The Percentage of ELCA Congregations Which Were Declining, Stable, or Increasing in Average Worship

The Percentage of ELCA Congregations Which Were Declining, Stable, or Increasing in Average Worship
Attendance from 1997 to 2003

1997 to 2003 % Change in Attendance
Synod	Decline More Than 5%	Stable Change Less Than 5%	Increase More Than 5%	Number of Congregations
Alaska Synod	54.8%	19.4%	25.8%	31
Northwest Washington Synod	44.7%	32.5%	22.8%	114
Southwestern Washington Synod	40.0%	31.6%	28.4%	95
Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod	45.4%	27.8%	26.9%	108
Oregon Synod	46.7%	28.7%	24.6%	122
Montana Synod	49.7%	28.2%	22.1%	149
Sierra Pacific Synod	43.5%	34.3%	22.2%	207
Southwest California Synod	52.1%	24.6%	23.2%	142
Pacifica Synod	48.8%	28.5%	22.8%	123
Grand Canyon Synod	40.4%	24.8%	34.9%	109
Rocky Mountain Synod	48.0%	22.0%	29.9%	177
Western North Dakota Synod	52.8%	35.0%	12.2%	197
Eastern North Dakota Synod	45.0%	33.1%	21.9%	242
South Dakota Synod	50.8%	28.0%	21.3%	254
Northwestern Minnesota Synod	44.0%	30.7%	25.3%	277
Northeastern Minnesota Synod	43.2%	27.7%	29.1%	148
Southwestern Minnesota Synod	48.7%	31.4%	19.9%	277
Minneapolis Area Synod	40.7%	29.3%	29.9%	167
Saint Paul Area Synod	40.9%	27.0%	32.2%	115
Southeastern Minnesota Synod	40.2%	35.3%	24.5%	184
Nebraska Synod	52.1%	27.0%	20.9%	263
Central States Synod	51.2%	28.9%	19.9%	211
Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod	64.4%	22.0%	13.6%	59
Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod	49.2%	25.8%	25.0%	120
Southwestern Texas Synod	45.5%	32.6%	21.9%	178
Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod	53.5%	24.4%	22.0%	127
Metropolitan Chicago Synod	40.9%	29.5%	29.5%	220
Northern Illinois Synod	47.6%	31.7%	20.7%	164
Central/Southern Illinois Synod	41.8%	36.7%	21.5%	158
Southeastern Iowa Synod	41.1%	31.8%	27.2%	151
Western Iowa Synod	55.8%	27.9%	16.3%	172
Northeastern Iowa Synod	51.9%	27.0%	21.1%	185
Northern Great Lakes Synod	50.0%	30.9%	19.1%	94
Northwest Synod of Wisconsin	42.0%	24.1%	34.0%	212
East-Central Synod of Wisconsin	41.0%	29.9%	29.2%	144
Greater Milwaukee Synod	43.3%	25.5%	31.2%	141
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin	39.3%	30.0%	30.7%	150
LaCrosse Area Synod	43.2%	25.9%	30.9%	81
Southeast Michigan Synod	39.6%	30.2%	30.2%	139
North/West Lower Michigan Synod	41.2%	25.2%	33.6%	131
Indiana-Kentucky Synod	42.5%	31.4%	26.1%	226
Northwestern Ohio Synod	52.4%	28.3%	19.3%	187
Northeastern Ohio Synod	51.0%	32.2%	16.8%	208
Southern Ohio Synod	38.8%	37.1%	24.1%	237
New Jersey Synod	45.1%	29.5%	25.4%	193
New England Synod	37.0%	35.4%	27.5%	189
Metropolitan New York Synod	39.8%	36.2%	24.0%	221
Upstate New York Synod	53.3%	29.7%	16.9%	195
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod	47.6%	32.3%	20.1%	294
Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod	50.3%	30.3%	19.4%	175
Slovak Zion Synod	56.7%	30.0%	13.3%	30
Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod	52.2%	27.8%	20.0%	90
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod	53.7%	26.4%	19.9%	216
Allegheny Synod	45.4%	43.1%	11.5%	130
Lower Susquehanna Synod	58.1%	24.0%	18.0%	267
Upper Susquehanna Synod	53.6%	27.1%	19.3%	140
Delaware-Maryland Synod	44.0%	25.0%	31.0%	184
Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod	36.4%	37.7%	26.0%	77
West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod	54.8%	19.4%	25.8%	62
Virginia Synod	42.1%	33.5%	24.4%	164
North Carolina Synod	42.0%	34.5%	23.5%	238
South Carolina Synod	34.9%	39.8%	25.3%	166
Southeastern Synod	42.6%	25.4%	32.0%	169
Florida-Bahamas Synod	40.5%	31.4%	28.1%	210
Caribbean Synod	17.6%	41.2%	41.2%	34
ELCA Total	46.1%	30.1%	23.9%	10,640

Data from Annual Congregational Report Forms. Prepared by the ELCA Department for Research and Evaluation 11/08/04.

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