ELCA Membership Dropped 1.6 Percent to 4.85 Million in 2005
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reports it had a baptized membership of 4.85 million in 2005, representing a decrease of about 1.62 percent from the previous year’s figures.
The total figure in 2005 was 4,850,776 baptized members in 10,549 congregations, representing a reduction of 79,653 baptized members since 2004, according to the ELCA Secretary, Rev. Lowell G. Almen.
An ELCA news release dated 1 August said parochial reports indicated the loss was due to a decrease in the number of new members, the disbanding of 31 congregations and “roll cleaning” in many remaining congregations. Roll cleaning resulted in a loss of 208,436 members in 2005. Those reductions occur when long inactive members who indicate no interest in continued participation are removed from the rolls of congregations.
Twenty-two congregations with a combined baptized membership of 14,083 withdrew from the ELCA in 2005. One congregation with membership of 111 was removed.
An increase in ELCA membership last occurred in 1991, with a net gain of 4,438 baptized members that year. The decrease in ELCA membership reflects a pattern reported by many church bodies in the United States of America during this period, Almen said.
The ELCA was formally established in 1988, resulting from a union of three North American Lutheran church bodies. It joined the LWF the same year.
