Churches of Christ (1906 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: RestorationistsReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Churches of Christ (Non-instrumental) is one of the several branches of the Restoration movement begun in the early 19th century by Barton Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell, recognized in the 1906 Religious Census as distinct from the Christian Church. Originating primarily among those Restorationist congregations in the South, it has become a national movement. It has been most identified for its disavowal of the use of instrumental music in worship and ultra-congregational organization. Over the years, the decentralized polity has allowed for a number of factions to develop over various beliefs and practices not accepted by the majority of churches. The Churches of Christ (Non-instrumental) represent the largest faction of the movement.
Official Site: Not available
Connections: Churches of Christ
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: Churches of Christ1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Churches of Christ States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 1404 | 197,908 | 28.64 |
| 2 | Arkansas | 693 | 79,894 | 26.53 |
| 3 | Alabama | 839 | 105,147 | 20.93 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 557 | 69,894 | 17.65 |
| 5 | Mississippi | 359 | 38,913 | 13.14 |
Top 5 Churches of Christ Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clay County, TN | 27 | 1,859 | 245.22 |
| 2 | Jackson County, TN | 31 | 2,111 | 181.72 |
| 3 | Monroe County, KY | 28 | 1,937 | 170.84 |
| 4 | Hickman County, TN | 35 | 3,255 | 130.59 |
| 5 | Cannon County, TN | 23 | 1,884 | 129.88 |
Top 5 Churches of Christ Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McMinnville, TN Micro Area | 44 | 5,136 | 125.41 |
| 2 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Metro Area | 95 | 16,484 | 109.32 |
| 3 | Searcy, AR Micro Area | 36 | 7,859 | 102.30 |
| 4 | Lewisburg, TN Micro Area | 25 | 3,058 | 89.11 |
| 5 | Lawrenceburg, TN Micro Area | 33 | 3,465 | 78.47 |
Churches of Christ, Members (1929 - 2006)2
Churches of Christ, Ministers & Churches (1929 - 2006)2
Churches of Christ, Trends (1929 - 2006)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 433,714 | 2,507 | 6,226 |
| 1931 | 433,714 | ||
| 1933 | 433,714 | ||
| 1935 | 433,714 | 2,507 | 6,226 |
| 1936 | 309,551 | 3,815 | |
| 1937 | 6,226 | ||
| 1946 | 309,551 | ||
| 1947 | 682,172 | 10,000 | |
| 1950 | 7,000 | ||
| 1951 | 1,000,000 | 14,500 | |
| 1952 | 1,500,000 | 15,500 | 16,000 |
| 1953 | 1,500,000 | 15,000 | |
| 1954 | 1,600,000 | 16,500 | |
| 1955 | 1,600,000 | 15,500 | 16,500 |
| 1956 | 1,700,000 | 8,500 | 16,250 |
| 1957 | 1,750,000 | 16,500 | |
| 1958 | 2,000,000 | 12,500 | 17,500 |
| 1959 | 2,007,650 | 17,850 | |
| 1960 | 2,163,493 | 8,366 | 18,680 |
| 1961 | 2,250,000 | 10,000 | 18,500 |
| 1965 | 2,350,000 | 7,000 | 18,500 |
| 1968 | 2,400,000 | 6,200 | 18,000 |
| 1976 | 2,500,000 | 12,800 | 17,000 |
| 1978 | 3,000,000 | 16,200 | 17,550 |
| 1979 | 1,600,000 | 12,700 | |
| 1980 | 1,600,222 | 12,271 | |
| 1982 | 1,605,000 | 12,750 | |
| 1983 | 1,600,000 | 13,056 | |
| 1984 | 1,600,500 | 13,100 | |
| 1985 | 1,604,000 | 13,150 | |
| 1987 | 1,623,754 | 13,364 | |
| 1989 | 1,626,000 | 13,375 | |
| 1990 | 1,683,346 | 13,134 | |
| 1992 | 1,684,872 | 13,174 | |
| 1993 | 1,651,103 | 10,000 | 13,013 |
| 1994 | 1,651,103 | 10,000 | 13,013 |
| 1995 | 1,655,000 | 10,000 | 13,020 |
| 1996 | 2,250,000 | 13,000 | 14,000 |
| 1997 | 1,800,000 | 15,850 | 14,400 |
| 1999 | 1,500,000 | 16,350 | 15,000 |
| 2005 | 1,639,495 | 16,350 | 15,000 |
| 2006 | 1,639,495 | 13,000 | |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.