Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Membership Continues to Decline
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, is confronting a significant downward trend in membership. Recent statistics highlight a profound reduction in active members over the past decade.
According to the annual report released by the PCUSA on Tuesday, the denomination had approximately 1.094 million members in 2023, marking a drop of nearly 46,000 from the previous year.
From 2022 to 2023, the denomination’s congregations also decreased from 8,705 to 8,572, which equates to a reduction of 133 churches. This is a stark contrast to 2009 figures when the PCUSA boasted nearly 2.07 million members and 10,657 congregations.
The Rev. Jihyun Oh, executive director and stated clerk of the Interim Unified Agency of PCUSA, acknowledged the situation, stating, “I think it can be easy for us to see the decline in numbers and lose hope. We are certainly facing challenges, and we are trying to address those in various expressions of the denomination. However, there are also vital ministries and faithful discipleship represented in the statistics across the full range of faith community types and sizes. God continues to do new things in us and through us.”
The demographic analysis indicates that the largest age group within the denomination is people aged 71 and older, comprising 33.46% of the membership. In stark contrast, those aged 17 and younger account for just 3.99%.
The gender identification data shows a slight increase in male membership, rising from approximately 348,000 in 2022 to about 365,000 in 2023. Additionally, individuals identifying as “Non-Binary/Genderqueer” saw a small increase from 1,317 in 2022 to 1,547 in 2023.
Several factors have contributed to this decline, with the denomination’s progressive theological stance, particularly on issues like the acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage, playing a significant role. A notable example is the 2010 decision to permit the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals, which resulted in the departure of hundreds of congregations in protest.
In response to the ongoing decline, the PCUSA recently announced changes including the reduction of national staff positions and a reorganization of its ministries.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
