The data definitely show the effect of strong diocesan leadership and an instutionalized emphasis on the Great Commission in introducing people to Jesus Christ, and then helping them deepen their faith by continuing education.
Dioceses which show more than 10% growth over the four-year period are:
Dioceses which show growth by more than 1000 in average Sunday attendance are:
Dioceses which are on both lists are shown in red. The following table shows the 1993 and 1997 average Sunday attendance and the change in attendance, expressed in percent growth in attendance (first half of the table) and in growth in numbers attending (second half of the table).
Note that an increase in attendance can be achieved by (a) getting present members to attend more often, and/or (b) increasing the number of members. For a discussion of differences in strategy for achieving the two effects, as well as many other good ideas which have been proven in practice, see Lyle Schaller's book 44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance (Abingdon Press), available from amazon.com for $14.00 plus postage. To find it, do a search on the amazon.com website for books by Schaller. Although there are many, and some of the titles sound a bit "cook-book-y," Schaller has a good understanding of the growth dynamics of congregations of mainline Protestantism . (For those who object to calling the Episcopal Church "Protestant," please consider that this objection shouldn't keep you from learning a lot about parish leadership and management by reading Schaller's books.) (The books are also available through barnesandnoble.com, etc. -- we don't have a deal with any bookseller.)
In order by Growth in % |
1997/93 | 1997-93 | ||
| Diocese | 1993 | 1997 | % Change | # Change |
| Southern Ohio | 8,997 | 11,616 | 29.11% | 2,619 |
| Western North Carolina | 5,436 | 6,904 | 27.01% | 1,468 |
| Nevada | 1,877 | 2,312 | 23.18% | 435 |
| Easton | 3,452 | 4,219 | 22.22% | 767 |
| Alabama | 9,796 | 11,614 | 18.56% | 1,818 |
| Idaho | 1,828 | 2,129 | 16.47% | 301 |
| Texas | 25,705 | 29,910 | 16.36% | 4,205 |
| Utah | 1,658 | 1,918 | 15.68% | 260 |
| Atlanta | 15,532 | 17,405 | 12.06% | 1,873 |
| Upper South Carolina | 8,452 | 9,278 | 9.77% | 826 |
| Central Florida | 15,444 | 16,925 | 9.59% | 1,481 |
| El Camino Real | 5,669 | 6,189 | 9.17% | 520 |
| Central Gulf Coast | 7,712 | 8,370 | 8.53% | 658 |
| Arizona | 10,139 | 10,983 | 8.32% | 844 |
| Western Michigan | 4,922 | 5,326 | 8.21% | 404 |
| Colorado | 12,896 | 13,954 | 8.20% | 1,058 |
| South Carolina | 10,803 | 11,688 | 8.19% | 885 |
| Central Pennsylvania | 5,969 | 6,419 | 7.54% | 450 |
| North Carolina | 14,614 | 15,713 | 7.52% | 1,099 |
| Lexington | 3,551 | 3,818 | 7.52% | 267 |
| California | 10,230 | 10,997 | 7.50% | 767 |
| Northern California | 7,303 | 7,829 | 7.20% | 526 |
| Southwest Florida | 16,535 | 17,632 | 6.63% | 1,097 |
| Olympia | 11,806 | 12,588 | 6.62% | 782 |
| Southwestern Virginia | 4,918 | 5,229 | 6.32% | 311 |
| East Carolina | 6,775 | 7,185 | 6.05% | 410 |
| San Diego | 7,541 | 7,966 | 5.64% | 425 |
| West Missouri | 4,970 | 5,246 | 5.55% | 276 |
| West Texas | 10,371 | 10,939 | 5.48% | 568 |
| Kentucky | 3,750 | 3,955 | 5.47% | 205 |
| Oklahoma | 6,901 | 7,277 | 5.45% | 376 |
| New York | 21,042 | 21,991 | 4.51% | 949 |
| Florida | 11,450 | 11,898 | 3.91% | 448 |
| Oregon | 7,337 | 7,593 | 3.49% | 256 |
| Minnesota | 9,162 | 9,470 | 3.36% | 308 |
| Western Louisiana | 4,617 | 4,764 | 3.18% | 147 |
| Connecticut | 22,647 | 23,343 | 3.07% | 696 |
| Georgia | 6,999 | 7,208 | 2.99% | 209 |
| Newark | 11,388 | 11,696 | 2.70% | 308 |
| Delaware | 4,162 | 4,270 | 2.59% | 108 |
| Los Angeles | 22,689 | 23,215 | 2.32% | 526 |
| Fort Worth | 6,997 | 7,152 | 2.22% | 155 |
| Kansas | 5,621 | 5,736 | 2.05% | 115 |
| Long Island | 19,817 | 20,217 | 2.02% | 400 |
| Southeast Florida | 14,750 | 15,034 | 1.93% | 284 |
| Maryland | 14,255 | 14,528 | 1.92% | 273 |
| Dallas | 12,368 | 12,578 | 1.70% | 210 |
| Northern Indiana | 3,163 | 3,215 | 1.64% | 52 |
| Rhode Island | 8,021 | 8,151 | 1.62% | 130 |
| Virginia | 29,178 | 29,553 | 1.29% | 375 |
| Massachusetts | 23,305 | 23,463 | 0.68% | 158 |
| Fond Du Lac | 2,598 | 2,614 | 0.62% | 16 |
| Eau Claire | 1,113 | 1,115 | 0.18% | 2 |
| Western Massachusetts | 7,510 | 7,522 | 0.16% | 12 |
| Springfield | 2,970 | 2,972 | 0.07% | 2 |
| San Joaquin | 4,427 | 4,426 | -0.02% | (1) |
| New Hampshire | 5,018 | 5,016 | -0.04% | (2) |
| Mississippi | 8,135 | 8,105 | -0.37% | (30) |
| Albany | 7,915 | 7,867 | -0.61% | (48) |
| Indianapolis | 5,177 | 5,112 | -1.26% | (65) |
| East Tennessee | 6,253 | 6,174 | -1.26% | (79) |
| Northern Michigan | 964 | 951 | -1.35% | (13) |
| Missouri | 5,232 | 5,151 | -1.55% | (81) |
| Rio Grande | 5,595 | 5,501 | -1.68% | (94) |
| Louisiana | 6,288 | 6,181 | -1.70% | (107) |
| Iowa | 4,399 | 4,316 | -1.89% | (83) |
| Arkansas | 5,433 | 5,321 | -2.06% | (112) |
| Bethlehem | 5,054 | 4,948 | -2.10% | (106) |
| Nebraska | 4,026 | 3,937 | -2.21% | (89) |
| Pennsylvania | 19,876 | 19,390 | -2.45% | (486) |
| Spokane | 3,288 | 3,203 | -2.59% | (85) |
| New Jersey | 18,739 | 18,198 | -2.89% | (541) |
| Ohio | 11,921 | 11,551 | -3.10% | (370) |
| Southern Virginia | 13,442 | 12,987 | -3.38% | (455) |
| Central New York | 8,089 | 7,805 | -3.51% | (284) |
| West Virginia | 4,506 | 4,343 | -3.62% | (163) |
| Western New York | 6,785 | 6,535 | -3.68% | (250) |
| Rochester | 5,199 | 4,976 | -4.29% | (223) |
| Wyoming | 2,888 | 2,762 | -4.36% | (126) |
| Montana | 2,334 | 2,229 | -4.50% | (105) |
| Tennessee | 4,829 | 4,587 | -5.01% | (242) |
| Northwest Texas | 3,396 | 3,225 | -5.04% | (171) |
| Eastern Oregon | 1,107 | 1,051 | -5.06% | (56) |
| Maine | 5,678 | 5,382 | -5.21% | (296) |
| West Tennessee | 4,410 | 4,177 | -5.28% | (233) |
| Chicago | 16,454 | 15,551 | -5.49% | (903) |
| Washington | 17,935 | 16,811 | -6.27% | (1,124) |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania | 2,582 | 2,394 | -7.28% | (188) |
| Alaska | 1,941 | 1,774 | -8.60% | (167) |
| Milwaukee | 6,119 | 5,544 | -9.40% | (575) |
| Hawaii | 3,960 | 3,555 | -10.23% | (405) |
| Pittsburgh | 8,808 | 7,696 | -12.62% | (1,112) |
| Western Kansas | 1,188 | 1,038 | -12.63% | (150) |
| South Dakota | 3,132 | 2,716 | -13.28% | (416) |
| Quincy | 1,582 | 1,357 | -14.22% | (225) |
| Vermont | 3,879 | 3,310 | -14.67% | (569) |
| North Dakota | 943 | 786 | -16.65% | (157) |
| Navaho Missions | 339 | 271 | -20.06% | (68) |
| Michigan* | 14,666 | 10,427 | -28.90% | (4,239) |
| Eastern Michigan* | * | 3,965 | N/A | N/A |
| Total | 812,642 | 835,433 | 2.80% | 18,826 |
In order by Growth in Numbers |
1997/93 | 1997-93 | ||
| Diocese | 1993 | 1997 | % Change | # Change |
| Texas | 25,705 | 29,910 | 16.36% | 4,205 |
| Southern Ohio | 8,997 | 11,616 | 29.11% | 2,619 |
| Atlanta | 15,532 | 17,405 | 12.06% | 1,873 |
| Alabama | 9,796 | 11,614 | 18.56% | 1,818 |
| Central Florida | 15,444 | 16,925 | 9.59% | 1,481 |
| Western North Carolina | 5,436 | 6,904 | 27.01% | 1,468 |
| North Carolina | 14,614 | 15,713 | 7.52% | 1,099 |
| Southwest Florida | 16,535 | 17,632 | 6.63% | 1,097 |
| Colorado | 12,896 | 13,954 | 8.20% | 1,058 |
| New York | 21,042 | 21,991 | 4.51% | 949 |
| South Carolina | 10,803 | 11,688 | 8.19% | 885 |
| Arizona | 10,139 | 10,983 | 8.32% | 844 |
| Upper South Carolina | 8,452 | 9,278 | 9.77% | 826 |
| Olympia | 11,806 | 12,588 | 6.62% | 782 |
| Easton | 3,452 | 4,219 | 22.22% | 767 |
| California | 10,230 | 10,997 | 7.50% | 767 |
| Connecticut | 22,647 | 23,343 | 3.07% | 696 |
| Central Gulf Coast | 7,712 | 8,370 | 8.53% | 658 |
| West Texas | 10,371 | 10,939 | 5.48% | 568 |
| Northern California | 7,303 | 7,829 | 7.20% | 526 |
| Los Angeles | 22,689 | 23,215 | 2.32% | 526 |
| El Camino Real | 5,669 | 6,189 | 9.17% | 520 |
| Central Pennsylvania | 5,969 | 6,419 | 7.54% | 450 |
| Florida | 11,450 | 11,898 | 3.91% | 448 |
| Nevada | 1,877 | 2,312 | 23.18% | 435 |
| San Diego | 7,541 | 7,966 | 5.64% | 425 |
| East Carolina | 6,775 | 7,185 | 6.05% | 410 |
| Western Michigan | 4,922 | 5,326 | 8.21% | 404 |
| Long Island | 19,817 | 20,217 | 2.02% | 400 |
| Oklahoma | 6,901 | 7,277 | 5.45% | 376 |
| Virginia | 29,178 | 29,553 | 1.29% | 375 |
| Southwestern Virginia | 4,918 | 5,229 | 6.32% | 311 |
| Minnesota | 9,162 | 9,470 | 3.36% | 308 |
| Newark | 11,388 | 11,696 | 2.70% | 308 |
| Idaho | 1,828 | 2,129 | 16.47% | 301 |
| Southeast Florida | 14,750 | 15,034 | 1.93% | 284 |
| West Missouri | 4,970 | 5,246 | 5.55% | 276 |
| Maryland | 14,255 | 14,528 | 1.92% | 273 |
| Lexington | 3,551 | 3,818 | 7.52% | 267 |
| Utah | 1,658 | 1,918 | 15.68% | 260 |
| Oregon | 7,337 | 7,593 | 3.49% | 256 |
| Dallas | 12,368 | 12,578 | 1.70% | 210 |
| Georgia | 6,999 | 7,208 | 2.99% | 209 |
| Kentucky | 3,750 | 3,955 | 5.47% | 205 |
| Massachusetts | 23,305 | 23,463 | 0.68% | 158 |
| Fort Worth | 6,997 | 7,152 | 2.22% | 155 |
| Western Louisiana | 4,617 | 4,764 | 3.18% | 147 |
| Rhode Island | 8,021 | 8,151 | 1.62% | 130 |
| Kansas | 5,621 | 5,736 | 2.05% | 115 |
| Delaware | 4,162 | 4,270 | 2.59% | 108 |
| Northern Indiana | 3,163 | 3,215 | 1.64% | 52 |
| Fond Du Lac | 2,598 | 2,614 | 0.62% | 16 |
| Western Massachusetts | 7,510 | 7,522 | 0.16% | 12 |
| Eau Claire | 1,113 | 1,115 | 0.18% | 2 |
| Springfield | 2,970 | 2,972 | 0.07% | 2 |
| San Joaquin | 4,427 | 4,426 | -0.02% | (1) |
| New Hampshire | 5,018 | 5,016 | -0.04% | (2) |
| Northern Michigan | 964 | 951 | -1.35% | (13) |
| Mississippi | 8,135 | 8,105 | -0.37% | (30) |
| Albany | 7,915 | 7,867 | -0.61% | (48) |
| Eastern Oregon | 1,107 | 1,051 | -5.06% | (56) |
| Indianapolis | 5,177 | 5,112 | -1.26% | (65) |
| Navaho Missions | 339 | 271 | -20.06% | (68) |
| East Tennessee | 6,253 | 6,174 | -1.26% | (79) |
| Missouri | 5,232 | 5,151 | -1.55% | (81) |
| Iowa |