Church revenues sank by more than $1 billion, or 3.5 percent, in 2010, according to a new report that also shows churches overall dropped slightly in membership, with mixed trends among individual denominations.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention — the two largest denominations in Kentucky and the nation — saw membership stagnate, according to the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 2012.

The Assemblies of God posted growth, as did other churches often on the margins of Protestant life — Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Perhaps not coincidentally, all have significant portions of the growing Hispanic population.

Historic Protestant groups, some but not all liberal, are in chronic decline.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is down 6 percent; the Episcopal Church and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are down 3 percent. All have been losing members for decades, and adding to that trend are entire congregations that have split in recent years, citing liberal trends on theology and sexuality.

The more moderate United Methodist Church and the conservative Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are each down 1 percent.

What these Protestant groups have in common is a largely white, non-Hispanic membership — an aging demographic with relatively low birth rates — and often a difficulty in retaining the children they do have.

Several large historically black denominations do not regularly update their membership totals, but one that did — the National Baptist Convention USA — reported a 4 percent rise between 2004 and 2010.

The financial figures are based on a survey of 63 church bodies.
Additional Facts – Largest U.S. Churches
Denomination, Members (in millions), increase/decrease
• Roman Catholic, 68.2, -0.4 percent
• Southern Baptist, 16.1, -0.2 percent
• United Methodist, 7.7, -1.2 percent
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6.2, +1.6 percent
• Church of God in Christ, 5.5, no update*
• National Baptist Convention U.S.A., 5.2, +4 percent**
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4.3, -5.9 percent
• National Baptist Convention of America, 3.5, no update*
• Assemblies of God, 3, +4 percent
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 2.7, -3.4 percent

* Has not updated figures in recent years.
** Increase since last report in 2004