Charlotte Presbytery has had the most congregations to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) while Sacramento Presbytery has lost the most members, according to a presentation given in October 2014 by former and current staff of the PCUSA’s Research Services.
The presentation also disclosed that Pennsylvania was ranked first in the number of congregations that have left, and California had the most members to leave the PCUSA.
“Congregations leaving the Presbyterian Church (USA),” was a presentation given at the annual meeting of the Religious Research Association held Oct. 31 in Indianapolis.
Table four of the Power Point slides that accompanied the presentation showed the rankings of the presbyteries in relation to the number of congregations and members that have left the denomination.
Top ten lists of departing congregations, members
The top ten list of presbyteries with the most “departing” congregations include:
- Charlotte was ranked first, losing 17 congregations
- Mid-South was second with 16 congregations gone
- Cascades and Central Washington tied for third place, each have 14 congregations depart
- Beaver-Butler ranked fifth: 12 congregations gone
- San Joaquin and Shenango tied for sixth both having 11 congregations leave
- Tropical Florida was eighth: 10 congregations gone
- Mississippi and Sacrament tied at ninth place both having nine congregations depart
When it comes to members departing the PCUSA, the list top ten list of presbyteries include:
- Sacramento – 5,581 members
- Pueblo – 4,417 members
- Central Florida – 4,234 members
- Foothills – 4,166 members
- Cascades – 4,136 members
- Central Washington – 3,906 members
- San Joaquin – 3,753 members
- Tropical Florida – 3,519 members
- Charlotte – 3,402 members
- Mid-South 3,365 members
Another slide in the “Congregations departing” presentation listed the 12 largest congregations that had left the PCUSA. Five of those large congregations were members of the presbyteries listed above as having the most departed members.
Church | Members | PCUSA presbytery | New affiliation | Year |
First, Colorado Springs, Colo. | 3,824 | Pueblo | ECO | 2012 |
First, Orlando, Fla. | 3,521 | Central Florida | EPC | 2011 |
First, Greenville, S.C. | 3,385 | Foothills | ECO | 2012 |
Menlo Park, Menlo Park, Calif. | 3,324 | San Francisco | ECO | 2014 |
Kirk of the Hills, Tulsa, Okla. | 2,665 | Eastern Oklahoma | EPC | 2008 |
Grace, Houston, Texas | 2,465 | New Covenant | ECO | 2014 |
Eastminster, Wichita, Kan. | 2,302 | Southern Kansas | EPC | 2012 |
Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks, Calif. | 2,295 | Sacramento | EPC | 2010 |
Bay, Bay Village, Ohio | 2,071 | Western Reserve | EPC | 2008 |
Signal Mountain, Signal Mountain, Tenn. | 2,013 | East Tennessee | EPC | 2007 |
Sunset, Portland, Ore. | 1,957 | Cascades | EPC | 2008 |
Community, Danville, Calif. | 1,862 | San Francisco | EPC | 2012 |
One church that didn’t make the list since it wasn’t officially dismissed from the PCUSA until a month after the presentation was given is Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas Texas. Highland Park has approximately 4,896 members and was dismissed by Grace Presbytery to join ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
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I think this report falls into the same trap as the reams of empty metrics and data published by the PCUSA. Yes, numbers are provided and things are measured, but really does not shed all that much clarity or rational for the current situation.
The PCUSA is dying the death of a thousand cuts, not so much by the departure of large, small steeple churches, though they do count. But by the withdrawal, dropping out, quitting in place, going off the grid of churches, clergy, people still counted on the PCUSA books and accounts.
Presbyteries such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, once bell weathers of the denomination are now hollow shells of their former selves, non-functional, and dark across many levels. Per Capita collection rates, the truest measure of denominational strength, only run at about 65-70% collection rates even in the most liberal, pro-denominational presbyteries.
The story, or charts, no one in the PCUSA wishes to discuss in terms of measurements and metrics is the upside down demographic pyramid of the Board of Pensions, especially in the Health care plans. As the grunch of current clergy members age, retire out of the plan 2017-2025 the numbers and math become catastrophic, once current retirees factored in. The math works until it does not. And then the PCUSA becomes Greece. I do not think the ECB or the Fed. will be bailing anybody out.
Peter – my guess is that the eventual bailout for theologically bankrupt denominations will come in some kind of merger. Remember COCU? Reimagine it. – Carmen
Agreed.
Bankruptcy, be it individual or corporate, has very little to do with present value of assets or what one owns today, but has very much to do with future obligations and liabilities. When one exceeds the other, one is functionally bankrupt. Such is the condition of the PCUSA and its related entities. Sooner or later one runs out of dead people’s money, along with that of the living.
I have always held that by 2020, 5 years, we will be processing the union/merger of the PCUSA/UCC. If that is for simple economies of scale makes sense. The Pension plan has obligations today that stretch until 2100. One needs to remember the BOP was all happy talk, and all was well, on the major medical plan up until 2011 and the cash flow crises in that plan. The math works, until the day it does not. One cannot claim one is 140% funded, while the people, churches, organizations, that actually pay the bills vanish, go, drop out, leave. And oh by the way, divest of all assets one does not like, or has an ideological ax to grind.
Does anyone know how many churches are in the pipeline to leave presently?
It is sad that this trend continues. More than ever, we need a strong Body of Christ. There are many “sheep” that need to be fed.
The above chart lists Kirk of the Hills as leaving the PCUSA in 2008. We actually left in 2006. For whatever reason, the denomination kept us (our numbers) on the rolls until 2008, when the courts ruled against the Kirk and for the PCUSA. Our congregation was functioning in a completely separate status from 2006 on.
And there are many shepherds to feed them. They just happen to reside in the PCA, the EPC, ECO, etc.
Interesting. How does a merger help economically when there is no economy in the church to apply to the merger? Where would the money come from even in a merger? Other than a major downsize to the reality of the true income versus expenses (building payments, clery payments, etc…). An economic flush of the dead weight to a smaller, leaner denomination? Is that the only possible outcome in a merger?