ELCA GIFTS UP, MEMBERSHIP DOWN
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) experienced a 6.6% increase in churchwide income from 1998 to 1999. But during the same period there was a decline of 18,557 in baptized membership. Confirmed membership was down by 14,908. ELCA Secretary Lowell Almen attributed the losses to “roll-cleaning” (removing names of members no longer active in congregations).
The complete story appears in the September print edition of Metro Lutheran.
