National Spiritualist Association of Churches (1893 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: SpiritualistReligious Tradition: Other
Description: The oldest and largest of the Spiritualist churches is the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC), formed in 1893 in Chicago. Among its leaders were Harrison D. Barrett and James M. Peebles, both former Unitarian clergymen, and Cora L. Richmond, an outstanding medium and author. The association was formed both for fellowship and to deal with fraudulent mediumship.
Official Site: https://nsac.org/
National Spiritualist Association of Churches: Congregations (2020)1
Top 5 National Spiritualist Association of Churches States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 8 | -- | -- |
| 2 | California | 7 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Connecticut | 6 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Illinois | 5 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Maine | 5 | -- | -- |
Top 5 National Spiritualist Association of Churches Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco County, CA | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Milwaukee County, WI | 3 | -- | -- |
| 3 | New London County, CT | 3 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Maricopa County, AZ | 2 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Erie County, NY | 2 | -- | -- |
Top 5 National Spiritualist Association of Churches Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Area | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Norwich-New London, CT Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
National Spiritualist Association of Churches, Members (1936 - 2000)2
National Spiritualist Association of Churches, Ministers & Churches (1936 - 2000)2
National Spiritualist Association of Churches, Trends (1936 - 2000)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 11,266 | 258 | |
| 1946 | 12,000 | 280 | |
| 1950 | 7,801 | 186 | 265 |
| 1951 | 10,500 | 225 | 285 |
| 1952 | 8,105 | 216 | 252 |
| 1953 | 7,637 | 218 | 245 |
| 1954 | 7,958 | 219 | 244 |
| 1955 | 7,990 | 227 | 245 |
| 1956 | 7,900 | 224 | 244 |
| 1957 | 8,850 | 225 | 247 |
| 1958 | 8,001 | 220 | 214 |
| 1959 | 8,825 | 228 | 245 |
| 1960 | 8,000 | 235 | 225 |
| 1961 | 5,438 | 139 | 198 |
| 1962 | 5,721 | 225 | 178 |
| 1963 | 5,811 | 222 | 175 |
| 1964 | 6,082 | 216 | 195 |
| 1965 | 4,962 | 208 | 195 |
| 1966 | 174 | 183 | |
| 1968 | 201 | 203 | |
| 1970 | 204 | 201 | |
| 1974 | 5,000 | 182 | 200 |
| 1976 | 5,168 | 164 | |
| 1984 | 5,558 | 142 | 142 |
| 1990 | 3,406 | 218 | 120 |
| 1992 | 3,883 | 95 | 137 |
| 1994 | 3,634 | 97 | 143 |
| 1995 | 2,258 | 129 | 130 |
| 1997 | 3,530 | 134 | 130 |
| 1999 | 3,000 | 87 | 136 |
| 2000 | 156 | ||
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 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.
