Churches of Christ
Denominational Profile
History
Christian Church/Disciples of Christ |
split into Churches of Christ (1906) |
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| The Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental) is one of the several branches of the Restoration movement begun in the early 19th century by Barton Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell. Originating primarily among those Restorationist congregations in the South, it has become a national movement. It has been most identified for its disavowal of the use of instrumental music in worship and ultra-congregational organization. Over the years, the decentralized polity has allowed for a number of factions to develop over various beliefs and practices not accepted by the majority of churches. The Churches of Christ (Non-instrumental) represent the largest faction of the movement. |
Membership Data
| Year |
Clergy |
Churches |
Members |
| 1929 |
2,507 |
6,226 |
433,714 |
| 1931 |
- |
- |
433,714 |
| 1933 |
- |
- |
433,714 |
| 1935 |
2,507 |
6,226 |
433,714 |
| 1936 |
- |
3,815 |
309,551 |
| 1937 |
- |
6,226 |
- |
| 1946 |
- |
- |
309,551 |
| 1947 |
- |
10,000 |
682,172 |
| 1950 |
7,000 |
- |
- |
| 1951 |
- |
14,500 |
1,000,000 |
| 1952 |
15,500 |
16,000 |
1,500,000 |
| 1953 |
- |
15,000 |
1,500,000 |
| 1954 |
- |
16,500 |
1,600,000 |
| 1955 |
15,500 |
16,500 |
1,600,000 |
| 1956 |
8,500 |
16,250 |
1,700,000 |
| 1957 |
- |
16,500 |
1,750,000 |
| 1958 |
12,500 |
17,500 |
2,000,000 |
| 1959 |
- |
17,850 |
2,007,650 |
| 1960 |
8,366 |
18,680 |
2,163,493 |
| 1961 |
10,000 |
18,500 |
2,250,000 |
| 1965 |
7,000 |
18,500 |
2,350,000 |
| 1968 |
6,200 |
18,000 |
2,400,000 |
| 1976 |
12,800 |
17,000 |
2,500,000 |
| 1978 |
16,200 |
17,550 |
3,000,000 |
| 1979 |
- |
12,700 |
1,600,000 |
| 1980 |
- |
12,271 |
1,600,222 |
| 1982 |
- |
12,750 |
1,605,000 |
| 1983 |
- |
13,056 |
1,600,000 |
| 1984 |
- |
13,100 |
1,600,500 |
| 1985 |
- |
13,150 |
1,604,000 |
| 1987 |
- |
13,364 |
1,623,754 |
| 1989 |
- |
13,375 |
1,626,000 |
| 1990 |
- |
13,134 |
1,683,346 |
| 1992 |
- |
13,174 |
1,684,872 |
| 1993 |
10,000 |
13,013 |
1,651,103 |
| 1994 |
10,000 |
13,013 |
1,651,103 |
| 1995 |
10,000 |
13,020 |
1,655,000 |
| 1996 |
13,000 |
14,000 |
2,250,000 |
| 1997 |
15,850 |
14,400 |
1,800,000 |
| 1999 |
16,350 |
15,000 |
1,500,000 |
| 2005 |
16,350 |
15,000 |
1,639,495 |
| 2006 |
- |
13,000 |
1,639,495 |
Data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The National Council of Churches' data collection was discontinued after the 2012 Yearbook was published, and has been resumed by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). The tables and graphs will be updated when the new collection is available. See the Yearbook of Churches. Denomination descriptions provided by Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR). [More information on data sources]
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