Four markers reveal why the collapse of the Episcopal Church is inevitable
by David W Virtue, DD, VOL:
Recent statistics (2016) on the state of The Episcopal Church offer insights not normally tapped by the media, but looked at more closely, reveal a Church in faster decline than initially thought.
There are four distinct demographic markers and they include: Aging parishioners and clergy, smaller parishes and no new clergy to fill pulpits; lower baptisms and confirmations; higher death rates and lower Average Sunday Attendance.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The average age of an Episcopalian in 2011 was 57 years old. In 2017, it is closer to 64. What this means is that roughly three-fifths of the Church’s membership will be dead in the next twelve to sixteen years.
The median average Sunday worship attendance is 57 (and declining), with congregations showing an ASA of 100 or less now totaling 71% of all 6473 domestic parishes and missions. Furthermore, the rate of decline is accelerating and picking up speed with each passing year, as Nones, Millennials, and Generation EXERS show no interest in joining the Episcopal Church. Over the course of the last ten years, ASA has dropped by a startling 25%. Only four percent of all 6473 congregations have an ASA of 300 or more!
It is generally recognized that when a congregation dips below 75, it cannot sustain a full-time paid priest.
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