CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reported a decline of 61,871 members last year — a drop of 1.21 percent — but said church revenues are up by $41 million. The ELCA had a total membership of 5,038,006 at the end of 2002. ELCA Secretary Lowell Almen said the decrease was caused by fewer new members, 17 congregations which left the denomination and 27 that were disbanded, and 186,162 people who were taken off church membership rolls.
The Chicago-based ELCA reported an average weekly attendance of 1.5 million, and said the number of “communing and contributing” active members stood at 2.39 million, a drop from the 2.46 million reported in 2001. In 2002, the average number of active members in a congregation was 226, while average baptized membership (including children) was 474, and confirmed adult membership was 354, according to a church news release. Since 1991 — the last time the ELCA reported an increase in membership — total membership has dropped about 4 percent. The ELCA also reported a drop in infant and adult baptisms, youth confirmations, adult affirmations of faith and transfers of membership.
The ELCA fared slightly better in financial reporting. Total revenues for the church’s 10,721 congregations stood at nearly $2.5 billion, an increase of nearly $41 million, or 1.7 percent, from 2001. Members gave slightly more in 2002 — an average of $534, up from $526 in 2001. Congregations gave slightly less to the national church, however — a decrease of 1.7 percent for a total of $133 million.
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