SCHISMS AND MEMBERSHIP
A new article in The Living Church (find it here ) raises again the question of the effects of the schisms in the Episcopal Church on membership. The authors' thesis is that the Anglican Church in North America is growing and has good potential to become a serious rival of the Episcopal Church as the Anglican presence in North America. However, the data they present contradict this thesis, at least in regards to the five diocesan schisms in the Episcopal Church. The five schisms:
San Joaquin, 2007
Pittsburgh, 2008
Quincy, 2008
Fort Worth, 2008
South Carolina, 2012
All of these secessionist dioceses are now parts of the Anglican Church in North America.
The ACNA does not release the details of its membership data, in contrast to the Episcopal Church which freely provides minute reporting. It has posted a brief report, "Congregational Report to Provincial Council 2017," with some membership figures. Compiling data from the article cited above, the ACNA 2017 report, the Episcopal Church statistical tables, and diocesan annual journals, here is what we find:
All of these secessionist dioceses are now parts of the Anglican Church in North America.
The ACNA does not release the details of its membership data, in contrast to the Episcopal Church which freely provides minute reporting. It has posted a brief report, "Congregational Report to Provincial Council 2017," with some membership figures. Compiling data from the article cited above, the ACNA 2017 report, the Episcopal Church statistical tables, and diocesan annual journals, here is what we find:
SAN JOAQUIN
Pre-schism diocese had 10,276 baptized members, in 2007.
2007---Anglican Dio of SJ=App. 7,000 members.
2013---Anglican Dio of SJ=5,543 members
2015---Anglican Dio of SJ=5,118 members
2016---Anglican Dio of SJ=4,848 members
2015---Anglican Dio of SJ=5,118 members
2016---Anglican Dio of SJ=4,848 members
2017---Anglican Dio of SJ=3,981 members
2007-2017, overall decline of 6,295 members (-61%). Counting just the local churches of the ADSJ, loss was app. 3,000 members, or -42% in the decade after the schism.
By the latest figures, the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin is 39% of the pre-schism diocese.
PITTSBURGH
Pre-schism diocese had 19,198 baptized members, in 2008.
2008---Anglican Dio of P=app. 10,000 members
2014---Anglican Dio of P=7,937 members (app. 20% outside of old diocesan boundary)
2017---Anglican Dio of P=7,720 members (app. 20% outside of of diocesan boundary)
2008-2017, overall decline of app. 14,000 members within the boundary of the old diocese. Counting just the churches of the Anglican Dio of P=loss of 2,280, or -23%.
By the latest figures, the churches within the old diocesan boundary of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh amount to 26% of the pre-schism diocese.
QUINCY
Before the schism, the diocese listed 1,823 baptized members. App. 1,200 members left with the schism.
Of the 30 local churches listed in the Dio of Quincy, about 12 are outside the old diocesan boundary. This makes it impossible to know the changes in the church membership within the old diocese. In the 2017 ACNA Congregational Report, it listed 2,105 members in 2015, 2,080 in 2016, and 2,493 in 2017. Perhaps a third of these numbers would be members outside of the old diocese.
Of the 30 local churches listed in the Dio of Quincy, about 12 are outside the old diocesan boundary. This makes it impossible to know the changes in the church membership within the old diocese. In the 2017 ACNA Congregational Report, it listed 2,105 members in 2015, 2,080 in 2016, and 2,493 in 2017. Perhaps a third of these numbers would be members outside of the old diocese.
FORT WORTH
Pre-schism diocese had 17,457 baptized members, in 2008.
2008---(Anglican) Dio of FW=app. 12,000 members
2014---(Anglican) Dio of FW=11,758 members (some outside of old diocesan boundary)
2015---(Anglican) Dio of FW=10,939 members (some outisde of old diocesan boundary)
2015---(Anglican) Dio of FW=10,939 members (some outisde of old diocesan boundary)
2017---(Anglican) Dio of FW=10,667 members (some outside of old diocesan boundary)
As Pittsburgh, Ft. Worth is an extra-territorial diocese with about a dozen churches of its forty-eight local churches beyond the old diocesan boundary. This means perhaps 20% of the above numbers are not in the area of the pre-schism diocese.
As Pittsburgh, Ft. Worth is an extra-territorial diocese with about a dozen churches of its forty-eight local churches beyond the old diocesan boundary. This means perhaps 20% of the above numbers are not in the area of the pre-schism diocese.
2008-2017, overall decline of 6,790 members, or -39%. The Anglican churches have lost app. 1,300 members, or -11% since the schism.
As of 2017, the (Anglican) Dio of Fort Worth was 61% of the pre-schism diocese.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Had 27,670 communicants in 2008.
2011---50 churches of later (Anglican) Dio SC=21,993 communicants.
2016---(Anglican) Dio of SC=14,694 communicants.
2016---(Anglican) Dio of SC=14,694 communicants.
2008-16, overall decline of Diocese of South Carolina of 12,976 communicants (-47%).
The 50 (of the 71) local churches that went along with the schism counted 19,338 communicants in 2008. In 2011, the last year before the schism, they listed 21,993 communicants. In 2016, they reported 14,694 communicants, a loss of 7,499, or -34% from 2011 to 2016. The schism occurred in 2012.
The 50 (of the 71) local churches that went along with the schism counted 19,338 communicants in 2008. In 2011, the last year before the schism, they listed 21,993 communicants. In 2016, they reported 14,694 communicants, a loss of 7,499, or -34% from 2011 to 2016. The schism occurred in 2012.
As of 2016, the (Anglican) Dio of South Carolina was 53% of the pre-schism diocese.
CONCLUSION
Of the five schisms, four provide meaningful membership statistics. All four of these show significant and constant decline. Every one has lost members every year since its schism. Not one has show any year-to-year growth. The fifth, Quincy is the only one to show any growth and its figures are impossible to discern in terms of the old diocese.
The most serious fall has been in the Anglican Dio of Pittsburgh that is now just over a quarter of the size of the pre-schsim diocese and at least a third smaller than the Episcopal Dio of Pittsburgh. In terms of membership, the schism in Pittsburgh has been a disaster.
The most serious fall has been in the Anglican Dio of Pittsburgh that is now just over a quarter of the size of the pre-schsim diocese and at least a third smaller than the Episcopal Dio of Pittsburgh. In terms of membership, the schism in Pittsburgh has been a disaster.
South Carolina has also seen precipitous drop. The (Anglican) diocese is now about half the size of the pre-schsim diocese and has seen relentless and continuous declines in communicant numbers. Official statistics show that the churches of the (Anglican) diocese of South Carolina lost a third of their communicant numbers after the schism.
The Anglican diocese of San Joaquin has lost 42% of its membership since the schism.
The (Anglican) diocese of Fort Worth has lost 11% of its membership.
To recap, all four measurable schisms are down significantly from their pre-division numbers. The breakaway dioceses: San Joaquin down 61%, Pitt down 74%, South Carolina down 47%, and Fort Worth down 39%. Considering just the local churches that went along with the schisms, we find San Joaquin down 42%, Pittsburgh down 26%, Fort Worth down 11%, and South Carolina down 34%. Thus, there is across the board, relentless decline in membership numbers within the breakaway dioceses. San Joaquin has seen the most severe loss, South Carolina next.
Therefore, for anyone to believe that the Anglican Church in North America is growing, one would have to ignore what has happened in the five schisms in the Episcopal Church. In terms of membership, they have seen a dramatic fall, the trajectory of which portends imminent disaster.
Bottom line, the schisms created church decline. One should recall that the original goal of the Anglican Realignment movement in the 1990's was the destruction, or drastic diminution, of the Episcopal Church. If this were indeed the motivation of the five schisms, they have turned out to be kamikaze missions.
Bottom line, the schisms created church decline. One should recall that the original goal of the Anglican Realignment movement in the 1990's was the destruction, or drastic diminution, of the Episcopal Church. If this were indeed the motivation of the five schisms, they have turned out to be kamikaze missions.
