Keeping track of church statistics for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been Kris Valerius’ job for many years and she’s become quite good at it. In this week’s OGA In Focus, Valerius shares how talking numbers can lead to good conversation with Presbyterians across the denomination.
The Office of the General Assembly released its annual statistics report this week and the downward trend in membership continues. For 2022, the PC(USA) reports a loss of 53,105 members, nearly 2,000 more than reported the year before. Current membership still stands at just over 1.1 million. There was also a loss of 108 churches last year, bringing the total to 8,705.
Each year, the Office of the General Assembly gathers statistical information from presbyteries across the country and provides a comprehensive breakdown on church membership, ethnicity and age distribution, as well as other information. But for next year’s update, expect to see some changes in what is reported.
There has been nothing normal about church membership and attendance over the past two years. In-person worship took a major hit in all Christian denominations as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on. Many denominations have reported thousands of members leaving the church altogether. But even as membership continues to show a decline in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the numbers were not as high as in 2020.
Since the 1860s, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its earlier organizational structures have annually printed an inch-thick book of statistics, salaries, lists of governing bodies and other information on churches across the denomination. But the rise in digital platforms and decline in revenue prompted the Office of the General Assembly to make a few changes this year. For the first time, the directory is electronic only.