Rainer on Leadership The Burge Report: The Biggest Little Denomination: The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
Sam and Ryan Burge take a deep dive into the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), unpacking the denomination’s unique growth patterns, size distribution, and robust recordkeeping. They explore surprising statistics on membership trends, baptisms, and church finances—revealing why some PCA congregations thrive while others remain stagnant. The co-hosts highlight key takeaways for understanding both the strengths and challenges of one of America’s most data-rich evangelical denominations.
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- High Data Compliance and Transparency – Nearly 90% of PCA churches submitted membership and financial data within the last three years, making their statistics unusually reliable compared to other denominations.
- Outsized Influence – The PCA has a significant presence on social media and a large-scale influence on evangelical Christians through their pastors and leaders (e.g., Tim Keller).
- Strong Growth but Uneven Distribution – While the PCA adds 1.5–2% to its membership rolls annually, growth is concentrated in larger churches, with many smaller congregations stagnant or declining.
- Predominantly Small to Mid-Sized Churches – The median PCA church has 117 members, and roughly 75% have 250 or fewer, mirroring national church size trends.
- Mixed Baptism Trends – About one-third of PCA churches had zero adult baptisms last year, and nearly half had fewer than three infant baptisms, signaling challenges in evangelism and retention.
- Financial Realities – Church income strongly correlates with size, averaging about $3,500 in additional annual income per new member, but with notable outliers in both wealth and scarcity.
Resources:
- “The American Religious Landscape” by Ryan Burge (affiliate link)
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