Membership in the Presbyterian Church U'S'A declined by more than two percent in 2005, marking the h

1

• Membership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)
  declined by more than two percent in 2005,
  marking the highest percentage loss in the
  graying denomination since 1975.

2

• Figures indicated a loss of 48,474 members --
  2.05 percent -- since 2004.

3

• "The first year of losses was 1966 and the
  decline has never been less than 1 percent since
  1969," Jack Marcum, associate for survey research
  told the Presbyterian News Service.

4

• "There was an acceleration in the early 1970s but
  since 1975, the losses have been somewhere
  between 1 and 2 percent."

5

• This exodus offset the 125,000 new people who
  joined the denomination last year.

6

• Adult baptism dropped by 1,216 to 9,243.

7

• Child baptisms declined by 2,889 to 30,727.

8

• The losses occurred in "virtually every
  statistical category," according to PNS.

9

• 28,680 members were lost by transferring to other
  churches.

10

• 36,191 members lost by death.

11

• Church school attendance declined by more than
  36,000 to 1,081,084.

12

• "Giving to the church is up substantially in
  every category and at every level of the church's
  life."

13

• Total giving to the church rose 146.9 million
  last year to 3,073,684,927.

14

• Adjusted for the membership loss, the average
  Presbyterian gave 7 percent more to the church
  last year than the year before.