Fastest-Growing, Biggest Churches Listed

Roman Catholics, Mormons, Pentecostals and a historically black denomination are the fastest-growing churches in the United States, according to the 2003 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.

The numbers are based on self-reporting by denominations, not all of which are equally accurate.

Roman Catholicism continues to be the nation’s largest church, reporting 65 million parishioners.

The other churches on the list of 10 largest are:

* The Southern Baptist Convention: 16 million.

* The United Methodist Church: 8.3 million.

* The Church of God in Christ: 5.5 million.

* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 5.3 million.

* The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: 5.1 million.

* The National Baptist Convention USA: 5 million.

* The National Baptist Convention of America: 3.5 million.

* Presbyterian Church (USA): 3.5 million.

* Assemblies of God: 2.6 million.

The National Baptist Convention USA is new to the list of 10 largest denominations. The historically black denomination had not been included in the yearbook since 1998 because of unreliable figures. Two other churches on the list, the Church of God in Christ and the National Baptist Convention of America, are historically black churches.

Overall, the annual report of membership figures, compiled by the National Council of Churches, found more than 159 million adherents to about 216 denominations in 2001, the latest year for which figures are available.

All of the 25 largest denominations in the country represent some form of Christianity. In addition to the Roman Catholic Church, two are Orthodox -- the Greek Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church in America -- and the rest are Protestant or Mormon.

The fastest-growing church, according to the figures, is the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, with 12% growth. Catholics followed with 2.5% growth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) and the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination, each reported 2% growth.

The Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, the yearbook’s editor, cautioned, however, that between 1.5 million and 2 million Americans who belong to so-called mega-churches -- independent Protestant churches that have more than 2,000 members -- are not counted in the yearbook. Membership in those churches is harder to count because they typically do not report figures to a national denomination, she said.