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By Kent Larsen
Church of Jesus Christ (LDS Church) Now Fifth Largest
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- An analysis of data released Friday by the
National Council of Churches and other sources shows that the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now the fifth largest
denomination in the United States. The NCC data comes from its 2001
Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, the most comprehensive
source of Church statistics. But the data for the Church of Jesus
Christ included in the book is dated December 31, 1999, and
subsequent growth appears to have pushed the Church from sixth place
to fifth.
The yearbook counts the Catholic Church as the largest in the US with
62 million members. The Southern Baptist Convention is next, with
15.85 million, followed by the United Methodist Church (8.37
million), the Church of God in Christ (5.49 million) and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church (5.14 million). The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints is listed in sixth place with 5.11
million members as of the end of 1999.
However, in the intervening year, the Church of Jesus Christ has
likely added about 85,000 members in the US, while the Evangelical
Lutheran Church has been slowly loosing members for several years. As
a result, the church likely became the fifth largest US denomination
sometime in 2000.
Getting to fourth place will take some time, estimates made by Mormon
News show. If current growth rates continue, it will take 3 to 5
years for the church to grow into fourth place and overtake the
Church of God in Christ. After that, it is a long way to third place.
Sources:
Yearbook traces church trends
Walnut Creek CA Contra Costa Times 17Feb01 N1
By Kevin Eckstrom: Religion News Service
http://www.adherents.com
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