Mormons and catholics gaining members...

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New York, February 12, 2010 – The National Council of Churches’ 2010 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches reports membership gains in the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Assemblies of God, among others.

The 78th annual edition of the Yearbook also reports a continuing decline in membership of virtually all mainline denominations
…
1. The Catholic Church, 68,115,001 members, up 1.49 percent.
  1. Southern Baptist Convention,16,228,438 members, down 0.24percent.
  2. The United Methodist Church, 7,853,987 members, down 0.98 percent.
**4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5,974,041 members, up 1.71 percent. **
  1. The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no membership updates reported.
ncccusa.org/news/100204yearbook2010.html

But so are the Jehova’s Witnesses.
 
Interesting statistics…

I will like to know the reason for the increase in both of this churches. I hope and pray that our protestant brothers and sisters, that were catholic are returning to the Mother Church. Lets keep praying for our church and our separated brothers and sisters.
 
Malena60 said:
Interesting statistics…

I will like to know the reason for the increase in both of this churches. I hope and pray that our protestant brothers and sisters, that were catholic are returning to the Mother Church. Lets keep praying for our church and our separated brothers and sisters.
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Amen!
 
why_me said:
New York, February 12, 2010 – The National Council of Churches’ 2010 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches reports membership gains in the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Assemblies of God, among others.

The 78th annual edition of the Yearbook also reports a continuing decline in membership of virtually all mainline denominations
…
1. The Catholic Church, 68,115,001 members, up 1.49 percent.
  1. Southern Baptist Convention,16,228,438 members, down 0.24percent.
  2. The United Methodist Church, 7,853,987 members, down 0.98 percent.
**4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5,974,041 members, up 1.71 percent. **
  1. The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no membership updates reported.
ncccusa.org/news/100204yearbook2010.html

But so are the Jehova’s Witnesses.
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To keep it in proper perspective, it should be noted that these figures are for the United States only. I don’t know what it would look like it it was global.
 
I seem to remember that JW’s would disfellowship about 40,000-50,000 members per year in this country alone. Many of that number never come back.

Great to see the growth in the CC. I hope to add to the plus column next year.
 
The Episcopal Church and the Presbyterians are in free fall. Wow, down 2.81% and 3.28% respectively.
 
It would seem that the more conservative the church, the stronger the growth. Liberalism and moral relativism have devastated some protestant churches. Both catholicism and mormonims offer stability in an ever changing world.
 
I wonder if Big Love on HBO is driving up those Mormon membership stats LOL 😛
 
why_me said:
It would seem that the more conservative the church, the stronger the growth. Liberalism and moral relativism have devastated some protestant churches. Both catholicism and mormonims offer stability in an ever changing world.
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That is exactly what led me to THE church. I’m not swimming the Tiber…I’m running so fast that I won’t even get wet.
 
Very interesting! If only the Catholic Church’s percentages were higher than those of the Mormon church’s though. 😛
 
I really do think Big Love contributes to the Mormon’s success in recruiting…it personifies their church with realistic characters and scenarios…granted, I laugh at most of the episodes and can’t understand why anyone would want to be a part of that…but like they say, there is no such thing as bad press…as long as your name is out there, it is a good thing…

They should come up with an hour long drama about Catholics…but not cookie cutter, crayon, touchy-feely theology…I mean a show based on a really solid, orthodox, Catholic family living in America and trying to be faithful and devout Catholics in this really screwed up society…focus on the trials and tribulations they go through…I think it would be a hit
 
Holly3278 said:
Very interesting! If only the Catholic Church’s percentages were higher than those of the Mormon church’s though. 😛
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Overall percentages is not the same as the rate of growth. If you start with one to add one more gives you a huge percentage gain.
 
i wouldn’t worry about statistics, the Truth is the issue!

To paraphrase Papa Benedictus XVI, we would be better off with fewer Luke warm believers & more Catholics on fire for Jesus Christ!!!

**After Jesus taught that He was the “Bread of Life”, the Eucharist we see the only place in Sacred Scripture where disciples abandoned Jesus;

“After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” (Jn 6:66)**

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
I think the protestant churches especially the Episcopal/Anglican and denominations that ordain women accept homosexuality have the most trouble because the more conservative and even many moderate members leave for a different denomination. I know some Episcopalians that have become Catholics because of the recent changes in teaching on the ordination of women and the acceptance of homosexual clergy as well as the recent letter issued by Benedict concerning Anglicans. Overall though the trend nationally is towards more Christians in name and belief but not in active practice. People are in general open to Christ and belief in Christ but they are suspicious of organized religion.
 
Radical said:
Are you aware of the effect of immigration?
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It seems this report is up till the year 2000. This was when the housing boom, especially in the west, was going on. Alot has changed since then. Speaking as a Californian and seeing for myself what’s been going on around here, many of the immigrants have returned south of the border due to most not being able to find any work. Almost all of them worked in either construction or agriculture. Construction has experienced about 25-28% unemployment recently, and in Fresno, the epicenter for California farming (and makes up 50% of the nations produce) has experienced 45% unemployment.
 
Interesting numbers. I also find it interesting that if these statistics are based on baptisms, that would then include the infant baptisms of the Catholic church and the baptisms by choice in the LDS church. That would mean that more people are choosing to become LDS than are being baptized into the Catholic church by personal choice (infant baptism not included because an infant cannot make a choice…) Very interesting:)

Annie
 
michaeldaniels said:
I really do think Big Love contributes to the Mormon’s success in recruiting…it personifies their church with realistic characters and scenarios…granted, I laugh at most of the episodes and can’t understand why anyone would want to be a part of that…but like they say, there is no such thing as bad press…as long as your name is out there, it is a good thing…

They should come up with an hour long drama about Catholics…but not cookie cutter, crayon, touchy-feely theology…I mean a show based on a really solid, orthodox, Catholic family living in America and trying to be faithful and devout Catholics in this really screwed up society…focus on the trials and tribulations they go through…I think it would be a hit
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Big Love is nothing like the real life of an average Mormon family. Big Love is about fundamentalist Mormons who are 114 years removed from the mainstream church. I have family members in both the fundamentalist groups and mainstream LDS Church and I can tell you the differences are vast. Mainstream LDS are great people and as normal as anyone else. Please don’t confuse the two.
 
I took a look at the source article. All those membership numbers are self-reported by the participating churches. There appears to be no standard for evaluating the accuracy of the reports, nor for comparing the accuracy of one church’s report to another’s.

I will admit that the following is second-hand, but I do have to wonder:

What I’ve heard is that the Catholics attempt to report an accurate number, by compiling the currently registered members in the parishes.

However, I’ve heard that the Mormons report everyone they baptise, and don’t purge their lists of fallen-away members. If that is true, it is quite likely that the Mormons’ number is seriously inflated.
 
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