America’s churches are losing members—but not all of them
The American churches yearbook, one of few reliable sources of attendance numbers, finds that The Roman Catholic Church, by far the largest Christian denomination in the U.S at 67 million members, lost 400,000 adherents in 2006 and 2007, while No. 2 in the nation, the 16-million strong Southern Baptist Convention, dropped 40,000 over the same period. Overall, only four of the U.S.’s 25 largest churches are growing, including the surging Mormons. Up 1.6 per cent to 5.9 million members, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, still eyed with suspicion by many traditional Christians, is now America’s fourth largest denomination.