Good News – by the Numbers
Good News – by the Numbers
We opened Annual Conference this year with our Conference Statistician (and Connectional Ministries Director) Lori Carden, giving us some dismal, rather frightening statistics. Then the next day Adam Hamilton opened his address by saying that if the general church continues on its present path of an aging and shrinking membership, the United Methodist Church will no longer be a viable entity in just five decades. Bad news indeed.
But now the good news: North Alabama has been engaged in a process of visible accountability for congregations and pastors (the Conference Dashboard), has instituted the evaluation process and renewal programs of Natural Church Development in all our congregations, and has cast a new spirit of setting goals for growth.
And here’s even better news: It’s working! In the last two years we have reversed the trend that has afflicted us for the last twenty years. We are showing measurable growth in our numbers for Professions of Faith and for Baptisms. This is because effective pastors and congregations throughout our Conference are making reaching a new generation of Christians into a top priority.
Here are the numbers that Lori has assembled:
| Year | Professions of Faith | Baptisms |
| 2009 | 2703 | 2549 |
| 2008 | 2945 | 2600 |
| 2007 | 2544 | 2485 |
| 2006 | 2621 | 2566 |
| 2005 | 2532 | 2413 |
| 2004 | 2480 | 2581 |
| 2003 | 2583 | 2569 |
| 2002 | 2485 | 2581 |
| 2001 | 2719 | 2750 |
| 2000 | 2773 | 2958 |
| Average | 2638.5 | 2605.2 |
The ten year average for Professions of Faith is 2638. We have surpassed the ten year average over the past two years. Among most Conferences, the goal is simply to slow the decline. North Alabama has dared to pray for more. And it is deeply gratifying to see visible evidence of the Holy Spirit moving among us. Behind every one of these numbers is a family reached, a person saved, a soul that is welcomed and included into the family of faith. And behind every number is a congregation and a pastor who is not threatened by our Wesleyan ethos of accountability and growth but is excited that we are focused on “the main thing” – salvation of the world in Jesus Christ.
“You only count what is important and whatever you count becomes important,” says one of our slogans. By counting every week the new life that God gives us, we are making that new life the engine that is driving our church life. Not content to care for the needs of who is already there, our churches are reaching out to those who are not.
It’s good news by the numbers which is Good News indeed.
William H. Willimon