By Joseph Rossell, Juicy Ecumenism.
Data from the Pew Research Center has revealed the youngest and oldest religious groups in the United States. The numbers show Protestant mainline denominations are aging fast, and could be headed for steep membership declines unless they make major changes soon.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) and its splinter denomination the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) count the oldest congregants in their midst, along with the ultra-liberal United Church of Christ (UCC). The median age within these denominations was 59 years old. This was more than a decade older than the median age of the entire U.S. population, which was 46 years old.
“Only about one-in-ten adults in these denominations are under the age of 30; the same is true of Anglicans, United Methodists and Episcopalians and members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod,” Pew Religion Editor Michael Lipka wrote in an article July 11.
Each of the 14 oldest religious groups in the U.S. was a Protestant denomination. But it’s the mainline denominations that were in the worst shape. Mainlines represent six out of the eight oldest groups studied, and each of these six denominations has a median age of 55 years old or above. The youngest mainline denomination included in Pew’s report was the American Baptist Churches USA, with a median age of 50 years old.
Related article: Which U.S. Religious Groups Are Oldest and Youngest?
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Which denomination lost 95,107 members last year, and which grew by 11,816?
Both the PC(USA) and the PCA have a lot of small rural congregations, where the next generation is leaving for larger metropolitan areas for economic opportunity, but who are, by and large, not seeking out congregations of the same denomination. Indeed, the growth in non-denominational megachurches are fed by such as these.
Nevertheless, one of these churches continues to hemorrhage members, whereas the other continues to grow, long after church transfers from the PC(USA) ceased to be a significant source of new members. Correspondingly, one of these denominations eschewed Evangelism at its recent General Assembly, whereas the other tied its apology for racism at its latest GA to the Gospel and the need for people of all races to put their trust in Christ alone for salvation from sin’s penalty and power. Thus, one of these denominations is poised for continued growth, whereas the other will continue to lose members for the foreseeable future.
That said, if the high median age of members in the PCA has not dropped in the next twenty years, I will be surprised.
The last time I saw the PCUSA self report its median age was in 2011. That report said 63 years old was our median age. Pew is now saying it’s 59. I’m not sure how they came up with that number but I’m not buying it.
And the EPC wasn’t even listed. Based on what I saw at the EPC GA, the average there was around 50 to 55.
Evolution guarantees the end of the PCUSA within sixty years. Of course, before they actually disappear, they will merge with other denominations that are also on life-support in order to prolong the inevitable for a few years. The quality-of-life, however, will be greatly diminished in those last years.
I disagree.
Although they are not passionate about passing it down to anyone else, Liberal Presbyterians are passionate about passing down their tradition to their children. The whole point of wearing the Church down to the point it would approve, first, the ordination of practicing homosexuals and other fornicators, and second, same-gender “marriage” was so that their children would not leave the pale of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Second only to their passion for liberal causes, Liberal Presbyterians are passionate about the parliamentary procedures of Presbyterianism, to the point that it has become an idol to them. You will notice that at every PC(USA) General Assembly there are many Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAADs), who have the opportunity to speak on behalf of their favorite causes in committee meetings and on the floor of the General Assembly. You will also notice that these YAADs are invariably liberal; there has been no concerted effort by Evangelical Presbyterians to encourage their youth to seek appointment as YAADs. This is because whereas Evangelical Presbyterians want their youth to be excited about the Lord Jesus, to make Him known to their unbelieving friends and classmates, Liberal Presbyterians want their youth to be excited about the Presbyterian form of government, especially as found in the PC(USA).
Eventually, between the departure of Evangelical Presbyterians, who are alienated by the further liberalization of the denomination into something they cannot recognize as the Church of Jesus Christ, and the attrition of lukewarm Presbyterians, who either warm Presbyterian pews die without passing down either the Christian faith or Liberal Presbyterianism to their children, or were raised in lukewarm Presbyterian households and really have no compelling reason to remain in the PC(USA), the PC(USA) will eventually shrivel down to its core of devoted Liberal Presbyterians. And this core will be able to sustain itself for years to come.
To your point about mergers, you might see an eventual merger with the Reformed Church in America, which has the same polity as the PC(USA), albeit with a Dutch rather than a Scots/Irish heritage, and which is similarly afflicted with Theological Liberalism, but I wouldn’t look anytime soon for mergers with other denominations (e.g., ELCA, UMC, TEC, UCC, ABC) that do not share the PC(USA)’s unique form of government.