Liberalism and Homosexuality Blamed as Presbyterians report biggest membership drop in nearly 30 years
Pastor Dale Morgan
Liberalism and Homosexuality Blamed as Presbyterians report biggest
membership drop in nearly 30 years
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Fundamentalists Bail as Liberalism and Homosexuality raises its Ugly Head*
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By Daniel Burke, Religion News Service
The Presbyterian Church (USA) lost more than 57,000 members last year,
the denomination's largest decline since 1981, church leaders announced
at a churchwide General Assembly in San Jose, Calif.
The 2.5% drop brings active membership in the Presbyterian Church (USA)
to 2.2 million, but it remains the nation's largest Presbyterian
denomination.
Presbyterian Church (USA) delegates are gathered in San Jose through
June 28 to debate church policy and elect new leaders at its biennial
General Assembly.
Like many mainline Protestant churches, the church has experienced a
decades-long drop in membership, with church rolls declining every year
since the denomination was formed in 1983, according to church researchers.
Twelve congregations joined other denominations in 2007, and 71 churches
were dissolved, according to the Presbyterian Church (USA).
About 130 churches in total have threatened to leave or have left the
denomination because of disagreements about liberalism, homosexuality
and the Bible.
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, the PCUSA's outgoing stated clerk, said
the membership plunge exceeded expectations.
"While it is deeply painful to lose this many members for any reason, it
is obvious that the vast majority of Presbyterians are committed to
staying in the PC(USA) and doing Christ's mission together."