In yesterday's Denver Post was a report on the loss of members of the largest Presbyterian denomination, the PCUSA. In the dead tree version of the paper the obituary section was on the opposite page.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has been losing 20,000 to 25,000 members a year for several years. But last year, for reasons unknown, the church lost 40,000 people, said Keith Wulff, research coordinator for the church's General Assembly Council.
Interesting.
I'm one of the delegates to elect the new Episcopal bishop of Colorado in a few weeks. At the "walk-about" meeting I attended last Sunday evening, the issue of how we get, and keep, younger members was a topic that all the candidates discussed.
Posted by: *** Dave | June 04, 2003 at 03:17 PM
The smaller, more evangelical, Presbyterian denominations (e.g. the PCA and EPC) are growing rather than shrinking like the mainline PCUSA. Mixing politics of whatever stripe (liberal or conservative) with Christianity can be a real turn-off to young people. If young people are serious enough to start a spiritual journey, give them spirituality, not ideology.
Posted by: Rich | June 05, 2003 at 01:44 PM