Fascinating ELCA Facts

ELCA Research and Evaluation . . . where the church counts!

• The oldest active ELCA pastor is 89 years old.
  
• The pastor who has been in the same call the longest has served the same congregation
  for 54 years. The pastor is 84 years old.
  
• The ordained woman who has been in the same call the longest has served in that call
  for 40 years.
  
• 83.3% of ordained women with calls are serving in congregations. 84.0% of ordained men with calls are serving in congregations.
  
• The active pastor ordained the longest has been ordained 62 years.
  
• The oldest ELCA congregation was founded in 1649.
  
• The largest congregation has 14,109 baptized members.
  
• The fastest growing congregation grew by 603 in average worship attendance last year.

Popular Reports (The following files are PDF documents )

• ELCA Membership [1988-2010]
  
• Number of Clergy Retiring [1988-2010]
  
• Change in Average Worship Attendance by Size of Congregation [1990-2010]
• Change in Number of ELCA Congregations and Average Worship Attendance by Community Context [2004-2010]
• Frequency of Communion for ELCA Congregations [2006]
• Age at First Communion [2006]
• Average Worship Attendance for ELCA Congregations with One, Two or Three Pastors [2009]
• Average Worship Attendance for ELCA Congregations with Three or Four Pastors [2009]