Category: Unitarian Universalist Association

If I had my way, I would dub any church that grew by (say) 20% a “hero church,” no matter its size, or if it gave its “fair share” to the UUA. One more stipulation: it would have to get certified each year. No fair “growing” by not submitting statistics each year. That said, with… Continue reading “Hero” churches

UUA congregational certifications have been flying in. When 494 congregations reported, with a total number of adult members equalling 81,298, there was a net increase of 833 persons. In other words, the one-percent-and-change figure is holding. What what about New Hampshire, where so much attention is focused today? Of the fourteen congregations that have so… Continue reading New Hampshire returns

Chutney asks about population versus Unitarian Universalist numbers: fair enough. We’re just treading water, but sinking on a historical scale. Since 2000, the United States has grown about 3.3%, which matches the rough 0.8-1.0% annual growth we’ve had for the last few decades. Two sites for stats from the U.S. Census: www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt eire.census.gov/popest/data/states/tables/NST-EST2003-02.php (Cumulative Population… Continue reading Population and Unitarian Universalists

With well more than a third of the congregations in the UUA reporting, a trend is setting in that bodes ill: 1% growth. The 398 congregations that certified have a combined membership of 64,519 members, but have only added 667 to “the family.” Again, 310 of those are the Church of the Larger Fellowship, meaning… Continue reading Nearing 400 certified, a trend sets in

Philocrites, in the last entry, picked up on the probable red-flags in the “top 36′ list. I knew that James Reeb Unitarian Universalist, Madison, Wisconsin, would falls off the list as it reported large membership losses. But Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, Chatham, Massachusetts, stood out more. A UU congregation founded in Massachusetts in 1988? That… Continue reading Red flags lower about best growing churches

Philocrites, in two postings, announced the thirty-six greatest growing congregations, and rather plainly points out how few congregations make up the bulk of the UUA’s net growth. The problem with the lists is that it depends upon UUA data that seems to reset the clock at when a church is founded. But this includes a… Continue reading Time to re-sort the biggest growers list

With more than 350 UUA member congregations certified, a bad trait is showing up. Including a formerly dormant church now a member, but excluding three Canadian churches that left the UUA (so giving the most favorable numbers possible) the aggragate growth is a puny 811 persons in congregations equaling 37,918 members. The good news is… Continue reading UUA certification now above 350

Continuing the thread Philocrites started, I’ve found it interesting that, after 287 congregations have reported that 41 report the exact same number as they did last year. That’s about one in six. “No growth, but no decline,” you say, and thus no foul. Perhaps. But it also suggests that the statistics were just rolled over… Continue reading UUA running tally

With 157 congregations reporting, my own database shows a rather thin net increase between those congregations of 773 members. This is particularly bad since 310 of these are from the Church of the Larger Fellowship. First Universalist, Minneapolis and White Bear U. U., Mahtonedi, Minnesota are the top two gainers, so far, reporting 79 and… Continue reading UUA growth, so far

Philocrites has been reviewing the top thirty-six congregations in the UUA, as regards total membership growth. Presently, UUA member congregations are notifying the mother ship “25” of their membership numbers and other statistics. Of the fifty-eight congregations that have so far (earlier today) sent in numbers, thirty-one have grown (390 new members in all) and… Continue reading Early returns for UUA growth