Methodist Family
The Methodist-Pietist family consists of churches that stress the importance of internal faith, spirituality, and Christian living over adherence to formal creeds and doctrine. The largest among these churches is the United Methodist Church, which follows the teachings of John Wesley, who in the 18th century broke away from the Church of England because of his emphasis on personal holiness. Other Methodist churches include the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
Maps: Methodist Family1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Methodist Family States (2020)1 [View all states]
| Rank | State | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | 379,473 | 74.10 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 217,275 | 73.40 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 754,666 | 72.30 |
| 4 | Alabama | 348,274 | 69.30 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 269,466 | 68.10 |
Top 5 Methodist Family Counties (2020)1 [View all counties]
| Rank | County | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hooker County, Nebraska | 274 | 385.40 |
| 2 | Cimarron County, Oklahoma | 820 | 357.10 |
| 3 | Lane County, Kansas | 530 | 336.70 |
| 4 | Cheyenne County, Kansas | 837 | 320.00 |
| 5 | Clark County, Kansas | 631 | 316.90 |
Top 5 Methodist Family Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro Area | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown, SC Micro Area | 13,153 | 207.40 |
| 2 | Orangeburg, SC Micro Area | 14,886 | 176.70 |
| 3 | Newberry, SC Micro Area | 6,362 | 168.70 |
| 4 | Brownsville, TN Micro Area | 3,014 | 168.70 |
| 5 | Woodward, OK Micro Area | 3,952 | 163.20 |
Methodist Family: Adherence Rates (1980 - 2020)1
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]
