THE PARISHES AND THE SCHISM
Yesterday, 9 August, I posted a note about the latest membership numbers of the new Anglican diocese of South Carolina. The data indicate relentless decline in the communicant numbers in the diocese as a whole since the schism of 2012. Today, let us look at the individual parishes to see how they have fared in membership since the schism.
In this survey, we will take the official numbers of communicants, first for the last full year before the schism, 2011, and then for the latest official numbers, most for the year 2019. This way we can get a good indication of the growth or decline of the individual parishes that went along with the schism. This will give us at least a general idea of the effect of the schism on the individual churches.
Perhaps the most meaningful guide is the percentage change in the communicant numbers of the local church from 2011 to 2019. We will start with the greatest percentage loss and work down to the greatest percentage gain.
NEGATIVE
ST. LUKE'S, Hilton Head
2011 --- 951
2019 --- 266 (-72%)
TRINITY, Myrtle Beach
2011 --- 595
2019 --- 172 (-71%)
HOLY CROSS, Stateburg
2011 --- 177
2019 --- 60 (-66%)
ST. DAVID'S, Cheraw
2011 --- 113
2019 --- 40 (-65%)
CHRIST CHURCH, Mt. Pleasant
2011 --- 1,117
2019 --- 350 (-63%)
OLD ST. ANDREW'S, Charleston
2011 --- 962
2019 --- 406 (-58%)
ST. HELENA'S, Beaufort
2011 --- 1,737
2019 --- 827 (-52%)
HOLY CROSS, Sullivans Island
2011 --- 2,540
2019 --- 1,271 (-50%)
ST. PHILIP'S, Charleston
2011 --- 2,677
2019 --- 1,370 (-49%)
GOOD SHEPHERD, Charleston
2011 --- 302
2019 --- 154 (-49%)
HOLY COMFORTER, Sumter
2011 --- 525
2019 --- 268 (-49%)
ST. MICHAEL'S, Charleston
2011 --- 1,847
2018 --- 976 (-47%)
TRINITY, Pinopolis
2011 --- 184
2019 --- 103 (-44%)
HOLY APOSTLES, Barnwell
2011 --- 91
2019 --- 54 (-41%)
REDEEMER, Pineville
2011 --- 82
2019 --- 49 (-40%)
ST. BARNABAS, Dillon
2011 --- 47
2019 --- 35 (-32%)
REDEEMER, Orangeburg
2011 --- 265
2019 --- 184 (-31%)
TRINITY, Edisto
2011 --- 183
2019 --- 134 (-27%)
ST. MATTHIAS, Summerton
2011 --- 128
2019 --- 95 (-26%)
ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S, Hartsville
2011 --- 160
2019 --- 122 (-24%)
ST. JAMES, Charleston
2011 --- 612
2018 --- 500 (-18%)
RESURRECTION, Surfside
2011 --- 282
2019 --- 245 (-13%)
ST. MATTHEW'S, Darlington
2011 --- 139
2019 --- 124 (-11%)
CHURCH OF THE CROSS, Bluffton
2011 --- 1,701
2019 --- 1,631 (-4%)
CHRIST/ST. PAUL'S, Yonges Island
2011 --- 330
2019 --- 318 (-4%)
ST. PAUL'S, Conway
2011 --- 270
2019 --- 257 (-4%)
ST. PAUL'S, Summerville
2011 --- 773
2019 --- 750 (-3%)
CATHEDRAL, ST. LUKE AND ST. PAUL, Charleston
2011 --- 305
2019 --- 300 (-2%)
ST. JOHN'S, Florence
2011 --- 453
2019 --- 441 (-2%)
POSITIVE
PRINCE GEORGE WINYAH, Georgetown
2011 --- 450
2019 --- 451
CHRIST CHURCH, Florence
2011 --- 49
2019 --- 51 (+4%)
ALL SAINTS, Florence
2011 --- 144
2019 --- 151 (+5%)
ADVENT, Marion
2011 --- 27
2019 --- 30 (+10%)
ST. JOHN'S, Johns Island
2011 --- 566
2019 --- 620 (+10%)
ST. JUDE'S, Walterboro
2011 --- 200
2019 --- 227 (+13%)
OUR SAVIOUR, Johns Island
2011 --- 195
2019 --- 223 (+14%)
EPIPHANY, Eutawville
2011 --- 75
2019 --- 87 (+ 16%)
ST. ANDREW'S MISSION, Charleston
2011 --- 38
2019 --- 50 (+32%)
ST. MATTHEW'S, Ft. Motte
2011 --- 71
2019 --- 97 (+37%)
HOLY TRINITY, Grahamville
2011 --- 98
2019 --- 141 (+44%)
SUMMARY.
Of the 40 local churches in the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina listed above, 29 reported losses in communicant numbers after the schism. Several large parishes, as St. Philip's of Charleston, St. Michael's of Charleston, and St. Helena's of Beaufort, reported losses of about half their communicants after the schism. Thus, about three in four of the local churches that went along with the break lost communicants. Eight parishes lost more than half of their communicants. Two parishes lost more than 70% of their communicants.
About one in four of the local churches reported gains in membership although these were mostly modest increases.
In conclusion, it is clear that the schism led to a decline in numbers of communicants in the big majority of the local churches that went along with the break. Thus, both the diocese as a whole and most of the local congregations declined in active membership after the schism of 2012.
