US United Methodist membership
dips below 8 million

NEW YORK - For the first time since the 1930s, the US membership of the United Methodist Church has dropped to just under 8 million.


A preliminary report from the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration, released recently, shows that total US membership dropped to 7,989,875 in 2005. The final statistical report will be completed soon.


Membership decreased 1.05 per cent in 2005. A council report released in April this year, "The State of Our Connection," noted that US membership had decreased by 0.81 per cent, to about 8.07 million in 2004. Membership had declined annually since the formation of the denomination in 1968.


Church attendance in 2005 was 3.34 million, the lowest level in reported history, according to the council. Attendance had decreased by 1.63 per cent from 2004 to 2005.


The trend is different for membership outside the United States. According to information released by the council in April, lay membership in the central conferences - regions of the church in Africa, Asia and Europe - increased more than 68 per cent between 1995 and 2004. As at 2004, the non-US membership stood at 1.88 million.


Bishop Scott Jones of Wichita, Kansas, said that the council already has significant initiatives under way to reverse the membership decline.


A major emphasis has been placed on starting new congregations in the US, allocating resources at both the annual conference and national levels, he said. Pastors and district superintendents also are being trained "to strengthen our existing churches".


Outreach to Hispanics and immigrant groups in America is a focus, and the Council of Bishops recently held a summit on new church starts for general agency and some conference church development staff members.


In 2007, a convocation for district superintendents, lay leaders, conference staff and bishops is planned "to focus on how we can make disciples of Jesus Christ and improve our efforts at strengthening local congregations", Bishop Jones said.


He said the council expects that these efforts would bear fruit in the next five to 10 years.


The council is also paying attention to the successful membership efforts of conferences outside the US. "We are learning from our United Methodist sisters and brothers in other countries ... where United Methodism is growing dramatically," he aid. "Worldwide, our denomination is growing." - United Methodist News Service.