Christian Coalition’s Size of Membership Challenged

How big is the Christian Coalition, the conservative public policy advocacy group that has become a major player in the nation’s political arena?

The coalition, founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, says it has 1.8 million “members and supporters,” up from 1.7 million at the time of its national Road to Victory conference in Washington in September.

But one of the group’s chief adversaries, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, counting differently, said last week that the 1.8 million tally is “deliberately deceptive.”

Judging from the number of donors listed by the coalition, Americans United contends that the conservative group is much smaller, with 300,000 to 600,000 “members.” And that number is dwindling, Americans United says.

Mike Russell, the coalition’s spokesman, defended his group’s figures and called the charge by Americans United “ludicrous.”

Americans United, a Washington-based group that promotes strict separation of church and state, has long opposed the Christian Coalition on such issues as school prayer and the proper role of religion in public life. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United, acknowledged that the coalition’s prominence on the political scene but said the group has exaggerated its strength to boost its influence.

“Nobody is saying they don’t have clout,” Lynn said. “But they want every reporter and politician to believe that they can count on 1.8 million members, and that is deliberately deceptive. It calls into question many other claims about the level of their support.”

Lynn based his accusation on figures the coalition filed with the U.S. Postal Service detailing the circulation of its magazine, the Christian American.

According to the filing, the magazine had a paid circulation of 310,296 in September 1995, down from a reported 353,703 in September 1994. The magazine is sent to those who contribute $15 a year or more to the Christian Coalition.

Lynn, whose own organization reports a membership of 50,000, said he believes that the coalition may have as many as 600,000 members, because its magazine probably goes to many families in which both husband and wife are coalition supporters.

But Russell said the coalition’s data on members and supporters go far beyond the magazine circulation figures.

“We have a database of 1.8 million people,” he said. “That includes an active donor list of those who have contributed [money] over the last three or four months, those who have contributed [money] in the last year, and an activist file.”

The active donor list contains between 400,000 and 500,000 names, Russell said.

The noncontributing activist file includes those who have lobbied on behalf of the Christian Coalition, passed out its voting guide or otherwise assisted the group without making a financial contribution. The activist file also includes those who have attended a coalition function, such as a seminar or conference.

Most, but not all, Christian Coalition literature speaks of “members and supporters” rather than just “members.” However, a recent mailing by the Catholic Alliance, a division of the coalition, referred to the group’s “1.7 million members.”

Russell said the 1.8-million database does not include mailing lists bought or rented from other groups and used in direct mail solicitations.

The number of magazine subscriptions should not be taken as the sole measure of the group’s membership, Russell said, because the magazine is offered as a “premium” to active donors.