Progeny outperform PCUSA in missions, giving and growing
The Layman Online, July 14, 2005
While the Presbyterian Church (USA) continues its rapid decline in membership and other categories, its progeny are doing well.
Like the PCUSA, the Presbyterian Church in America and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church recently released their statistical data for the year 2004.
EPCPCAPCUSA2004 members 66,473330,1822,362,136Five-year growth 8.6%7.8%-7.8%Worship pct. 96.1%n/a52.1%Missionaries 80755300No. members per missionary 8304377,874Per capita giving $2,787$1,655$861The statistics show that the offspring are on the ascendancy, not only in membership but also in a number of categories that suggest a greater commitment to attend worship services, give more money and send out missionaries to proclaim the Gospel.
One of the most striking comparisons is the ratio of missionaries at the end of 2004. The PCUSA had 300 missionaries, one for every 7,874 members. The EPC sponsored 80 missionaries, one per 830 members. The PCA had 755 missionaries, a ratio of one per 474 members.
Another area with a major difference is stewardship. The EPC reports that its members gave an average of $2,787 in 2004. The PCA’s figure was $1,655. The PCUSA’s was $861.
Worship? The EPC reported that its average worship attendance in 2004 was equal to 96.1 percent of its members, almost double the 52.1 percent average reported by the PCUSA. The PCA does not report worship attendance figures.
The PCA and the EPC are, of course, much smaller – and younger. At the end of 2004, the PCA’s membership stood at 330,182. The EPC had 66,473 members and the PCUSA had 2.36 million.
Membership surged in both the offspring denominations in the earlier years after they were organized (PCA in 1973 and EPC in 1981). But steady growth has continued.
During the five years concluding with 2004, membership in the EPC increased by 8.6 percent and the PCA increased by 7.8 percent. The PCUSA lost 7.8 percent of its members during that same time frame.
The PCA held its constitutional assembly in 1973 with delegates from 41 congregations that had a combined communicant membership of 41,000.
The EPC start-up was in 1981 when its first General Assembly convened with 75 delegates representing 12 churches.