Decline in Methodist Membership Slows
Associated Press
Membership in the United Methodist Church dropped by 38,477 last year, the smallest decline since a gradual erosion began 30 years ago.
Membership now stands at 8.4 million, United Methodist News Service reported, down from 11 million when the denomination was formed in a two-way merger in 1968.
The United Methodist Church is America’s third-biggest denomination, behind the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Methodists’ annual membership losses varied from 42,761 to 76,568 in the period from 1989 to 1997.
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