Denominational Profile

History

Methodist Church (1939-1968)
Evangelical United Brethren

merged intoUnited Methodist Church (1968)

The United Methodist Church, the third-largest church in America, continues the Methodist movement founded in the 18th century in England by John Wesley. In 1968, a long process of consolidation of various Methodist churches in the United States culminated in the formation of the United Methodist Church by the merger of the Methodist Church (1939-1968) and the United Evangelical Brethren.

Membership Data

Year	Clergy	Churches	Members
1967	-	41,993	11,026,976
1968	33,236	41,901	10,990,720
1969	34,651	40,989	10,824,010
1970	34,561	40,653	10,671,774
1971	34,822	40,054	10,509,198
1972	34,974	39,626	10,334,521
1973	34,885	39,395	10,192,265
1974	35,106	39,195	10,063,046
1975	35,245	39,027	9,957,710
1976	35,488	38,795	9,861,028
1977	35,779	38,744	9,785,534
1978	35,939	36,682	9,731,779
1979	36,066	38,576	9,653,711
1980	36,502	38,417	9,519,407
1981	36,676	38,298	9,457,012
1982	36,882	38,181	9,405,164
1983	37,228	38,055	9,291,936
1984	37,483	37,990	9,266,853
1985	37,808	37,876	9,192,172
1986	37,999	37,750	9,124,575
1987	-	37,641	9,055,145
1988	-	37,514	8,979,139
1989	-	37,407	8,904,824
1991	38,492	37,100	8,789,101
1993	38,479	36,771	8,646,595
1994	38,481	36,559	8,584,125
1995	39,061	36,361	8,538,662
1996	-	36,170	8,496,047
1998	-	36,170	8,400,000
1999	43,872	35,609	8,377,662
2000	44,118	35,469	8,340,954
2001	44,539	35,275	8,298,145
2002	44,987	35,102	8,251,175
2003	45,176	34,892	8,186,254
2004	45,149	34,660	8,075,010
2005	45,158	34,397	7,995,456
2006	45,220	34,398	7,931,733
2007	45,186	34,136	7,853,987
2009	45,216	33,855	7,774,931

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]