Denominations Fact File

Barna selected the following dozen outcomes as the most significant findings of 2006.
Although large majorities of the public claim to be “deeply spiritual” and say that their religious faith is “very important” in their life, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life.
On average pastors believe that 70% of the adults in their congregation consider their relationship with God to be their highest priority in life.
Three out of every four teenagers have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity.
During the past year fewer than three out of every ten churched teenagers had received any teaching from their church about elements of the supernatural.
While just 21% of adults consider themselves to be holy, by their own admission large numbers have no idea what “holiness” means and only one out of every three (35%) believe that God expects people to become holy.
Four out of every five house church participants maintain some connection to a conventional church as well.
Seven out of ten parents claim they are effective at developing the spiritual maturity of their children, but the Barna survey among 8-to-12-year-olds discovered that only one-third of them say a church has made “a positive difference” in their life

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Date: 12/20/2006

The GOP held on to voters who attend religious services more than once a week, 60% of whom voted Republican compared with 61% in 2002.
The GOP actually did well among white evangelicals in 2006:
- 72% voted Republican in races for the U.S. House nationwide
- In 2004, 75% voted for Republican congressional candidates.
President Bush's approval rating among evangelicals on Election Day was 70%
Only among white evangelicals did many express unhappiness as happiness with the Democrats' victory (41% each).

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Date: 12/15/2006

The estimates of seminary trained black clergy vary from 20 to 30 percent nationwide.
The majority of black rural church pastors live in urban areas and commute an average of over 40 miles to their churches.
Cheryl Gilkes has estimated that African Americans constitute about 25 percent of the participants in megachurch congregations, both black and white.
A study of 66 black megachurches were divided as follows:
- Baptist, 46 percent
- Nondenominational, 29 percent

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Date: 12/12/2006

In our national sample of clergy, 10 percent of Protestant clergy were sons or daughters of clergy.
Conservative Protestants have the largest percentage of Preachers Kids (P.K.s) (12 percent)
- Followed by clergy in Historic Black denominations (11%)
- Mainline clergy, with 7 percent P.K.s, are slightly less likely to reproduce themselves by having a child enter parish ministry.
Preachers Kids (P.K.s) were also significantly more involved in church youth groups at age 16 than those with parents in other occupations 88 percent versus 69 percent

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Date: 12/12/2006

The typical pastor has his or her greatest ministry impact at a church in years five through fourteen of their pastorate.
The average pastor lasts only five years at a church
The average American minister has held a paid job in ministry for 19 years
- He has spent an average of 15.6 of those years as a senior pastor of one or more churches.

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Date: 11/22/2006

In 2004 there were 2,779,095 adherents in the Assembly of God church compared to 2,830,861 in 2005.
In 2004 there were 12,277 churches with 280 new churches opened
In 2005 the Council of the Assembly of God reported 12,298 churches with 258 new churches opened.
In 2004 the membership of the Assembly of God Church was 1,594,062 compared to 1,612,336 in 2005.

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Date: 11/13/2006

Less religious youth are concentrated among those who simply have no denominational preference (66 percent compared to 27 percent overall) and Jews (40 percent compared to 27 percent overall)
Demographically, God-less youth are not that distinct from the rest of their peers.
- They are more male (33 percent compared to 27 percent overall), especially college educated men (39 percent compared to 27 percent overall)
- They are particularly likely to be found in the Northeast (41 percent compared to 27 percent overall).
- A disproportionate number of Asian Americans (38 percent compared to 27 percent overall) are also God-less.
Between 1972 and 2000, the percentage of young Americans identifying themselves as white steadily decreased from 88 percent to 65 percent.

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Date: 11/6/2006

October contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program were 3.32 percent below CP gifts received in October 2005, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Morris H. Chapman.
As of Oct. 31, 2006, Cooperative Program gifts of $15,358,955.55 were $527,686.96 below the $15,886,642.51 received last October.

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Date: 11/1/2006

There are approximately 300,000 Protestant churches in the United States.
- the majority of these churches have an attendance of 20-200
- sometimes the attendance is 300 or greater
99.6% of US churches have a weekly worship attendance of less than 2000
There are 1210 churches with an attendance greater than 2000

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Date: 11/1/2006

The total membership count for Roman Catholics, the ultra-conservative Southern Baptist Convention, Pentecostal Assemblies of God and proselytizing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) reported to the Yearbook is up nearly 11.4% for the same period.
10% to 14% of Americans say they have no religious identity.
In 2001, 17.2 million people named a mainline denomination, down from 18.7 million in 1990.
26.1% of Americans described themselves as mainline in general.
When asked to name a denomination, 22.1% named a mainline brand.

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Date: 11/1/2006