Presbyterian (USA) membership sees largest drop

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Membership in the Presbyterian Church (USA) decreased by more than 2 percent in 2005, the largest decline since 1975, according to the denomination’s research office. The church has been losing members since 1966, and the membership has declined by at least 1 percent since 1969, Jack Marcum, the church’s associate for survey research, told the Presbyterian News Service.

Marcum said the decline in membership has steadily been somewhere between 1 percent and 2 percent after an “acceleration” in the loss of members between 1970 and 1975. Though almost 125,000 people joined the denomination last year, 28,680 transferred to other churches; 36,191 members died; and more than 108,000 dropped out or moved to churches “not in correspondence” with the PC(USA). The denomination held its 217th General Assembly in Birmingham June 15–22.