LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two-thirds of congregations in the Presbyterian Church (USA) often have fewer than 100 people in worship on Sundays, according to figures released by the denomination.
New statistics show that 7,300 of the church’s 11,000 congregations have 100 people or fewer in worship, with an average attendance of 48. Together, they count about 600,000 — 24 percent — of the church’s 2.5 million members.
Only 39 percent of small Presbyterian churches have a full-time pastor, and they are more likely to be women. Twenty-eight percent of small churches have a woman pastor, compared to 10 percent of large congregations led by a woman.
“Probably the most critical step (in aiding small congregations) will be finding ways to provide regular pastoral leadership for more small congregations,” Jack Marcum, the church’s associate director for survey research, wrote in Presbyterians Today magazine.
Slightly more than half — 57 percent — of small churches are in metropolitan areas, and 24 percent are in rural areas. The vast majority of large churches — 81 percent — are in metropolitan areas.
Growth is also slower in small churches — they average just one infant baptism per year, and one adult baptism every two years. About one-quarter of small churches gained membership over the past five years, compared to 40 percent of larger parishes that grew.
Small churches received an average of $727 per member in offerings and the median congregation sent $1,898 to the national church. Larger congregations received an average of $898 per member, and the median parish sent $16,816 to the national church.
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