Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
The Evangelical Congregational Church
The Evangelical Congregational Church
Evangelical Congregational Church Center
100 W. Park Ave.
Myerstown, PA 17067
United States
Attesting Officer
Media Contact
40.3717877, -76.3059072
This denomination had its beginning in the movement known as the Evangelical Association, organized by Jacob Albright in 1796. A division which occurred in 1891 in the Evangelical Association resulted in the organization of the United Evangelical Church in 1894. An attempt to heal this division was made in 1922, but a portion of the United Evangelical Church was not satisfied with the plan of merger and remained apart, taking the above name in 1928. This denomination is Wesleyan-Arminian in doctrine, evangelistic in spirit and Methodist in church government, with congregational ownership of local church property.
Congregations are located from New Jersey to Illinois. A denominational center, one retirement village and a seminary are located in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. Three summer youth camps and three camp meetings continue evangelistic outreach. A worldwide missions movement includes conferences in North East India, Liberia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Japan. The denomination is a member of National Association of Evangelicals.
Membership
| Full Communicants | Average Attendance | Other Members | Total Inclusive Members | Total Churches | Membership Calculation Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 28,840 |
28,840 |
161 |
|||||
| 1976 | 28,886 |
28,886 |
161 |
|||||
| 1975 | 29,636 |
29,636 |
161 |
|||||
| 1974 | 29,331 |
29,331 |
160 |
|||||
| 1973 | 29,434 |
29,434 |
160 |
|||||
| 1972 | 29,682 |
29,682 |
160 |
|||||
| 1971 | 29,652 |
29,652 |
161 |
|||||
| 1969 | 29,582 |
29,582 |
160 |
|||||
| 1968 | 29,239 |
29,239 |
159 |
|||||
| 1967 | 29,458 |
29,458 |
161 |
|||||
| 1966 | 29,744 |
29,744 |
163 |
|||||
| 1965 | 29,968 |
163 |
||||||
| 1964 | 30,117 |
164 |
||||||
| 1963 | 30,172 |
165 |
||||||
| 1962 | 30,056 |
164 |
||||||
| 1961 | 29,968 |
164 |
||||||
| 1960 | 29,938 |
164 |
||||||
| 1959 | 29,676 |
163 |
||||||
| 1958 | 29,380 |
165 |
||||||
| 1957 | 29,199 |
169 |
||||||
| 1956 | 28,994 |
167 |
||||||
| 1955 | 28,546 |
167 |
||||||
| 1954 | 28,455 |
168 |
||||||
| 1953 | 28,450 |
166 |
||||||
| 1952 | 28,157 |
162 |
Clergy
| Serving Churches | Retired | Other Service to the Church | Total Clergy | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 134 |
187 |
||||
| 1976 | 132 |
184 |
||||
| 1975 | 129 |
177 |
||||
| 1974 | 105 |
162 |
||||
| 1973 | 126 |
187 |
||||
| 1972 | 124 |
173 |
||||
| 1971 | 142 |
187 |
||||
| 1969 | 103 |
142 |
||||
| 1968 | 109 |
147 |
||||
| 1967 | 113 |
154 |
||||
| 1966 | 136 |
156 |
||||
| 1965 | 151 |
151 |
||||
| 1964 | 154 |
150 |
||||
| 1963 | 160 |
166 |
||||
| 1962 | 164 |
153 |
||||
| 1961 | 155 |
166 |
||||
| 1960 | 166 |
140 |
||||
| 1959 | 152 |
137 |
||||
| 1958 | 152 |
140 |
||||
| 1957 | 136 |
145 |
||||
| 1956 | 138 |
126 |
||||
| 1955 | 161 |
129 |
||||
| 1954 | 161 |
168 |
||||
| 1953 | 130 |
149 |
||||
| 1952 | 126 |
147 |
Education
| Total Schools | Staff | Pupils | Total Individuals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 159 |
28,311 |
||||
| 1971 | 160 |
27,394 |
||||
| 1969 | 160 |
29,784 |
||||
| 1968 | 159 |
30,112 |
||||
| 1967 | 161 |
27,552 |
||||
| 1966 | 163 |
31,733 |
||||
| 1965 | 145 |
3,942 |
28,585 |
32,527 |
||
| 1964 | 164 |
3,934 |
29,182 |
33,116 |
||
| 1963 | 164 |
3,944 |
29,878 |
33,822 |
||
| 1962 | 164 |
3,954 |
30,669 |
34,623 |
||
| 1961 | 166 |
3,851 |
30,730 |
34,581 |
||
| 1960 | 165 |
3,880 |
30,716 |
34,596 |
||
| 1959 | 163 |
3,884 |
31,656 |
35,540 |
||
| 1958 | 166 |
3,780 |
31,639 |
35,419 |
||
| 1957 | 168 |
3,757 |
31,463 |
35,220 |
||
| 1956 | 167 |
3,728 |
31,131 |
34,859 |
||
| 1955 | 165 |
3,610 |
30,900 |
34,510 |
||
| 1954 | 166 |
3,515 |
30,996 |
34,511 |
||
| 1953 | 164 |
3,505 |
27,122 |
30,627 |
||
| 1952 | 163 |
3,462 |
30,689 |
34,151 |
||
| 1951 | 163 |
3,385 |
30,490 |
33,875 |
||
| 1950 | 163 |
3,407 |
30,411 |
33,818 |
Finance
| Total Benevolences | Total Financials | Total Giving | Local Expenses | Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | $1,068,134 |
$5,571,238 |
$4,503,104 |
||||
| 1975 | $1,009,726 |
$5,192,374 |
$4,182,648 |
||||
| 1974 | $896,828 |
$4,825,609 |
$3,928,781 |
||||
| 1973 | $798,968 |
$4,268,858 |
$3,469,890 |
||||
| 1972 | $742,292 |
$4,305,804 |
$3,563,512 |
||||
| 1971 | $646,187 |
$3,648,054 |
$3,001,867 |
||||
| 1969 | $627,732 |
$3,288,406 |
$2,660,674 |
||||
| 1968 | $610,056 |
$3,074,816 |
$2,464,760 |
||||
| 1967 | $610,056 |
$3,074,816 |
$2,464,760 |
||||
| 1966 | $18 |
$96 |
$77 |
||||
| 1965 | $2,688,057 |
||||||
| 1964 | $2,688,056 |
||||||
| 1963 | $2,558,630 |
||||||
| 1962 | $2,729,888 |
||||||
| 1961 | $2,717,623 |
||||||
| 1960 | $2,270,787 |
||||||
| 1959 | $2,527,543 |
||||||
| 1958 | $2,472,097 |
||||||
| 1957 | $1,913,591 |
||||||
| 1953 | $427,646 |
$1,747,897 |
$1,320,251 |
||||
| 1952 | $427,646 |
$1,747,897 |
$1,320,251 |
||||
| 1951 | $207,610 |
$1,313,622 |
$1,106,012 |
||||
| 1950 | $1,221,622 |