 Posted Wednesday, May 30, 2007 4:32 PM
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Hi, Christian Way friends:
Using information available at the TMC website, I've compiled the
worldwide church and society totals as of May 26. The drop worldwide
is 2.546%, more than double the attrition rate last year of 1.2%.
The number of USA churches declined by 2.93% in the past year, and the
number of societies dropped by a steeper 3.22%. The drop for the
combined USA churches/societies is 2.64%.
Canada lost only 1 society, to 13 -- a 7.14% drop.
In the Rest of World, the church totals remained the same, mainly
because a number of societies became churches, in Africa. But the
society totals dropped by 5.14%. Germany's drop to 26 societies from
31 was a 16.13% decline.
Haiti, Tanzania and Ukraine each gained a society, for a total of 1
each. Conversely, Israel, Madagascar and Norway each lost its only
society.
Attendance must be sporadic at many societies, because they don't meet
every Sunday and Wednesday. Some meet only at certain times of the year.
Since I calculated the totals in Oct. 2002, the number of
churches/societies worldwide has dropped by 10.61%.
Kind regards,
Garey
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May 2007 churches: 1,250
May 2007 societies: 511
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May 2007 total: 1,761
June 2006 churches: 1,279
June 2006 societies: 528
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June 2006 total 1,807
June 2005 churches: 1,318
June 2005 societies: 513
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June 2005 total: 1,831
Apr. 2004 churches: 1,380
Apr. 2004 societies: 535
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Apr. 2004 total: 1,915
Oct. 2002 churches: 1,439
Oct. 2002 societies: 531
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Oct. 2002 total: 1,970
----- ----- -----
May 2007
USA: 961 churches 295 societies
Canada: 26 churches 13 societies
ROW: 263 churches 203 societies
June 2006
USA: 990 churches 300 societies
Canada: 26 churches 14 societies
ROW: 263 churches 214 societies
June 2005
USA: 1,021 churches 293 societies
Canada: 27 churches 14 societies
ROW: 270 churches 206 societies
April 2004
USA: 1,074 churches 306 societies
Canada: 29 churches 16 societies
ROW: 277 churches 209 societies
October 2002 numbers
USA: 1,115 churches 290 societies
Canada: 32 churches 17 societies
ROW: 292 churches 227 societies
----- ----- -----
CS churches/societies May 2007 (June 2006)
Alabama 6 4 (6-5)
Alaska 4 3 (5-2)
Arizona 18 6 (NC)
Arkansas 7 5 (7-6)
California 177 18 (181-21)
Colorado 20 9 (19-9)
Connecticut 18 2 (NC)
Delaware 4 0 (NC)
D.C. 6 0 (NC)
Florida 62 16 (64-16)
Georgia 11 6 (NC)
Hawaii 3 4 (4-3)
Idaho 2 6 (2-7)
Illinois 56 9 (58-9)
Indiana 22 6 (23-6)
Iowa 10 5 (NC)
Kansas 5 7 (6-7)
Kentucky 5 3 (6-1)
Louisiana 5 6 (NC)
Maine 10 7 (10-6)
Maryland 15 5 (14-5)
Massachusetts 43 8 (45-9)
Michigan 33 12 (35-11)
Minnesota 11 2 (12-4)
Mississippi 1 3 (NC)
Missouri 21 11 (23-9)
Montana 6 3 (NC)
Nebraska 7 3 (NC)
Nevada 3 0 (NC)
New Hampshire 13 3 (NC)
New Jersey 16 6 (18-7)
New Mexico 6 3 (NC)
New York 54 12 (54-14)
North Carolina 13 8 (15-10)
North Dakota 0 1 (NC)
Ohio 37 8 (36-8)
Oklahoma 11 1 (NC)
Oregon 27 7 (26-8)
Pennsylvania 30 10 (32-9)
Rhode Island 2 2 (3-1)
South Carolina 7 3 (NC)
South Dakota 1 3 (NC)
Tennessee 5 6 (7-6)
Texas 48 17 (NC)
Utah 4 1 (NC)
Vermont 5 6 (6-6)
Virginia 23 3 (22-3)
Washington 39 9 (40-8)
West Virginia 4 3 (5-3)
Wisconsin 24 10 (25-11)
Wyoming 1 4 (2-4)
961 295 (990-300)
Pct. change -2.64%
----- ----- -----
CS churches/societies May 2007 (June 2006)
Argentina 11 4 (NC)
Australia 27 7 (27-9)
Austria 2 0 (NC)
Bahamas 0 2 (NC)
Barbados 1 0 (NC)
Belgium 1 0 (NC)
Benin 0 1 (NC)
Bermuda 0 1 (NC)
Brazil 10 5 (NC)
Cameroon 3 6 (2-6)
Canada 26 13 (26-14)
Chile 2 2 (NC)
China (HK) 1 0 (NC)
Colombia 2 1 (NC)
Congo (DR) 5 9 (5-8)
Congo (Rep) 2 2 (0-4)
Cuba 1 0 (NC)
Czech Rep. 0 1 (NC)
Denmark 2 0 (NC)
Ecuador 0 1 (NC)
Egypt 0 1 (NC)
Finland 0 1 (NC)
France 6 4 (NC)
Germany 37 26 (37-31)
Ghana 1 4 (NC)
Gr. Britain 75 44 (76-46)
Greece 1 0 (NC)
Grenada 1 0 (NC)
Guam 0 1 (NC)
Guatemala 0 1 (NC)
Haiti 0 1 (New)
India 3 2 (NC)
Indonesia 2 2 (2-3)
Ireland 1 1 (NC)
Israel 0 0 (0-1)
Italy 3 0 (NC)
Ivory Coast 0 1 (NC)
Jamaica 1 0 (NC)
Japan 1 1 (NC)
Kazakhstan 0 1 (NC)
Kenya 2 5 (1-6)
Latvia 0 1 (NC)
Madagascar 0 0 (0-1)
Mauritius 0 1 (NC)
Mexico 2 2 (2-1)
Namibia 0 1 (NC)
Netherlands 3 1 (3-2)
New Zealand 7 7 (NC)
Nigeria 6 14 (5-14)
Norway 0 0 (0-1)
Peru 1 2 (NC)
Philippines 3 0 (NC)
Poland 0 1 (NC)
Portugal 1 2 (NC)
Puerto Rico 1 0 (NC)
Russia 0 1 (NC)
Rwanda 0 1 (NC)
Sierra Leone 0 1 (NC)
South Africa 11 6 (NC)
South Korea 0 1 (NC)
Spain 1 3 (2-3)
Sweden 1 2 (NC)
Switzerland 11 8 (13-7)
Tanzania 0 1 (New)
Thailand 0 1 (NC)
Togo 0 1 (NC)
Trinidad/Tobago 1 0 (NC)
Uganda 0 2 (NC)
Ukraine 0 1 (New)
Uruguay 7 1 (NC)
Venezuela 1 0 (NC)
Virgin Islands 0 1 (NC)
Zambia 1 1 (NC)
Zimbabwe 1 1 (2-1)
--END--
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Posted Thursday, May 31, 2007 8:29 PM
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| Thanks for compiling this, Garey. It's amazing how quickly the churches are disappearing; 10.61% in less than 5 years is quite a trend. I remember feeling like a real minority when I was growing up in the 1960's and 1970's. Kids must feel amazingly alone now unless they are near Prin or TMC. And I wonder what it feels like in countries like Russia where there are no churches and only one society. My heart does go out to people who are watching the decline of something they love.
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Posted Wednesday, June 20, 2007 7:49 PM
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| Thanks, Garey. And the beat goes on....* The long-term question still remains: what will happen to the assets at the final CS implosion? I still hold to my prediction of several years ago: that assets will be collected in the hands of a precious (pun) few who will cynically set up various trusts, foundations, endowments, and so on. They will maintain a "faith" for PR purposes while they loot, plunder, and otherwise transfers the assets to themselves and their cronies with a byzantine network of "religious" organizations and financial instruments. The few remaining True Believers will spin off and set up their own independent bodies. (Oops! No such thing as a "body," is there?) "You can serve on my Board and I will manage your Trust, and we can both be officers in so-and-so's Foundation. We will live very well. Mrs. Eddy would have wanted us to." The MBE Library has been such an effective recruiting instrument, hasn't it? *With credit to that exmplenary Scientologist, Sonny Bono, for this enduring lne.
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Posted Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:19 PM
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| fH, I'd like to think those in leadership positions would be more ethical than you predict, but only time will tell. I do agree that a small group of "true believers" will remain, at least for a while. I think many of the CSists unhappy with The Mother Church are already connected through pro-Eddy organizations like The Mary Baker Eddy Science Institute; it will be interesting to see what role these organizations play over the next decade or two.
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Posted Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:35 PM
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fH,
At the risk of alienating myself with you, I'd like to say that I know those in leadership that I know and knew are ethical. I have no reason to suspect the other leaders of TMC are any different. True CSists tend to maintain very high standards of ethics. When they do wrong, they usually do so according to their highest sense of right and wrong.
I continue to pray (perhaps naively) that each of them can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and abandon the apostate elements of MBE's teachings.
Do Go Be Man
<><
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Posted Wednesday, August 08, 2007 5:40 PM
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| The decline of the membership and churches reminds me of what Jesus said: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Matthew 15:13
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Posted Friday, August 10, 2007 3:29 PM
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Amen!
It gives me hope to see these declining numbers. I grew up in Memphis, TN where there were 2 "churches" (or can I just please call them "institutions"). Recently, the First closed and became a Society, then later merged and its members started attending Second (where I was raised). I hope to see Second close in a few more years! Maybe my parents would attend another church at that point, one that is Bible-based.... this is what I pray for every single day.
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Posted Friday, August 10, 2007 5:59 PM
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there were 2 "churches" (or can I just please call them "institutions"). Actually, Anonymous, I wish you WOULDN'T call them "institutions," as your comment comes across as a cheap insult. We have found insults to be counterproductive to real discussion. Linda (Moderator)
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