We were teaching with one
of the young elders several weeks ago and he made a statement about the growth of
the Church. I was a little curious and goggled growth of the Church. I found several
articles, some on other Christian websites which I though was interesting.
MORMONISM
Mormons Are Fastest
Growing Religion
By The 700 Club
CBN.com - Mormonism is the fastest growing faith group in American history according to "U.S. News & World Report," which reports that if present trends continue there could be 265 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) worldwide by 2080.
Mormons have launched a major expansion program to keep up with growth, opening 32 temples across the country this year. There are now 100 temples internationally, serving 11 million Mormons.
One reason for the LDS increase is that its message "strikes a spiritual resonance in people," Neal Maxwell, one of the church's elders, tells the newsweekly. Another, the magazine notes, is its aggressive missionary effort. Last year the church sent out almost 60,000 missionaries to 120 countries, where they won 306,000 converts.
LDS teaching emphasizes the church's commitment to conservative and family values, and downplays its past beliefs in polygamy and racism. Critics maintain while Mormons may use the same vocabulary as mainstream Christians that "they frequently attach radically different meaning to the terms," says the magazine.
From an Article in Wikipedia
The records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints show that its membership has grown every decade since its beginning in the 1830s,[55] that it is among the top ten largest Christian denominations today,[56] and that it is the fastest growing church in America.[57]
Jehovah's
Witnesses, Mormons Fastest-Growing 'Churches' in U.S.
February
20, 2008|1:10 pm
The two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and
Canada, according to a newly published report, are ones whose beliefs are known
to conflict with traditional Christian teaching.
Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, regarded by many Christians as cults, reported the largest membership
increases in a year, according to the National Council of Churches' 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches.
Although Jehovah's
Witnesses currently rank 25th in size with over 1.06 million members, they reported a
2.25 percent increase in membership since the publication of the 2007 Yearbook.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – also known as the Mormon
church – grew 1.56 percent and is listed by the NCC as the fourth largest
“church.”
Notably, however, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormon church
are not accepted within many Christian circles as part of the larger Body of
Christ over a number of controversial beliefs that the two religions hold.
Identification of the former religion as Christian, among other controversies,
is debated largely due to their rejection of the Trinity, which most Christians
regard as a fundamental doctrine. Latter-day Saints, meanwhile, are often
criticized for their belief in “divine” books of scripture, aside from the
Bible, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl
of Great Price.
Mormonism was formally listed under “cults and sects” by the
Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the nation
– but was more recently categorized among “newly developed religions” on the
North American Mission Board apologetics page.
Other bodies in the newly published top 25 largest churches list
that reported membership increases include The Catholic Church with a 0.87
percent increase; the Southern Baptist Convention with a 0.22 percent increase;
the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church with a 0.21 percent rise; and the
Assemblies of God with a 0.19 percent growth.
The greatest losses in membership were reported by The Episcopal
Church, which dropped 4.15 percent in members, and the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), which decreased by 2.36 percent. Both denominations are currently
wracked by theological differences and the issue of homosexuality.
American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. and the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America also experienced large losses in membership,
dropping 1.82 percent and 1.58 percent, respectively.
"Some will wish to argue that the slowing growth rate is
evidence of an increasing secularization of American postmodern society,"
said the Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, editor of the Yearbook. "While such
an explanation will satisfy some, caution in drawing such a conclusion is
warranted."
Lindner also observed that churches are feeling the impact of the lifestyles of
Millenials – people in their 20s and 30s – who attend church but resist
becoming members.
The United Methodist Church saw a 0.99 percent decrease but the
mainline group remains the third largest church body with nearly 8 million members.
Only three of the top 10 largest churches are mainline Protestant
churches; three of the top 25 are Pentecostal churches; and six of the top 15
are historic African American churches.
Largest 25 Churches (ranked
by membership)
1. The Catholic Church – 67,515,016
2. Southern Baptist Convention – 16,306,246
3. The United Methodist Church – 7,995,456
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 5,779,316
5. The Church of God in Christ – 5,499,875
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. – 5,000,000
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – 4,774,203
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. – 3,500,000
9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – 3,025,740
10. Assemblies of God – 2,836,174
11. African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2,500,000
12. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America – 2,500,000
13. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. – 2,500,000
14. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) – 2,417,997
15. Episcopal Church – 2,154,572
16. Churches of Christ – 1,639,495
17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – 1,500,000
18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. – 1,500,000
19. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – 1,443,405
20. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. – 1,371,278
21. United Church of Christ – 1,218,541
22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International – 1,200,000
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ – 1,071,616
24. The Orthodox Church in America – 1,064,000
25. Jehovah’s Witnesses – 1,069,530
2. Southern Baptist Convention – 16,306,246
3. The United Methodist Church – 7,995,456
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 5,779,316
5. The Church of God in Christ – 5,499,875
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. – 5,000,000
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – 4,774,203
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. – 3,500,000
9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – 3,025,740
10. Assemblies of God – 2,836,174
11. African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2,500,000
12. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America – 2,500,000
13. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. – 2,500,000
14. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) – 2,417,997
15. Episcopal Church – 2,154,572
16. Churches of Christ – 1,639,495
17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – 1,500,000
18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. – 1,500,000
19. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – 1,443,405
20. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. – 1,371,278
21. United Church of Christ – 1,218,541
22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International – 1,200,000
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ – 1,071,616
24. The Orthodox Church in America – 1,064,000
25. Jehovah’s Witnesses – 1,069,530
Mormon church is fastest growing
Christian denomination, study shows
By PEGGY
FLETCHER STACK Scripps Howard News Service
A U.S.
map of the total religious adherents by county also shows that Utah has the
highest percentage of believers of any state.
New figures show the Mormon
faith is the nation's fastest-growing Christian church, and the
missionary-minded denomination is expanding most outside the West's traditional
"Mormon corridor."
The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is leading the way in attracting new adherents in Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota and other states far from the West's traditional "Mormon corridor" that includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
These are among the findings of the newly released, once-a-decade U.S. Religion Census, which includes county-level data on congregations for 236 American religious bodies, with data on adherents available for 153 participating bodies.
The study was assembled by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies and included self-reported numbers from 17 of the country's largest religious groups.
It is "the most comprehensive local-level analysis of U.S. religious adherents" since the religious census began about 60 years ago, Clifford Grammich, who led the study's supervising committee, said in a news release. "We are especially pleased to have increased participation for several independent and non-Christian bodies."
In the latter category, researchers estimated that Muslims outpaced even Mormons between 2000 and 2010, adding 66.7 percent more adherents. During that time frame, the nation's overall Muslim tally shot up from 1,559,294 to 2,600,082.
Evangelical Protestants held steady and Catholics and mainline Protestants declined.
"The single largest religion in every state is Christianity," said Dale Jones, director of research services at the Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center in Kansas, "if one counts Mormons as a branch of Christendom -- which the LDS Church does."
The Mormon church reported an increase from 4,224,026 U.S. members in 2000 to 6,144,582 members in 2010, a 45.5 percent jump.
That is "far and away the largest gain reported by any (Christian) group," the report noted, not just in percentage but also in actual numbers.
"Surveys and statistics are sometimes helpful in understanding various aspects of the church, but, ultimately, we reach out to individuals, not numbers," LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said Tuesday. "By all indicators -- including the church's building program -- the church is growing and we are grateful that people are embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ."
While LDS growth rates may be impressive, Mormons remain a small part (2 percent) of the U.S. population.
In 30 states -- including Arizona, California, Idaho and Utah -- the LDS Church showed the largest percentage gains of any Christian group, Jones noted. Of course, many of these states -- Rhode Island, Connecticut and Mississippi, for instance -- have relatively tiny Mormon populations, so adding even a small number of members can produce a large jump in percentages.
Catholics showed the largest gains in 11 states, including in Nevada, Colorado and Texas, and the Assemblies of God set the pace in three states (Illinois, Minnesota and Pennsylvania).
In addition, the LDS Church is the largest religious body in 115 U.S. counties -- that's 34 more than 10 years ago, he said.
A U.S. map of the total religious adherents by county also shows that Utah has the highest percentage of believers of any state.
David Campbell, a religion expert at the University of Notre Dame and co-author of "American Grace: How Religion Unites and Divides Us," attributes the swelling LDS numbers to several factors.
First, many Americans are brought to Mormonism by its large volunteer missionary effort. Then there's the combination of a reasonably high LDS birthrate and reasonably high retention of those born in the faith.
Campbell is not talking about the retention of new converts -- a thorny problem for LDS leaders -- but of lifelong members.
"People who are raised Mormon are more likely to retain that identity when they enter adulthood," he said, "at least at a higher rate than other religions."
Mormon immigrants from other countries could also be adding to the faith's numbers, said Campbell, a Mormon.
Plus, the LDS Church's centralized bookkeeping makes it possible for the faith to keep track of members as they relocate, he said, whereas other Christian groups rely much more on individual or congregational reporting.
When Southern Baptists, for example, move across state lines, it might take them some time to find a new congregation and be counted.
Campbell does offer a caution about LDS membership numbers: It includes everyone who has ever been a member -- even babies -- and hasn't been excommunicated or asked to have their names removed from the rolls.
The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is leading the way in attracting new adherents in Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota and other states far from the West's traditional "Mormon corridor" that includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
These are among the findings of the newly released, once-a-decade U.S. Religion Census, which includes county-level data on congregations for 236 American religious bodies, with data on adherents available for 153 participating bodies.
The study was assembled by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies and included self-reported numbers from 17 of the country's largest religious groups.
It is "the most comprehensive local-level analysis of U.S. religious adherents" since the religious census began about 60 years ago, Clifford Grammich, who led the study's supervising committee, said in a news release. "We are especially pleased to have increased participation for several independent and non-Christian bodies."
In the latter category, researchers estimated that Muslims outpaced even Mormons between 2000 and 2010, adding 66.7 percent more adherents. During that time frame, the nation's overall Muslim tally shot up from 1,559,294 to 2,600,082.
Evangelical Protestants held steady and Catholics and mainline Protestants declined.
"The single largest religion in every state is Christianity," said Dale Jones, director of research services at the Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center in Kansas, "if one counts Mormons as a branch of Christendom -- which the LDS Church does."
The Mormon church reported an increase from 4,224,026 U.S. members in 2000 to 6,144,582 members in 2010, a 45.5 percent jump.
That is "far and away the largest gain reported by any (Christian) group," the report noted, not just in percentage but also in actual numbers.
"Surveys and statistics are sometimes helpful in understanding various aspects of the church, but, ultimately, we reach out to individuals, not numbers," LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said Tuesday. "By all indicators -- including the church's building program -- the church is growing and we are grateful that people are embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ."
While LDS growth rates may be impressive, Mormons remain a small part (2 percent) of the U.S. population.
In 30 states -- including Arizona, California, Idaho and Utah -- the LDS Church showed the largest percentage gains of any Christian group, Jones noted. Of course, many of these states -- Rhode Island, Connecticut and Mississippi, for instance -- have relatively tiny Mormon populations, so adding even a small number of members can produce a large jump in percentages.
Catholics showed the largest gains in 11 states, including in Nevada, Colorado and Texas, and the Assemblies of God set the pace in three states (Illinois, Minnesota and Pennsylvania).
In addition, the LDS Church is the largest religious body in 115 U.S. counties -- that's 34 more than 10 years ago, he said.
A U.S. map of the total religious adherents by county also shows that Utah has the highest percentage of believers of any state.
David Campbell, a religion expert at the University of Notre Dame and co-author of "American Grace: How Religion Unites and Divides Us," attributes the swelling LDS numbers to several factors.
First, many Americans are brought to Mormonism by its large volunteer missionary effort. Then there's the combination of a reasonably high LDS birthrate and reasonably high retention of those born in the faith.
Campbell is not talking about the retention of new converts -- a thorny problem for LDS leaders -- but of lifelong members.
"People who are raised Mormon are more likely to retain that identity when they enter adulthood," he said, "at least at a higher rate than other religions."
Mormon immigrants from other countries could also be adding to the faith's numbers, said Campbell, a Mormon.
Plus, the LDS Church's centralized bookkeeping makes it possible for the faith to keep track of members as they relocate, he said, whereas other Christian groups rely much more on individual or congregational reporting.
When Southern Baptists, for example, move across state lines, it might take them some time to find a new congregation and be counted.
Campbell does offer a caution about LDS membership numbers: It includes everyone who has ever been a member -- even babies -- and hasn't been excommunicated or asked to have their names removed from the rolls.
Courtesy of Scripps Howard News
Service
The Fastest Growing Church in the World?
To hear an April 2013
Viewpoint on Mormonism podcast on this topic, click Convert Stats for 2012
A decennial research
project released May 1, 2012 shows Mormons, Muslims and nondenominational
Christians are on the rise; however, it also indicates that less than 50
percent of Americans are claimed by a congregation.
The Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) reported in the 2010 U.S. Religion
Census that, when grouped together, the nondenominational and independent
churches are now the third largest faith group with more than 12 million
adherents. The Catholic Church, though in decline, remains the largest faith
group with almost 59 million adherents, followed by the Southern Baptist
Church, which has more than 50,000 congregations and almost 20 million
adherents.
“What
struck us was the continued extension of the Mormon denomination across the
country. It’s the fastest growing group in about half of the states,” said Dale E. Jones director of Research
Services, Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center. “Another surprise was
the loss in Catholic parish memberships. They’ve lost 5 percent, or 3 million
people, over the last decade.”
