National Association of Free Will Baptists
Denominational Profile
Notes
| The National Association of Free Will Baptists dates to the ministry of Paul Palmer in the American South in the 18th century. It operates internationally through the International Fellowship of Free Will Baptist Churches, a structure that has emerged as the missionary program has matured. |
Membership Data
| Year |
Clergy |
Churches |
Members |
| 1925 |
876 |
762 |
54,996 |
| 1935 |
412 |
397 |
79,650 |
| 1937 |
- |
397 |
- |
| 1940 |
- |
1,102 |
118,871 |
| 1946 |
- |
- |
221,317 |
| 1947 |
- |
3,467 |
255,127 |
| 1950 |
3,050 |
1,825 |
220,000 |
| 1951 |
5,200 |
2,700 |
400,000 |
| 1953 |
6,500 |
4,200 |
425,000 |
| 1954 |
6,423 |
4,023 |
405,000 |
| 1955 |
2,567 |
1,947 |
159,831 |
| 1956 |
2,985 |
2,054 |
163,619 |
| 1957 |
2,981 |
2,091 |
172,683 |
| 1958 |
3,313 |
2,166 |
184,287 |
| 1959 |
3,359 |
2,500 |
200,000 |
| 1960 |
3,234 |
2,232 |
191,448 |
| 1961 |
3,137 |
2,150 |
193,664 |
| 1962 |
3,129 |
1,974 |
168,706 |
| 1963 |
3,274 |
2,036 |
171,676 |
| 1965 |
3,166 |
2,028 |
173,275 |
| 1966 |
3,310 |
2,109 |
178,450 |
| 1967 |
3,000 |
2,200 |
250,000 |
| 1968 |
3,395 |
2,142 |
184,869 |
| 1969 |
3,372 |
2,200 |
200,000 |
| 1970 |
2,300 |
2,163 |
186,136 |
| 1972 |
3,374 |
2,250 |
210,000 |
| 1973 |
3,806 |
2,229 |
214,104 |
| 1974 |
3,700 |
2,350 |
215,000 |
| 1976 |
4,191 |
2,407 |
229,498 |
| 1977 |
4,302 |
2,430 |
216,831 |
| 1978 |
4,367 |
2,436 |
216,831 |
| 1979 |
4,525 |
2,437 |
231,167 |
| 1980 |
2,837 |
2,452 |
227,888 |
| 1981 |
2,864 |
2,479 |
216,848 |
| 1982 |
2,890 |
2,505 |
243,658 |
| 1983 |
2,867 |
2,480 |
226,422 |
| 1984 |
2,895 |
2,485 |
212,527 |
| 1985 |
2,895 |
2,548 |
217,838 |
| 1986 |
2,895 |
2,483 |
205,546 |
| 1987 |
2,895 |
2,524 |
200,387 |
| 1988 |
2,895 |
2,496 |
204,382 |
| 1989 |
2,900 |
2,517 |
204,489 |
| 1990 |
2,900 |
2,506 |
197,206 |
| 1991 |
2,900 |
2,495 |
209,223 |
| 1992 |
2,900 |
2,495 |
209,223 |
| 1993 |
2,900 |
2,513 |
214,577 |
| 1994 |
2,900 |
2,496 |
207,576 |
| 1995 |
2,900 |
2,491 |
213,716 |
| 1996 |
- |
- |
210,305 |
| 1997 |
2,900 |
2,320 |
210,305 |
| 1998 |
2,900 |
2,297 |
210,461 |
| 1999 |
2,900 |
2,476 |
216,711 |
| 2000 |
4,229 |
2,472 |
199,134 |
| 2001 |
4,104 |
2,470 |
197,919 |
| 2003 |
4,035 |
2,461 |
204,353 |
| 2005 |
3,959 |
2,425 |
198,924 |
| 2007 |
3,915 |
2,369 |
185,798 |
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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