Once again…the Jehovah Witnesess up 2% from last year. According to the most recent publishing of the Yearbook of American anc Canadian Churches, there are 4 churches that grew in membership last year. These were: The Catholic Church (up 1.49%), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (up 1.71%), The Assemblies of God (up 1.27%), and the Jehovahs Witnesses (up 2%).
When you look at the statistics on how many members each denomonation has, the Catholics dwarf all other religions. I recently went to mass with a colleague of mine who had just converted from Southern Baptist (who saw a decline again this year) to Catholocism. I asked him why he decided to join and he told me it was because the church was the original Christian church. It looks like there are 68,000,000 other Americans who feel the same way.
Grace for Grace 
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March 20, 2010 at 1:03 am
Doug
Those Catholic membership numbers are meaningless.
The number of people attending mass continues to decline, Catholic school enrollment is dropping fast. They also give the least to their church which explains, in part, their need for bingo and “Las Vegas nights” and the like so that they have enough to run their parishes. I love the Catholic people (I was born into it but not raised Catholic) but the numbers are inflated (as all those membership numbers tend to be-just look at the Southern Baptist!). Half of the families joining my church are from Catholic backrounds but unhappy with the teachings of the church and/or nervous about the sexual abuse issues. What percentage of LDS are counted in the membership rolls but not active in the life of their wards? My denomination lists active and inacitve in its membership numbers.
Doug
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April 5, 2010 at 10:05 pm
St. Frances Fan
Doug wrote: “Those Catholic membership numbers are meaningless.”
It depends what numbers you mean, Doug. Most of the numbers you see result from polls in which people self-identify as Catholic, however meaningful that might be. (There are not a few who profess beliefs that are inimical to the faith.) However, each diocese in the U.S. (at least) performs an “October Count” each October, during which everyone attending Mass on Sunday (including the Saturday Vigil) is counted. That number tends, in my experience, to run about half of the self-reported number.
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March 20, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Jamal
It would be interested to see if anyone could gather stats on ‘committed’ members of denominations. A fuzzy thing to define I know. I would guess JW’s would come out with a fairly high percentage of committed versus total rolls, Mormons probably come out similar, I would think Catholics would come out low, various charismatic churches along with non-Christian religions probably somewhere in the middle (with religions dominated by recent immigrants from more religious societies probably relatively higher on the scale). Attendance at regular weekly worship services for the various denominations might be a better measure. Still not perfect by any means, but probably far more reflective of reality.
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March 21, 2010 at 10:55 pm
ama49
Hi Jamal,
You bring up a pretty good point. See my other comment on the actual members of the LDS church that attend…it’s somewhere in the 8 million neighborhood.
I too would be interested to see what the actual attendance for Catholic churches is…hmmm….maybe I’ll do some digging around.
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March 21, 2010 at 7:07 pm
ama
Hi Doug,
The best way to determine the actual actively attending LDS is to take the number of wards (congregations) and divide it by about 300. The reason for this is because the LDS church functions on lay members and for a ward to properly function it takes about 300 people. There are close to 14 million LDS in the world and 26,100 wards. Therefore there are close to 8 million who are active which is 60 percent or so. Personally that is what I see typically is around 50 percent activity. However the ward I’m in now is a bit less with 700 on the books and 300 that attend.
What church do you attend and what is the activity rate there? What is it that is bringing people in do you think?
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March 23, 2010 at 12:26 am
Doug
I belong to the Reformed Church in America. The local church I belong to has 400 “active” adults on the membership rolls with a little over 300 attending Sunday morning services. That is not including 100+ children.
We also have approx. 200 inactive members (those who attend church less than 10 times during the course of a year.
We have placed a “Book of Friendship” in each pew that is passed during services that has spaces for members and visitors to sign in. This book is used by visitation teams to drop off fresh bread and info about the church to anyone visiting our church for the first time. The book also serves as a way for the elders of the church to keep track of member’s attendance. This book also has boxes that indicate “I want a visit from a church leader” or “I have a question” or “I have a prayer request” ect.
To be listed as an active member you must attend a certain number of Sunday services and contribute to the church.
I’m not saying this is the greatest system (it’s not) but it’s how we do it.
I believe the things that attract people to our church is, in part, all the typical things: good kids ministries, good outreach, good music program, nice people (many of the things that attract people to the LDS as well!) Being a creedal church-Catholics find it less of a jump joining our church. We also get people from churches that have become too liberal in their theology and social practices. I’m glad people from other churches find a home in our church rather than drifting away from the Lord because of their disappointment with their church. However, that is not true growth-true growth are those who do not have faith in Jesus Christ and come to know and love him through our churches ministry-sad to say that is a much smaller number of people who join our church.
How does the LDS church keep track of its members? How do you keep track of worship attendance-ect. What percentage of new members were not Christians before they joined?
Doug
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March 23, 2010 at 6:56 am
Mormon Heretic
Doug,
How does the LDS church keep track of its members?
The church has a real good computer system that tracks dates of baptism, ordination to priesthood etc. See my answer below for more details. The church doesn’t really publish activity rates. Twice a year, we have a church-wide broadcast called General Conference. In April, the church will announce a statistical report with Stakes, Wards, Missions, # of members, and other statistics on membership. If you’re interested, tune in April 3.
How do you keep track of worship attendance-ect.
Every week, each congregation has a ward clerk walk though the meeting and physically count everyone in attendance at Sacrament Meeting (communion.) Attendance rolls are passed around each week to see who attends Sunday School, and Priesthood (for men)/Relief Society (for women.) A group of ~ 4-12 congregations forms a Stake (kind of like a Catholic Diocese I believe.) The Stake President keeps track of activity rates for each congregation. Stakes aggregate these numbers and send them on to church headquarters.
What percentage of new members were not Christians before they joined?
Everyone has a different definition of Christian, so I’m not sure how to answer this. I don’t believe our church keeps track of this. The majority of our conversions probably come from people who don’t attend a regular church (some would call these Christian in name only–other’s call them non-Christian.) We do have converts who were active in their previous church as well.
If you are asking about Jewish/Muslim/Hindu (non-Christian) converts, those are more rare. I have a few Jewish and Muslim convert friends. The church does not proselyte active Muslims because their families may issue death threats if they join a Christian religion. We have missionaries in the Orient (Japan, Philippines, etc) who actively proselyte non-Christian religious people. I will say Mormons are much more successful with people who have a basic belief in Jesus Christ than with people who don’t believe in Jesus.
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March 23, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Doug
Mormon Heretic
We have counters at services also and send a report in at the end of the year containing statistical information.
Ministry to active Muslims is very difficult. The Reformed Church has focused on education (building schools) but has had limited success reaching Muslims for Christ. We support several ministries including a Muslim convert (Rasa)who broadcasts via radio in farsi. Word is that there are many young Iranians who are exploring the Christian faith and coming to Christ. I have no idea what the numbers are.
One unrelated question: Where did you get your name from? What does it mean?
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March 25, 2010 at 2:28 pm
mormon heretic
i’m a very active mormon but I have some beliefs that aren’t always orthodox. I enjoy looking at the bible and book of mormon from a more scientific or theological perspective than people in my ward are comfortable with.
I look at a person like galileo who was a believing catholic and a wonderful scientist. for some reason, his idea that the sun was the center of the universe, rather than the earth, was threatening to the church. well it turns out the heretic galileo was right and the pope was wrong. I can identify with galileo.
i’m no where near as smart as galileo, but I try to emulate his example, even if it makes people at church a little nervous. I have my own blog so I can tackle scientific or theological questions and can be more of a heretic than I can be at church.
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May 5, 2010 at 4:24 am
St. Frances Fan
MH, in addition to being a Catholic, I’m also a professional physicist, so Galileo’s case is of interest to me on both grounds. It is a curious case on many grounds.
The geocentric (geostationary) model had been ‘proven’ by Aristotle about 2000 years before Galileo’s time because of the lack of parallax with the stars. Even now that is hard to measure, and Galileo had no answer for it. Even now only relatively-nearby stars have measurable parallax, though there are efforts to increase that distance.
The other way to prove that the earth is moving, rotating about its axis causing an accelerated reference frame. That wasn’t understood in any significant way until the nineteenth century when Gustave Coriolis worked out the theory, and it wasn’t demonstrated until the middle of that century by Léon Foucault and his famous pendulum. Of course, by then the outcome wasn’t really a surprise to anyone.
Galileo was going against almost the entire scientific and philosophical world, though he had a number of supporters, including some influential Jesuits and Pope Urban, who thought it an interesting theory (though he pointed out some flaws in Galileo’s proof) and encouraged him to write about the Copernican model and make arguments for and against it without taking a stand either way. He took the pope’s advice (at least in the most formal sense — his advocacy for heliocentricity is implicit) and wrote “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems”, but he also ridiculed his friend the pope in the same work. He attacked his main Jesuit supporter in another work. Let’s just say that Galileo would likely never have had a successful career as a diplomat.
What actually got him into trouble was that he defended the Copernican theory also on theological grounds. That gave his enemies, and he had many if only because of his Florentine sponsors: the Medicis. When his enemies went after his theological arguments in the “Dialogue”, the pope didn’t defend him. However, his fate wasn’t as bad as some people think. After being ‘imprisoned’ in the house of a friendly archbishop, his sentence was commuted to house arrest (he was a wealthy man with a pleasant house and servants) and the right to visit his daughter in a nearby convent. Also, he continued to produce scientific work, some of his best and most important.
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May 5, 2010 at 1:43 pm
St. Frances Fan
“That gave his enemies, and he had many if only because of his Florentine sponsors: the Medicis.”
What I meant to say was:
That gave his enemies, and he had many if only because of his Florentine sponsors: the Medicis, an opening to attack him on the grounds of heresy.
The problem with their charges, at least the primary charges, is that they were plainly false. They were held and taught by some number of Patristic writers, most-significantly by St. Augustine, the great bishop of Hippo (now Annaba, Algeria) in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. Had he been a theologian instead of a scientist, Galileo would have had no difficulty refuting the charges. Likewise, the pope (who, from what I understand, agreed with him) and his other recently-alienated important allies could have done so. Once they didn’t act, his enemies were too intimidating for others to do so.
As I see it, the most important lesson that can be drawn from this sad episode is the great danger of pride.
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March 25, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Doug
People who think outside the box generally make church going people anxious. Where do I do to read your blog?
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March 26, 2010 at 12:24 am
mormon heretic
doug, you are definitely welcome to come visit. go to mormonheretic.org
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March 26, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Doug
Mormon Heretic
Really interesting web site. I find your conversation about the complicated relationship between LDS/Evangelicals fasinating. As an evangelical I am torn between the doctrinal divide between our two groups and my experience with LDS where I can clearly see the Spirit of Christ working in their lives. I considered converting to the LDS church as a teen because of the kindness I saw in the missionaries I met with but could not accept teachings I did not believe in. I continue to have an appreciation for many aspects of your church and enjoy talking with LDS. I also appreciate the willingness of your church to share the Tabernacle with a number of evangelical speakers. We should only be so gracious. I was ticked off when Focus on the Family (A ministry I support) would not allow remarks made by Glenn Beck regarding the atonement to be broadcast (because of his LDS affiliation) on their radio program-and called them and told them so. Not one of our better moments!
Again, nice job on your web site-I will enjoy reading through it as time allows (enjoyed the section on the Community of Christ too).
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March 27, 2010 at 4:15 am
ama49
Hi Doug,
MH did an excellent job of answering the questions you asked me about how we track attendance, etc.
I’m very glad to see evangelicals like you who find much more common ground than many are willing to look at. I personally feel that it isn’t God that divides Mormons and other Christians and find it sad when people from both sides find fault with each other rather than unite in common cause. There are many more things to be worried about than slight differences in doctrine.
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March 27, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Mormon Heretic
Doug, I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. I welcome moderate evangelicals like yourself. (I have found them hard to find.) I hope you continue to stop by and add to the conversation. I also cross post at Mormon Matters, and I have a post there I would like you to comment on. However, comments are currently closed, so I’ll have to transfer it over to my blog. I have a Passover/Exodus post planned for tomorrow, so it will probably be a few days.
I’m not sure what to make of Focus on the Family. On the one hand, they do broadcast on Mormon-owned KSL radio, and I generally like their message. It seems like they even supported Mitt for president. On the other hand, they can be very bigoted against Mormons and I have a hard time with that. I’m not comfortable with their political activism either.
Glenn Beck isn’t my favorite Mormon, and I find some of his recent comments on “social justice” way out of line. But I don’t like Focus on the Family blackballing him on the sole basis of religion either, so thanks for your advocacy there.
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March 30, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Doug
You guys did an excellent job answering my questions-thank you! While I know the spirit in which it was said I must confess I don’t care for the title ‘Moderate Evangelical.” Who would ever want to say, ‘I’m a moderate follower of Jesus Christ’ -yikes!!! I am passionate about doctrinal issues but at the same time I do not believe we should add anything to the message of salvation that isn’t already there-believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved’ and “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead-ye shall be saved.” PERIOD! When we get to the glories of Heaven we can find out who is right and wrong-and probably won’t even care at that point!
Going back to the issue at hand-what is not included in those membership numbers are groups like Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Fellowship. CC must be in the millions-thay have churches everywhere-some really huge. The one near me has over 7,000 at worship on Sunday morning. The problem is that they don’t count membership the way most of us do-they consider our concept of membership unbiblical.
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March 31, 2010 at 3:31 pm
mormon heretic
yes doug, I can be passionate about religion too. perhaps a better term I could have used is ‘i don’t come across nice evangelicals very often’. I think you are nice and a welcome addition to the evangelical – mormon conversation. too often, conversations turn to shouting matches, and that just isn’t productive. unfortunately it seems to be the norm in my experience.
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March 31, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Doug
I think the problem with a lot of evangelicals is that we are just too uptight about sharing our faith and either say nothing or end up turning people off by being just plain rude. For a people whose very name means “Good News” we can make good news sound pretty bad. What I have found in my own experience is that shouting matches tend to reveal insecurity about ones lack of knowledge. I believe the Lord is honored when we follow the golden rule of treating others as we ourselves desire to be treated. Civility rules!
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August 13, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Aaron
Good. May lord jesus christ bless and his grace be upon you.
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August 28, 2010 at 2:06 am
Sarah
Several months ago, I believe I may have contacted your website in regard to a man whose name is William (“Bill”). If I am correct about having previously contacted your site, I thank you for your prayers and ask that you please continue to pray with me for this man’s salvation (also, for those in his life who don’t know Jesus). I am not in a position to witness to this man personally, but others have been contacted to this regard. Please ask the Lord to extend His spirit to facilitate and lead a conversational witness through anyone whom He may choose. Please ask God to extend His grace toward Bill, doing everything needed to chase him, overcome his pride, lift the veil from his eyes, bring conviction to his heart and show him his need for a Savior. Like us all, Bill has made some mistakes, and has unfortunately had some tragic things to happen in his life. At this time, he is struggling with. Please also ask God to sober him, to protect him, to purify his mind, to work on his heart with His spirit; that He’ll place him in the company of believing friends, and that He will not only save Bill, but will use his testimony to bring others to Christ and further the kingdom.
In Him for His glory and with thanks,
Sarah S
1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 8:31-32;8:37
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January 6, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Chris
I believe the reason we are all looking at which church is the fastest growing is that we think there is possibly a clue here as to which one is more correct.
Also as you may have guessed I do believe that some churches are more correct than others. If we measure a church and compare it to God who is perfect than as there are many churches with many differing points of view we could say that there is probably a church that when compared to God and his point of view is the most accurate to His point of view.
I believe that church is the one we should align ourselves to. I believe if we truly believe in God we would do our utmost to find that most accurate church.
I have an interesting question for you. If God is real and if you could speak to him face to face as one person speaks to another which church would he say is the closest to his church or which one would he say is the most accurate?
Do you think it logical that he would leave the world lost and in darkness. Darkness meaning we cannot see. We cannot see in an obvious way which church is the most accurate?
There is a way which is very logical and with which we can see which church is the most accurate.
I invite you all to read the book “The Greatest Quest”. By Blaine and Brenton Yorgason.
It details the true story of a group 4 of college students and there logical and systematic search for the true Christian church using evidences they found in the bible.
As they assembled this list of evidences they would go to all kinds of different Christian churches and compare each church’s beliefs and doctrines with the list of evidences they found while searching the Bible.
I really enjoyed this book. I like the concept that if God really does exist then he must have intended for us to be able to find him. To truly find him and know that we have found him finally completely.
True spirituality is such a journey and it takes more than casual effort.
God still speaks to man. He himself says in the Bible that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I truly believe that his church is that way as well.
The fullness of the true church of God has been had among men from time to time since the days of Adam.
At times it has been lost from the earth because of wickedness but has been restored again later.
I am telling you this because it is true.
Do you believe the Bible? The miracles? Do you believe that God is real? Do you believe angels ministered to people?
These things are as real as the laws of nature. As real as you and I are real. They are not nice stories that always have a good moral to them. They are and were real events.
There are miracles in this day. Angels do minister to men in this day. They have not ceased for God is the same yesterday today and forever.
Here is one clue. The true church of God will have a lay clergy. Meaning the true church of God and the people who minister in it will not be paid to minister in it even if they spend as much time in that church as they would a full time job even if the church has millions of people and needs many people working together to keep it functioning.
Why? Did Jesus Christ ever charge people money in the church he esablished? No. Did his apostles? No. How much time did they spend ministering. Much. Probably more than full time employment.
There are many other such clues scattered throughout the bible and there is a church on this earth in this day which conforms to those evidences.
The church today will be very much the same as the church Jesus organized while he was on the earth.
Also the bible as we know it has been translated and retranslated many times. When the original words were written they contained the fullness of the gospel of Christ. After many translations and editings by people over the course of 2 thousand years it no longer contains the fullness of the gospel. It is very much accurate but not completely accurate.
I invite you to read the book “The Greatest Quest”. By Blaine and Brenton Yorgason.
If you want to have a deep understanding and relationship with God and who He really is and not just what people make him out to be read that book and think about whether what it says is true.
There is more I would like to share with you, but I can’t.
I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel. I want you to know that the truth is knowable.
Also I want you to know that we are all human and everyone makes mistakes and that if you do find the true church of God it will have people who make mistakes in it for we are not like God yet, but we are doing our best. I invite you to search and to be open. The spirit of God will testify to you of the truthfullness of all things.
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October 31, 2011 at 10:13 am
Robert Bohacz Powell
I agree with Chris. The Greatest Quest is a great book to read if you are looking for Biblical evidence to find the True Church. I was raised a Catholic on my mom’s side of the family with a Baptist influence on my dad’s side of the family. You can imagine how controversial some of our family gathering were. When I was a junior in college I was on my own personal quest to find a church and eventually decided to join the LDS Church and I have never looked back. And 23 months later I was on my 2-year mission for the Church in England, and my Catholic/Baptist background made me a better missionary because I was able to relate to the people who were full of religious apathy in England. I have never had a better relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ. Here are the links to the 42 Evidences of the True Church with all Holy Bible references. Do your own due diligence and when you come to a conclusion, ask God, your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ if you are right, and He will tell you by the Power of the Holy Ghost if you are correct. Do not take the word of any person, but trust in God. He will answer your prayers. Then just go forward and do what is right and with the help of your friends and the Lord, you will be able to work out your Salvation. Please go to the following links:
Source: http://mormonstraighttalk.blogspot.com/p/42-bible-evidences-of-true-church.html
Source: http://www.cordellvail.com/missionary/42/42Evidences1side1color.pdf
Source: http://www.cordellvail.com/missionary/42/front42-RedBlack-002.pdf
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