Actscelerate.com

PART III: COG increased by 24 churches since 2000?

Acts-celerate Owner Posts: 6957 **7/20/12 11:55 pm**

PLEASE NOTE: The heading of this thread is a question. Statistics from a very reputable source, always previously completely dependable for accurate information, have come to us but they're so surprising until we're asking viewers to HELP US PROVE THEM WRONG.

We don't have copies of the "Assembly Minutes" and would appreciate viewers looking at those official stats and sharing them. We have been told that since 2000, the percentage of increase in the number of COG congregations has been 0.4%

So again, please note: We're not giving a final report until we can verify or discount some of the information. We hope there is a mistake so please don't accept this report as fact until we know for sure. We're asking for viewer's help.

VIEWERS ARE INVITED to participate in developing a Decade-By-Decade report beginning with the 1970's as to the increasing number of COG congregations in the U.S. The reason we want to do a report of the decades, is so the information won't be based on a few good or bad years. What we're looking for is to see if there is a trend.

Using percentages garnered from COG articles based on internal documents, we've attempted to get as close an estimate as possible as to the actual numerical increase or decrease in the number of COG congregations. While going into this with our eyes wide open, we've wanted our report to be as positive as possible so let's begin there.

The GOOD NEWS is, after the number of new church plants are added in and the number of churches closed are subtracted, preliminary reports "seem to indicate" there has been AN INCREASE in the number of COG congregations every decade since 1903 and that includes the most recent four decades. It really is an incredible story of growth for the almost 110 years of our Church history.

HOWEVER, in the category of “Not such good news,” the statistics seem to be showing that for the first time in COG history, there is a dramatic slowing in the once strong COG increases. We've been hearing that for some time but statistics about that are held in such secrecy until one must wonder if there are special security guards hired at Headquarters just to protect those statistics from going public Smile

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So, we're doing it the hard way and are attempting to develop an accurate report. In this way, COG ministers and members won't have to rely on rumors anymore. They will know for sure how strong the Church is doing or where it needs improvement and help. It has come a long ways since 10 mountain people met in a Cherokee County ramshackle shack near Murphy, NC in 1903.

As shared in Part I and Part II of this three-part series, Lee Professor Winston Elliott predicted in the Mid-1970's, that if the trends then continued unabated, the COG could see a slowing of growth near the end of the 70's. Was his prediction accurate?

Here's how you can participate in developing a final report: First, if possible, find the 2010 “Assembly Minutes” ( The last "Assembly Minutes" what have been published) and look up the total number of U. S. churches listed there. Then, compare the end-of-decade totals for 1979 with 1989, 2000 with 2010 etc. How many churches were started in each decade? Find the total number of churches listed for the end of each decade and figure what percentage of growth that shows compared with the previous decade.

Then, please post the results so we can all see. By basing our developing report from stats in our “Assembly Minutes,” it will mean the report is compiled directly from official documents. That will carry much more weight than what could come in from other sources.

40 YEARS OF INCREASE BUT DECLINE AT THE DOOR?

Below are reported growth percentages past 40 years about the increase in number of COG congregations. Please notice: The numbers shown below are estimates. We think they are close but once again welcome viewers to participate and help develop a final report. As stated previously, the percentages below are garnered from various COG articles.

However, since we do not have reports directly from the “Assembly Minutes,” for the 1970's and 1980's, we're aware there were approximately 5,500 churches at that time. We did have a copy of the 1994 “Minutes” which shows there were 5,913 churches.

So dear friends, this is a work in progress and viewers are welcomed to participate:
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1970's: New Church growth 6% or a decade increase of approximately 330 churches; 33 each year or 66 each two-year Assembly period.

1980's: New Church growth 2.5% or a decade increase of approximately 138 churches; 14 each year or 28 each two-year Assembly period. When the 1980's are compared with the 1970's, at first glance it looks like Professor Elliott's warnings of beginning decline were on target.

1990's: New Church growth 1.8% or a decade increase of 107 churches; 11 each year or 22 every two-year Assembly period.

Since 2000: New Church growth 0.4% for a decade increase of 24 churches; 2.4 each year or 4.8 every two-year Assembly period.

According to reports published by COG Headquarters, from 1974 to 2000, there was an average of biennial growth in the number of churches of 3%.
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The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.

Church Planting Report Coming

Friendly Face Posts: 484 **7/21/12 6:44 am**

A church planting task force report is due at the General Assembly. A preview was made available recently on and reveals that since 2001
until May of 2012, 1,627 churches have been planted. The retention rate for the new churches planted is 66%.
It further reveals that of the 3,143 counties/parishes in the USA, The Church of God is currently in 1,598 of these. There is no Church of
God influence in 49% of USA counties/parishes. Of 267 metropolitan areas in the USA, The Church of God has no presence in 19 of the major cities.
The overall total churches in the USA is approxiamtely 6,500.

Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia Posts: 4804 **7/21/12 8:14 am**

I'd venture to say much of the decline in church planting has coming at the rise of mega-churches. Instead of starting new churches, more pastors are working to grow their current church to incredible sizes. Churches are a smorgasbord of activities you can pick and choose from.

I'm not completely against mega churches... I'm not a big fan though... I do believe that 4 churches of 500 in an area, working together, can be more beneficial to a community that 1 church of 2000.
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Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **7/21/12 10:05 am**

2000 Minutes state the following as to churches and membership U.S.A.:

6,408 churches
887,148 members

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **7/21/12 10:10 am**

Here are some other interesting stats:

1971 churches 4028
members 275,621

1992 churches 5873
members 671,479

2000 churches 6408
members 887,148

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **7/21/12 5:28 pm**

Wow, Tom! Impressive Cool