ST. LOUIS — The 1999 membership of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod totaled more than 2.5 million in 1999, a drop of almost 12,000 members from the previous year.
The denomination announced that statistics reported by congregations show a total baptized membership of 2,582,440 in 1999, down 11,964 from the total for 1998.
Congregations also reported a slight decline in average weekly attendance at worship services. The 1999 figure was 155.1, down by 1.5 from 1998.
Financial giving by congregations surpassed the $1 billion mark for the second year in a row. Congregational giving totaled $1,109,927,685, an increase from the $1.05 billion figure from 1998.
The average combined amount of giving per confirmed member in 1999 was $570.41, an increase of $8.61.
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