Statistician report:
Professions of faith drop 5.7 percent in Holston
By Annette Bender
The year after Americans sought out and filled church sanctuaries to mourn the Sept. 11 tragedies, Holston Conference experienced minor declines in membership and worship attendance.
In 2002, total conference member- ship fell .8 percent, or 425 members, to 168,970, according to the conference statistician report. Average worship attendance was down .7 percent, or 504 members, to 75,644.
Members received on profession of faith also declined, according to Clyde McDonald, conference treasurer.
"Some 2,825 souls were received into the Body of Christ by confessing their faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ," McDonald states in the forthcoming 2003 Journal of the Holston Annual Conference.
"However, this is down by 5.7 percent from the previous year."
Meanwhile, many local churches reported dramatic membership increases. Christ United Methodist Church, in Chattanooga District, recorded the largest net gain of members, upping its numbers by 285 for a total 2,705. In second place was Cokesbury UMC, Knoxville District, gaining 146 members for a total 2,801.
Among churches recording the largest percentage gains, Tazewell District's First Honaker UMC was in first place, growing 51 percent for a total 148 members. The congregations large shift was accomplished through the transfer of many mem- bers from Blackford UMC, which closed in 2002.
Pleasant Hill UMC of Pearisburg, also in Tazewell District, recorded the second largest percentage increase in 2002. The congregation grew 42.5 percent, gaining 17 new members for a total 57.
Among the top 50 churches experiencing the largest percentage increases, nearly all were smaller churches, with the exception of Chat- tanoogas Christ UMC. Led by the Rev. Dennis Newman, Christ UMC ranked 35th by growing nearly 12 percent in 2002.
In district comparisons, Knoxville District had the largest membership with 22,805. Big Stone Gap District had the smallest membership: 6,616. While Knoxville District gained the largest number of new members with 290, Johnson City District lost the most members: 354. Out of 12 districts, Johnson City was the seventh largest in 2002.
Other districts experiencing membership increases included Big Stone Gap (18), Chattanooga (78), Cleveland (23), and Maryville (57).
The report also showed that enrollees in confirmation classes increased 2.7 percent while average attendance in accountability groups increased 6.2 percent.
Other churches recording large net membership gains included Middlebrook Pike UMC, Knoxville District, with 70 new members for a total 1,363. First Farragut UMC, Oak Ridge District, received 69 new members for a total 932.
Edgewood UMC, Kingsport District, added 10 members, growing 40 percent for a total 35 members. Door of Heaven UMC, Holston's first chartered Hispanic congregation, received 10 new members, bringing the total to 38 for a 36 percent increase.
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