American Lutheran Church (1960-1987) (1960 - 1988) - Religious Group
Religious Family: LutheranReligious Tradition: Unclassified
Description: The American Lutheran Church (1960-1987) was founded in 1960 as a merger between three Lutheran bodies: the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the American Lutheran Church (1930-1960). In 1988, this group merged with the Lutheran Church in America and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Official Site: Not available
Connections: American Lutheran Church (1960-1987)
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
American Lutheran Church (1960-1987), Members (1960 - 1986)1
American Lutheran Church (1960-1987), Ministers & Churches (1960 - 1986)1
American Lutheran Church (1960-1987), Trends (1960 - 1986)1
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,242,259 | 4,706 | 4,625 |
| 1961 | 2,295,188 | 4,943 | 4,622 |
| 1962 | 2,338,959 | 4,998 | 4,640 |
| 1963 | 2,468,407 | 5,369 | 4,902 |
| 1964 | 2,587,204 | 5,499 | 4,862 |
| 1965 | 2,541,546 | 5,635 | 4,900 |
| 1966 | 2,566,581 | 5,751 | 4,899 |
| 1967 | 2,575,506 | 5,869 | 4,902 |
| 1968 | 2,576,105 | 5,943 | 4,880 |
| 1969 | 2,559,588 | 6,009 | 4,848 |
| 1970 | 2,543,293 | 6,103 | 4,822 |
| 1971 | 2,521,930 | 6,169 | 4,823 |
| 1972 | 2,492,355 | 6,264 | 4,825 |
| 1973 | 2,465,584 | 6,358 | 4,822 |
| 1974 | 2,437,862 | 6,463 | 4,809 |
| 1975 | 2,415,810 | 6,519 | 4,813 |
| 1976 | 2,402,261 | 6,625 | 4,814 |
| 1977 | 2,390,076 | 6,692 | 4,836 |
| 1978 | 2,377,235 | 6,789 | 4,837 |
| 1979 | 2,362,685 | 6,925 | 4,849 |
| 1980 | 2,353,229 | 7,018 | 4,864 |
| 1981 | 2,346,207 | 7,113 | 4,865 |
| 1982 | 2,346,710 | 7,246 | 4,897 |
| 1983 | 2,343,412 | 7,314 | 4,905 |
| 1984 | 2,339,946 | 7,443 | 4,909 |
| 1985 | 2,332,316 | 7,580 | 4,940 |
| 1986 | 2,319,443 | 7,671 | 4,959 |
Sources
1 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
