Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A. (1810 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: MethodistReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Primitive Methodist Church grew out of the revivalist impulse in England in the early nineteenth century. It was founded in 1810 by Revs. Hugh Bourne and William Clowes, who were dismissed from the Wesleyan Methodist Connection and whose followers were not welcomed into the Wesleyan Church. Growth was such that in 1812, in Tunstall, England, they became officially organized as The Society of the Primitive Methodists. The group was brought to the United States in the 1820s.
Official Site: http://www.primitivemethodistchurch.org/
Interactive Timeline: Methodist Family Interactive Timeline
Maps: Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A.1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2000)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A. States (2000)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 5 | 304 | 0.29 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 44 | 2,669 | 0.22 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 10 | 607 | 0.11 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 7 | 424 | 0.07 |
| 5 | Iowa | 2 | 121 | 0.04 |
Top 5 Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A. Counties (2000)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette County, WI | 3 | 182 | 11.28 |
| 2 | Grant County, WI | 4 | 243 | 4.90 |
| 3 | Boone County, IA | 2 | 121 | 4.61 |
| 4 | Iowa County, WI | 1 | 61 | 2.68 |
| 5 | Hardee County, FL | 1 | 61 | 2.26 |
Top 5 Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A. Metro Areas (2000)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Platteville, WI Micro Area | 4 | 243 | 4.90 |
| 2 | Boone, IA, Micropolitan Statistical Area | 2 | 121 | 4.61 |
| 3 | Wauchula, FL Micro Area | 1 | 61 | 2.26 |
| 4 | Pottsville, PA Micro Area | 5 | 303 | 2.02 |
| 5 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area | 17 | 1,031 | 1.84 |
Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A., Members (1925 - 2010)2
Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A., Ministers & Churches (1925 - 2010)2
Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A., Trends (1925 - 2010)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 11,905 | 80 | 87 |
| 1929 | 12,399 | 85 | 90 |
| 1935 | 12,081 | 77 | 81 |
| 1937 | 12,051 | 83 | |
| 1940 | 12,130 | 85 | |
| 1942 | 12,185 | 88 | |
| 1946 | 11,995 | 89 | |
| 1950 | 12,000 | 79 | 87 |
| 1951 | 12,295 | 69 | 91 |
| 1952 | 12,320 | 57 | 90 |
| 1953 | 12,217 | 63 | 90 |
| 1954 | 12,061 | 75 | 92 |
| 1955 | 12,166 | 70 | 92 |
| 1956 | 12,662 | 70 | 92 |
| 1957 | 12,571 | 90 | 80 |
| 1958 | 12,844 | 73 | 92 |
| 1959 | 14,613 | 90 | 90 |
| 1960 | 12,360 | 65 | 91 |
| 1961 | 12,805 | 90 | 90 |
| 1965 | 11,945 | 60 | 86 |
| 1975 | 11,024 | 94 | 85 |
| 1976 | 10,832 | 95 | 88 |
| 1977 | 10,519 | 93 | 88 |
| 1978 | 10,222 | 91 | 88 |
| 1979 | 10,126 | 97 | 87 |
| 1980 | 10,138 | 88 | 87 |
| 1981 | 9,978 | 90 | 87 |
| 1986 | 8,625 | 105 | 86 |
| 1987 | 8,487 | 92 | 84 |
| 1989 | 8,244 | 84 | 85 |
| 1992 | 7,677 | 98 | 81 |
| 1993 | 7,360 | 94 | 81 |
| 1994 | 7,298 | 118 | 79 |
| 1995 | 7,234 | 90 | 78 |
| 1996 | 7,200 | 103 | 75 |
| 1997 | 6,588 | 106 | 78 |
| 1998 | 6,746 | 108 | 78 |
| 1999 | 6,031 | 112 | 77 |
| 2001 | 4,717 | 92 | 78 |
| 2002 | 4,399 | 90 | 79 |
| 2003 | 4,480 | 91 | 79 |
| 2004 | 4,487 | 90 | 79 |
| 2005 | 4,290 | 97 | 76 |
| 2006 | 3,984 | 93 | 72 |
| 2008 | 3,915 | 84 | 67 |
| 2009 | 3,672 | 68 | 66 |
| 2010 | 3,601 | 70 | 67 |
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.
