For the third year in a row the Jehovah’s Witness church grew significantly more than other churches (with the exception of Seventh Day Adventists, who also showed very strong growth). According to this year’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, the Jehovah’s Witness church doubled its growth jumping from 2% in 2009 to 4.37% growth in 2010. Seventh Day Adventists were very close behind with a growth rate of 4.31%.
Other churches that showed growth were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with growth of 1.42% (down from a growth rate of 1.71% in 2009), the Catholic Church up .57% (down from a growth of 1.47% in 2009), Assemblies of God up .52%, and the Church of God in Cleveland (up .38%).
Below is a list of the top 25 churches with their growth rate.
The top 25 churches reported in the 2011 Yearbook are in order of size:
1. The Catholic Church, 68,503,456 members, up .57 percent.
2. Southern Baptist Convention,16,160,088 members, down.42 percent.
3. The United Methodist Church, 7,774,931 members, down1.01 percent.
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6,058,907 members, up 1.42 percent.
5. The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no membership updates reported.
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc, 5,000,000 members, no membership updates reported.
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,542,868 members, down1.96 percent.
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., 3,500,000 members, no membership updates reported.
9. Assemblies of God, 2,914,669 members, up .52 percent.
10. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 2,770,730 members, down 2.61 percent.
11. African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2,500,000 members, no membership updates reported.
11. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, 2,500,000 members, no membership updates reported.
13. The Lutheran Church– Missouri Synod (LCMS), 2,312,111 members, down 1.08 percent.
14. The Episcopal Church, 2,006,343 members, down 2.48 percent.
15. Churches of Christ, 1,639,495 members, no membership updates reported.
16. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1,500,000 members, no membership updates reported.
17. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., 1,500,000 members, no membership updates reported.
18. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1,400,000 members, members, no membership updates reported.
19. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., 1,310,505 members, down 1.55 percent.
20. Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1,162,686 members, up 4.37 percent.
21. United Church of Christ, 1,080,199 members, down 2.83 percent.
22. Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), 1,076,254 members, up .38 percent.
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ , 1,071,616 members, no membership updates reported.
24. Seventh-Day Adventist Church. 1,043,606 members, up 4.31 percent.
25. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. 1,010,000 members, down 59.60 percent (due in part to a new methodology of counting members).
What do you think contributes to the huge jump in growth by the Adventists (who enter the top 25 list for the first time this year) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Should other churches do what these churches are doing to attract members, or do you think it matters which church people attend?
Grace for Grace 
8 comments
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February 19, 2011 at 5:57 am
Carla
“the Jehovah’s Witness church doubled its growth jumping from 2% in 2009 to 4.37% growth in 2010.”
*shudder* They scare me.
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February 19, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Cal
According to the inside cover of the Watchtower magazine of the JWs, “the purpose of the magazine is to honor Jehovah God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe. . . . It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who is now ruling as King of God’s Kingdom.”
I don’t agree with all they teach, but I don’t find anything wrong with that!
Thanks for the stats, ama.
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February 19, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Doug
Just a couple of observations:
The Catholic numbers don’t add up when you consider the big drop in mass attendance.
Many of the fastest growing churches put a lot of emphasis on eschatology-Christ’s return. The JW’s believe he came already “invisibly” in 1914 (I know-kind of strange!) and that Jehovah will soon be physically establishing his earthly kingdom (they keep setting dates-1975, 1990’s-ect).
The Seventh-day Adventists movement comes out of the “great disappointment” of 1844 (another date setting episode) and stress Christ’s soon return. (When I was a kid I used to listen to one of their programs called “Voice of Prophecy”)
Assemblies of God-a church I know well-has always emphasized Bible prophecy and end times teaching.
I would assume that the growth of these denominations, at least in part, comes from their passionate sense of urgency that time is running out and people better get right with the Lord.
Maybe our generation of selfish and complacent people needs to literally have the “Hell” sacred out of them with a timely reminder that this world isn’t all there is and we’re going to be standing before the judgement seat. That message is apparently striking a chord in some people.
A missing piece of the puzzle are the millions who worship at non-denominational churches and house church in this country-any thoughts about them? That begs the question: Are denominations a thing of the past-thus their decline?
While the LDS church continues to see growth (the UMC is going to be overtaken within the next 5 years) is has lost some steam-why?
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February 19, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Steve
What strikes me is how low the LDS growth rate is in the U.S. — 1.42%.
My rough back-of-the-envelope calculation is that is below the level of growth, that with deaths the Church is on course to shrink in the U.S.
Anyone have more insight?
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February 20, 2011 at 6:46 am
Ezra
Remember that Jesus was not concerned about numbers. Why are you? Proclaiming Law and operating out of fear is good for a moment–but as the Apostle Paul wrote, the Law kills. It never saves. Sure, you can scare the hell out of people. You get frightened sheep. In this age, many millions wander for lack of a real shepherd. All false shepherds will be duly rewarded by YHWH.
If it were possible, Jesus would weep. He doesn’t however. The Word is sufficient to save–the Law will forever bring sinners to repentance and the Gospel of Jesus will forever speak the word of forgiveness. And the blood of Jesus Christ alone continues to redeem and make holy as it cleanses the guilty conscience of sin. The faithful church will continue to make disciples “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” preach the Word and deliver the sacrament of Christ to hungry souls, that all who will hear come to faith and be saved. Blessed are the ears that hear and mouths that speak the Word of truth.
So live with the numbers and die by the numbers. Jesus’ words remain true: Whoever is not against Jesus is for him; yet, at the same time, whoever is not for Jesus is against him. Let him who is holy continue to be holy, those who are wicked continue to be wicked. So shall it be. When disciples fall away the only pertinent response is, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life.”
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February 20, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Cal
Ezra, I like most of what you said but I’m puzzled by your statement that Jesus never weeps, and that he doesn’t care about numbers. One pastor once said that he was telling God that he didn’t care about numbers, to which the Lord responded, “I do.” Numbers are people and God wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Surely, you know this.
Steve, I don’t have more insight. I have heard, though, as Doug reminded us, that there may be a growing number of house-churches.
We need revival. Our government debt is 14 trillion dollars. If we don’t start electing legislators that tell us the truth—that we have to make sacrifices—unpopular word—I believe a rude awakening is coming. He doesn’t take pleasure in disciplining us but he loves us too much to leave us alone.
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May 10, 2011 at 6:59 pm
CJ
Cal, He doesn’t care about numbers. King David was disobedient to God when he took a census. Also, God dwindled Gideon’s men down to almost nothing. Numbers in and of themselves do not matter because God is not limited by numbers. I do see what you are saying in that a number represents a person, but we have to be very careful looking at numbers because that view can so easily shift, even without realizing it, to being focused on just numbers and statistics.
Also, if I understand Ezra correctly, he’s saying that in regards to His Judgement, Jesus never weeps. Jesus did weep, but not when it came to His Holy and righteous Judgement. He does desire that all come to Him, but He doesn’t cry when someone’s heart doesn’t choose Him. Those who do not choose Him are His enemy. Do you cry when someone who hates you doesn’t want to be your friend?
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October 13, 2011 at 12:12 pm
sidney j.
Cultural sensibilities are cyclical. As our society has gotten more sexualized and the fabric tomany appears to be tearing apart, people become more conservative. When society gets more conservative, there is an eventual reaction to that. Think (liberal) 1920’s (conservative) 1940’s-50’s (liberal) late 1960’s – 1970’s (conservative) 1980’s. We have been in a more liberal stance since the mid 1990’s, and I suspect we will be trending back. e.g. Adventism, JW’s and conservative mainline denominational growth.
Sidney J.
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