CharlieJ
Puritan Board Junior
Whenever I talk to PCA people, they make it sound like their denomination is just exploding with new growth. So, I took a look at the statistics posted on the PCA site. Presbyterian Church in America Statistics
According to the site, the number of churches grew from 1,278 in 2003 to 1,372 in 2007. That averages 1.84% growth per year (total difference divided by 4 and converted to percentage).
Total membership rose from 320,400 to 345,582. That's a total difference of 25,182 people, or 1.96% growth per year.
So, I guess the PCA is doing better than declining liberal denominations, but I don't see what all the hype is about. It seems as if the biggest "growth" is from other Presbyterian groups joining the PCA (like RPCES). Am I missing something? Are the statistics not counting some things?
According to the site, the number of churches grew from 1,278 in 2003 to 1,372 in 2007. That averages 1.84% growth per year (total difference divided by 4 and converted to percentage).
Total membership rose from 320,400 to 345,582. That's a total difference of 25,182 people, or 1.96% growth per year.
So, I guess the PCA is doing better than declining liberal denominations, but I don't see what all the hype is about. It seems as if the biggest "growth" is from other Presbyterian groups joining the PCA (like RPCES). Am I missing something? Are the statistics not counting some things?