Synodical Data preview
Two Decades of Change, 2024
LCMS synodical statistics workbook showing long-term congregational and statistical change.
These files are provided as source data for study and analysis. They are not convention resolutions or voting recommendations. Verify interpretation carefully and cite the original LCMS statistics files when using the data.
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Worksheets
Decades_Change32 rows, 11 columnsPreview
| Fields of Activity | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 | Column 5 | Column 6 | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 | Column 10 | Column 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TWO DECADES OF CHANGE | ||||||||||
| Fields of Activity | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 | ||||
| Number of Districts | 35 | 35 | 35 | Colleges and Seminaries: Number | 12 | 11 | 7 | |||
| Number of Circuits | 650 | 640 | 598 | Students enrolled | 18,721 | 37,022 | 24,254 | |||
| Number of countries served | 75 | 35 | 71 | Teaching staff | 1,536 | 3,555 | 2,063 | |||
| Pastors | Sunday Schools: Number | 5,330 | 4,581 | 4,034 | ||||||
| Total number on clergy roster | 8,936 | 9,471 | 9,006 | Pupils and adults enrolled | 451,414 | 307,026 | 212,483 | |||
| Pastors, missionaries, and teachers | 5,261 | 5,400 | 5,021 | Weekday Religion Schools: Number | 4,152 | 4,314 | 3,777 | |||
| Serving Synod, Districts, and others | 754 | 519 | 519 | Pupils and adults enrolled | 198,054 | 202,524 | 137,916 | |||
| Entered the ministry (graduates) | 191 | 156 | 155 | Children of non-members | 26,660 | 31,789 | 23,325 | |||
| Congregations | Vacation Bible Schools: Number | 3,985 | 3,124 | 2,078 | ||||||
| Number of stations | 6,151 | 6,105 | 5,794 | Sacred Acts*** | ||||||
| Average size in baptized members | 401 | 346 | 282 | Children baptized | 32,851 | 25,551 | 16,559 | |||
| Average size in confirmed members | 306 | 271 | 224 | Juniors confirmed | 25,325 | 18,585 | 13,376 | |||
| Membership | Adults confirmed or baptized | 19,153 | 14,856 | 10,363 | ||||||
| Baptized members | 2,463,747 | 2,097,258 | 1,635,076 | Total gains from outside | 38,513 | 29,986 | 20,915 | |||
| Change over previous decade | -5.39% | -14.88% | -22.04% | Contributions | ||||||
| Confirmed members | 1,880,213 | 1,641,679 | 1,295,632 | For work at home | $1,186,000,747 | $1,229,158,978 | $1,341,859,404 | |||
| Change over previous decade | -3.59% | -12.69% | -21.08% | Average per confirmed member | $630.78 | $748.72 | $1,035.68 | |||
| Christian Education | For work at large | $121,763,263 | $118,292,783 | $114,180,364 | ||||||
| Elementary Schools: Number* | 1,028 | 842 | 660 | Average per confirmed member | $64.76 | $72.06 | $88.13 | |||
| Pupils enrolled | 143,322 | 80,145 | **72,518 | Total for all purposes**** | $1,307,764,010 | $61,489,324 | $1,456,039,768 | |||
| Teachers—Men | N/A | N/A | N/A | Average per confirmed member | $695.54 | $37.46 | $1,123.81 | |||
| Teachers—Women | N/A | N/A | N/A | Remitted for Synod's budget | $20,881,843 | $15,157,377 | $13,012,818 | |||
| Community High Schools: Number | 101 | 85 | 114 | Average per confirmed member | $11.11 | $9.23 | $10.04 | |||
| Pupils enrolled | 19,638 | 14,872 | **16,790 | |||||||
| Teaching staff | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||
| *The number of elementary schools and enrollment exclude early childhood education. | ||||||||||
| **This data is reported from schools for the 2024-2025 statistical year and represents a 71% | ||||||||||
| response rate. It does not include unreported student data (29%). | ||||||||||
| ***Includes only figures from those congregations that reported current numbers for the given report year. | ||||||||||
| ****Total for all purposes were incorrect on this table for statistical years 2014-2017 and 2019. The Non-Budget total was used in error. For 2014, it read $61,489,324 and should have been $1,347,451,761; for 2015, it read $65,465,202 and should have been $1,413,399,155; for 2016, it read $65,580,170 and should have been $1,431,379,355; for 2017, it read $66,893,447 and should have been $1,464,444,400; for 2019, it read $58,958,446 and should have read $1,381,593,136. |
