Disciples of Christ Denomination Reports 21 Percent Membership Drop from 2019 to 2022

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has faced significant challenges in recent years, marking a troubling trend for one of the original “seven sisters” of mainline Protestant Christianity. Based in Indianapolis, the denomination has experienced repeated declines in membership, attendance, and the number of congregations, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating these losses. The DoC’s ability to function as a denomination with nationwide reach is increasingly compromised.

The denomination reached its peak membership of nearly two million in the mid-1960s, but this number was halved by 1993 and again by the early 2010s. By 2019, the DoC had 350,618 members and an average attendance of 126,217, according to its yearbook. This was smaller than the Presbyterian Church in America, which reported 390,319 members. The pandemic further exacerbated the decline, with membership dropping to 281,348 in 2021 and to 277,864 in 2022. Attendance also fell to 89,894 in 2022, reflecting a 21 percent membership decline from 2019 to 2022, a dramatic rate of loss.

Congregations have also dwindled, decreasing from over 8,000 to 3,624. The number of ministers has remained around 7,000 since the early 1970s. This trend mirrors that of other mainline Protestant denominations, which have all experienced continuous decline. Conservative denominations like the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Southern Baptist Convention have also seen significant reductions, though at different times.

Despite these challenges, some denominations report growth. The Assemblies of God, the Presbyterian Church in America, and a few smaller groups, such as the Wesleyan Church, have seen increases in membership. Additionally, some conservative offshoots, like the Global Methodist Church and the Anglican Church in North America, are gaining members. However, these are exceptions in North America, where studies show a rise in both “nones” and non-denominational Christians.

The future of the Disciples of Christ remains uncertain. Religious landscape studies suggest that many denominations may not survive this period of decline. The DoC is in a downward spiral and is expected to halve its membership again by the end of the decade. This decline raises questions about the sustainability of mainline Protestant denominations in an increasingly fragmented religious landscape.

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