Faith
Episcopal Church Faces Ongoing Decline in 2024
Faith Facts
- The Episcopal Church did not report a total membership count in its 2024 data, breaking with prior years.
- Baptisms reached 19,624 in 2024, a significant drop from over 28,000 a decade ago.
- Total parishes and missions declined to 6,707 in 2024, down from 6,754 last year.
The 2024 Parochial Report from the Episcopal Church shows a continued downward trend in baptisms and parishes nationwide. Over 94% of congregations participated, yet the church withheld an overall membership number, citing confusion in data collection.
Attendance rose slightly, with more than 413,000 attending services, including an increase in online participation, but this is still well below earlier levels. The church reported that median membership age is 60, and most members are white.
The denomination’s financial report in 2024 revealed for the first time this decade that expenses exceeded income. The Episcopal Church, like many others, has faced prolonged membership decline and challenging trends linked in part to its progressive theological positions, which have led to departures among longtime members.
“It depicts a church that appears to be dying,” reflected Kristine Stache in a notable warning about the future, as quoted by Episcopal News Service.
Rev. Sean Rowe, recently installed as presiding bishop, emphasized unity in his installation address: “We need to become one church. We are one church in Jesus Christ.”
Faithful believers are called to uphold biblical truth and pray for renewal within church communities, recognizing that true spiritual growth is rooted in Christ’s teachings and enduring commitment to biblical values.