Saturday, July 12, 1997
ELCA reports stable membership, jump in giving
c.1997 Religion News Service
(RNS) With a total of 5,180,910 baptized members in 10,936
congregations, membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America remained largely stable in 1996, the church has announced.
In 1995, the denomination reported a baptized membership of
5,190,427 and the new figures represent a drop of less than two-tenths
of 1 percent.
The report also said the average number of baptized members
per congregation was 477 and the averaged confirmed - adult -
membership was 354.
In a separate report, church officials said income for the
10,936 congregations in the denomination totaled $1,871,488,600
- an increase of $68.7 million, or 3.8 percent more than 1995.
Despite the increase, however, the amount of money passed on
by local congregations to regional and national offices for support
of national and international programs increased by less than
one-half percent and was $120.8 million in 1996.
"This increase ... was disappointing when compared to
the more than $2 million increase in 1995," said the Rev.
Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary. "The vast and strategic
domestic and international mission endeavors of our church need
strong support."
According to the report, the average regular giving per confirmed
member increased from $387.71 in 1995 to $401.33 - up 3.51 percent.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps. Publications
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