Denominational Profile

History

Methodist Episcopal Church	split into African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (1796)	continuedAfrican Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
		split into Free Christian Zion Church of Christ (1905)

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was founded in 1796 by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Year	Clergy	Churches	Members
1925	3,460	3,442	490,000
1929	3,460	3,442	500,000
1931	-	-	435,500
1933	-	3,960	590,625
1935	4,803	4,205	597,785
1936	-	2,252	414,244
1937	-	4,205	-
1944	-	2,252	489,244
1946	-	-	489,244
1947	-	3,054	520,175
1950	3,085	3,060	530,116
1951	3,625	3,090	728,150
1952	2,500	3,160	760,158
1955	2,370	3,080	760,000
1956	2,800	3,083	761,000
1959	2,480	4,083	770,000
1965	2,983	4,583	1,100,000
1968	4,800	4,500	870,421
1970	5,500	4,500	940,000
1973	6,873	5,994	1,024,974
1977	6,820	6,018	1,083,391
1978	6,689	6,020	1,093,001
1979	6,716	6,020	1,125,176
1980	6,766	6,020	1,134,176
1982	6,269	6,023	1,134,179
1984	6,275	6,057	1,202,229
1986	6,396	6,057	1,195,173
1987	6,696	6,060	1,220,260
1991	2,686	3,000	1,200,000
1994	2,767	3,098	1,230,842
1996	2,767	3,098	1,230,842
1997	2,767	3,098	1,252,369
1998	2,767	3,098	1,252,369
1999	3,002	3,125	1,276,662
2000	3,537	3,218	1,296,662
2001	3,785	3,226	1,447,934
2002	3,731	3,226	1,430,795
2003	3,827	3,236	1,432,795
2005	4,063	3,260	1,440,405
2006	4,277	3,310	1,443,405
2007	4,402	337	1,400,000
2008	4,537	3,393	1,400,000

Data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. Denomination descriptions provided by Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR). [More information on data sources]