PCA 2010 Statistics

Recently our Stated Clerk published his annual report available here.  Among other things the following figures were reported: 

"Total membership and the number of churches increased...

* Churches and missions: 1,757, an increase of 17.

* Total membership: 346,814, an increase of 414.

There has been only one year in which there was a reported decrease in PCA membership (2008, when one of our largest churches had a major roll revision). Since its beginning in 1973 the PCA had several years of being one of the fastest growing denominations in North America. The 2010 PCA reported growth rate was positive, (.2%), but that is not as high as in previous years. Seventeen mission churches were organized as new particular churches in 2010. The 39th General Assembly approved forming two new Presbyteries; one is a Korean-language Presbytery."

Those numbers are not much to write home about.  From my perspective I'm glad that little was said about them, particularly in light of last year's Strategic Plan and its infamous "S" curve. 

I've done a little digging into the statistics and discovered the same pattern that I reported last year here and here.  For the calendar year 2010 only 819 churches and missions out of a total of 1,758  (46.59%) reported statistical data. 

What's curious is that some presbyteries have nearly all churches reporting annually while others have very few churches that fill out statistical reports. 

The top 10 presbyteries for 2010 are...

Philadelphia Metro West 90.91%

Potomac 90.32%
Northern Illinois 87.50%
Central Georgia 80.95%
Central Indiana 80.00%
Providence 75.00%
Blue Ridge 72.22%
James River 71.88%
Fellowship 71.43%
Susquehanna 71.43%

The bottom 10 presbyteries for 2010 are...

Metro New York 24.32%

Philadelphia 15.00%

Platte Valley 12.50%

Korean Central 8.70%
Korean Northwest 5.26%

Korean Capital 4.55%

Korean Eastern 0.00%

Korean Southeastern 0.00%

Korean Southern 0.00%

Korean Southwest 0.00%            

These ten presbyteries contain 245 churches and missions but only 17 reported statistics in 2010.  Of the 180 Korean churches only 4 reported statistics.   

All of this makes me wonder what sort of membership gain would we see if the other 176 Korean churches reported their statistics in 2011?  By the same token if the other 228 churches in the bottom ten presbyteries reported their membership figures our denominational growth might exceed 5%.  If the 939 churches and missions that did not report statistics in 2010 did so in 2011 we might conclude that a revival was taking place. 

I'm not down on the Stated Clerk or his office.  Rather I'm down on those who bear the title "Presbyterian" but eschew connectionalism.

For what it is worth my entire data set of data is listed below in alphabetical order. 

Presbytery	# Churches and Missions	# Church and Missions that reported data in 2010	% Reporting
Ascension	15	9	60.00
Blue Ridge	18	13	72.22
Calvary	45	27	60.00
Central Carolina	41	26	63.41
Central Florida	32	12	37.50
Central Georgia	21	17	80.95
Central Indiana	10	8	80.00
Chesapeake	31	19	61.29
Chicago Metro	16	5	31.25
Covenant	53	23	43.40
Eastern Canada	10	3	30.00
Eastern Carolina	24	11	45.83
Eastern Pennsylvania	15	10	66.67
Evangel	28	18	64.29
Fellowship	14	10	71.43
Georgia Foothills	20	11	55.00
Grace	40	15	37.50
Great Lakes	14	9	64.29
Gulf Coast	30	15	50.00
Gulfstream	14	4	28.57
Heartland	9	4	44.44
Heritage	19	10	52.63
Houston Metro	15	7	46.67
Illiana	13	8	61.54
Iowa	11	4	36.36
James River	32	23	71.88
Korean Capital	22	1	4.55
Korean Central	23	2	8.70
Korean Eastern	23	0	0.00
Korean Northwest	19	1	5.26
Korean Southeastern	36	0	0.00
Korean Southern	18	0	0.00
Korean Southwest	39	0	0.00
Louisiana	8	2	25.00
Metro Atlanta	37	15	40.54
Metro New York	37	9	24.32
Mississippi Valley	47	25	53.19
Missouri	28	12	42.86
Nashville	19	10	52.63
New Jersey	14	8	57.14
New River	11	5	45.45
New York State	13	8	61.54
North Florida	16	10	62.50
North Texas	45	19	42.22
Northern California	26	13	50.00
Northern Illinois	8	7	87.50
New England	10	7	70.00
Northwest Georgia	15	10	66.67
Ohio Presbytery	12	6	50.00
Ohio Valley	16	11	68.75
Pacific	18	5	27.78
Pacific Northwest	28	10	35.71
Palmetto	48	28	58.33
Philadelphia	20	3	15.00
Philadelphia Metro West	11	10	90.91
Piedmont Triad	13	5	38.46
Pittsburgh	21	14	66.67
Platte Valley	8	1	12.50
Potomac	31	28	90.32
Providence	16	12	75.00
Rocky Mountain	28	9	32.14
Savannah River	21	14	66.67
Siouxlands	17	10	58.82
South Coast	28	13	46.43
South Florida	24	9	37.50
South Texas	20	13	65.00
Southeast Alabama	35	14	40.00
Southeast Louisiana	10	6	60.00
Southern New England	20	5	25.00
Southwest Presbytery	25	10	40.00
Southwest Florida	28	19	67.86
Suncoast Florida	9	5	55.56
Susquehanna	21	15	71.43
Tennessee Valley	32	13	40.63
Warrior	24	10	41.67
Western Canada	10	5	50.00
Western Carolina	29	10	34.48
Westminster	24	17	70.83
Wisconsin	7	4	57.14
Totals	1758	819	46.59