Church of the Brethren membership drops

ELGIN, Illinois — The Church of the Brethren reported its largest membership loss in three years in 2003 with a total loss of 1,363 members. Membership in the Church of the Brethren now stands at 132,481.

The losses in 2003 were the largest since the church reported a loss of more than 2,400 members in 2000. The last time the denomination reported membership growth was in 1974.

Fifteen of the church’s 23 districts reported net losses, and the number of congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico dropped from 1,032 to 1,025.