ELCA Membership Remained Stable in 1996

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With a total of 5,180,910 baptized members in 10,936 congregations, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) remained largely stable in membership for 1996, according to the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary.  The membership figure represented a slight decrease of 9,517 from 5,190,427 in 1995.  The decrease was less than two-tenths of 1 percent.
     The number of congregations decreased by 19 from 10,955 in 1995 largely as a result of consolidations and mergers of congregations, said Almen.
     Confirmed membership in 1996 for ELCA congregations remained steady at 3,838,750, down 6,255 from 1995.
     Communing and contributing membership -- an indicator of active participation -- declined to 2,538,197 in 1996 compared with 2,560,427 in 1995.
     The average number of people at worship on Sundays -- another indicator of participation by members in the life of congregations -- remained almost the same in 1996 as in 1995.  About 1.6 million or 30.3 percent of all baptized members attend worship each week.  Since 1988, average worship attendance has fluctuated slightly between 30 and 31 percent.
     Baptism of children has been in a slight but steady decline for the past seven years.  From 1995 to 1996 the decrease was 1,353 -- down from 85,152 in 1995 to 83,799 in 1996.  The decline in baptisms of children reflects the slowed birth rate in the population in general, Almen said.
     Congregations also reported a decrease in baptisms of people 16 years of age and older -- down 167 people from 8,270 in 1995 to 8,103 in 1996.
     For the second consecutive year, the number of members received through affirmations of faith increased by 3,163 -- up from 61,850 in 1995 to 65,013 in 1996.
     The number of youth confirmed in 1996 increased -- up 736 or 1.25 percent from 58,515 in 1995 -- for the seventh year in a row.
     "Losses attributable to roll cleaning by congregations were down again in 1996 as in 1995 and 1994," Almen noted.  In 1996, congregations of the ELCA reported 4,401 fewer losses -- a decrease from 170,077 to 165,676 -- for reasons other than deaths and transfers.
     Losses due to deaths was down slightly in 1996 -- down 594 from 50,967 in 1995 to 50,373 in 1996.
     The number of unconfirmed children partaking of the sacrament of Holy Communion increased by 3.46 percent from 239,498 in 1995 to 247,787 in 1996.
     The average number of baptized members per congregation was 477, and the average confirmed membership was 354.  In 1996, the average number for communing and contributing members per congregation was 234.
     For 1996, 2.14 percent of ELCA baptized members were African American, Black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native people. For 1995, that percentage of total ELCA membership was 2.09.
     Hispanic membership increased the most with 1,306 members added to the baptized rolls of congregations last year.  The actual numbers for 1996 were:  African American or Black membership, 49,707, up 248; Asian and Pacific Islander membership, 21,898, down 109; Hispanic membership, 29,424, up 1,306; and American Indian and Alaska Native people membership, 7,005, up 93.  Some 4,805 members declared their race or ethnic heritage as "other."
     In 1988, the year of its birth, the ELCA counted 98,166 African American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American members.  By 1996, that number increased 14.5 percent to 112,839 persons.
     There were 9,308 congregations that reported having Sunday Schools with 875,789 pupils and 140,804 leaders.  A total of 7,277 congregations reported holding vacation Bible schools in 1996.
     "In this age of instant communication, people throughout this church use new technologies to tell others about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ministries of our church," said Almen.  "For instance, we now know that 762 congregations or 7 percent have an e-mail address and 2,181 pastors -- 22 percent of ELCA pastors serving congregations -- use e-mail in their ministries."
     Ninety-one percent of ELCA congregations returned completed reports for 1996, according to the Office of the Secretary.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html