In entries below I detail my efforts to edit information given on Wikipedia about pecusa membership figures. This is an updated entry forWikipedia based on information just released by the Episcopal Church Center. ed.
== Membership==
Total membership of active baptized members is 2,332,506, as counted by the Episcopal Church from all submitted parochial reports for 2006.
In recent years many mainline denominations have experienced a decline in membership. Mainline Protestant churches no longer dominate] Once changes in how membership is counted are taken into consideration, the Episcopal Church's membership numbers were broadly flat throughout the 1990s and into the first couple of years of the 21st century. However, figures show a "precipitous" fall of over 167,000 members for the years 2003–6, largely as the result of conflict of the various controversies engulfing the Church.
On the talk page related to this article, the following was posted:
"On the three-year loss of 115,000 members, James B. Lemler, Episcopal director of mission, said in an interview that the totals "are not more than we expected." Lemler also said that officials were heartened that average Sunday attendance in 2005 did not decline as it did in the previous two years. The average Sunday worship attendance in 2005 was 787,000 people, down only 8,500."
My response:
I revised the membership section based on the latest information (2006 numbers). Is the quote above from Lemler meant to suggest that losing 115,000 members is okay because they weren't more than expected? Add another 50,000 plus to that number for 2006. Is losing 167,000 okay if it's what is expected? By the way, some losses from 2006, including large parishes, won't figure in until 2007. But as long as the losses aren't any greater than expected, all is well.
1 comment:
Yes, it is to be expected. And yes, it is acceptable. If they want to go, let them go.
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