Presbyterian Church USA sees ongoing decline in membership, new report shows

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A new report shows an ongoing decline in membership of the Presbyterian Church (USA), with the denomination losing more than 100 congregations and over 53,000 members last year, the Christian Post (CP) reports.

The report published this week by the PCUSA Office of the General Assembly shows the denomination now has around 1.140 million members compared to the approximately 1.193 million members it had in 2022, CP reports.

The PCUSA report also shows that the number of member congregations fell from 8,813 in 2021 to 8,705 last year, CP said. Moreover, the number of ministers dropped from 18,458 in 2021 to 18,173 in 2022.

In a statement released on Monday, Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the PCUSA General Assembly, said: “We are not surprised by the numbers we are seeing. While the pandemic may be over, the impact on church membership is still being felt…The challenge for the PCUSA remains the same: Look for new ways to engage and welcome young people into the fold. These are dramatic and fast-changing times.”

“Our world is changing, and the church needs to meet the growing needs of people who are finding themselves at a crossroads,” Nelson added. “We need to remind them that Jesus Christ is still in our midst and that means finding new, innovative ways to be church.”

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