the Robinson consecration, the biggest single factor in TEC's decline since 2003. Blame it on the "gay" revolution in The Episcopal Church. The truth is Bishop V. Gene Robinson has brought nothing but shame, anger, despair and flight from TEC. The powers that be have no way of stopping or reversing it.

The study, undertaken by VOL staff, reveals that of 6825 parishes some 2219 (nearly a third) have an ASA of 40 or less. These congregations are old and aging fast. We predict that within 3 to 5 years they will be forced to close, merge and/or sell off their properties, REGARDLESS of how much money they have left in endowments. Without a congregation, the money is useless and will be turned over to a diocese that will spend it on ministries that will likely have a short-term life and then die.

Here are the statistics of all 6825 parishes and their Average Sunday Attendance (ASA). Records were taken from the Episcopal Church's own 2009 ASA Graph Charts and the total number of churches in TEC Dioceses.

Churches with an ASA of 20 or less totaled 903. Churches with an ASA of 20 - 30 totaled 612. Churches with an ASA of 31 - 40 ASA totaled 704 Churches with an ASA of 41 - 50 ASA totaled 552 Churches with an ASA of 51 - 100 ASA totaled 1,826 Churches with an ASA of 101- 200 ASA totaled 1,454 Churches with an ASA of 201 - 500 ASA totaled 677

In September, a new set of numbers will be released and we will examine them for you. You can read a full report on these statistics in today's digest.