Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) (1926 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: Independent FundamentalistReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Christian or Open Brethren is one branch of the movement (popularly called the Plymouth Brethren) begun in England in the 1820s, largely influenced by John Nelson Darby. It has been more open to cooperation with believers in non-Brethren organizations. They do not have central governance and have historically preferred to avoid denominational titles. They were recognized in the United States in the 1926.
Official Site: https://www.plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch.org/
Maps: Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren)1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (1990)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) States (1990)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 37 | 2,968 | 1.07 |
| 2 | Alaska | 6 | 434 | 0.79 |
| 3 | Colorado | 20 | 2,463 | 0.75 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 32 | 4,877 | 0.74 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 15 | 2,178 | 0.66 |
Top 5 Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) Counties (1990)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garfield County, MT | 1 | 50 | 31.47 |
| 2 | Lake of the Woods County, MN | 1 | 110 | 26.99 |
| 3 | Cass County, IA | 3 | 383 | 25.32 |
| 4 | Arenac County, MI | 1 | 300 | 20.09 |
| 5 | Alamosa County, CO | 1 | 200 | 14.69 |
Top 5 Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) Metro Areas (1990)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California-Lexington Park, MD Metro Area | 1 | 450 | 5.92 |
| 2 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL Metro Area | 3 | 480 | 5.79 |
| 3 | Sanford, NC Micro Area | 1 | 200 | 4.83 |
| 4 | Burlington, NC Metro Area | 3 | 412 | 3.81 |
| 5 | Oskaloosa, IA Micro Area | 1 | 80 | 3.72 |
Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren), Members (1935 - 2006)2
Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren), Ministers & Churches (1935 - 2006)2
Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren), Trends (1935 - 2006)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 22,961 | 633 | |
| 1936 | 25,806 | 664 | |
| 1944 | 25,000 | ||
| 1960 | 33,250 | 0 | 665 |
| 1971 | 37,500 | 0 | 740 |
| 1973 | 40,000 | 643 | 690 |
| 1975 | 70,000 | 340 | 750 |
| 1976 | 74,000 | 374 | 745 |
| 1978 | 74,000 | 380 | 800 |
| 1980 | 98,000 | 400 | 1,100 |
| 1982 | 98,000 | 500 | 1,100 |
| 1983 | 98,000 | 500 | 1,100 |
| 1984 | 98,000 | 500 | 1,150 |
| 1994 | 98,000 | 1,150 | |
| 1997 | 100,000 | 500 | 1,150 |
| 2000 | 95,000 | 530 | 1,125 |
| 2002 | 85,050 | 530 | 1,165 |
| 2003 | 86,000 | 600 | 1,150 |
| 2005 | 86,000 | 600 | 1,150 |
| 2006 | 86,000 | 600 | 1,145 |
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.
