Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (1954 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: MethodistReligious Tradition: Black Protestant
Description: The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was originally founded in 1870 by black former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Its prior name was the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (which was also formerly the Colored Methodist Church). In 1954, the church took on its present name.
Official Site: https://www.thecmechurch.org/
Interactive Timeline: Methodist Family Interactive Timeline
Connections: Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: Christian Methodist Episcopal Church1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Christian Methodist Episcopal Church States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 191 | 24,026 | 8.11 |
| 2 | Alabama | 176 | 24,647 | 4.91 |
| 3 | District Of Columbia | 5 | 2,370 | 3.44 |
| 4 | Georgia | 250 | 32,630 | 3.05 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 77 | 8,499 | 2.82 |
Top 5 Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baker County, GA | 5 | 380 | 132.13 |
| 2 | Marshall County, MS | 29 | 3,954 | 117.15 |
| 3 | Taliaferro County, GA | 2 | 152 | 97.50 |
| 4 | Pickens County, AL | 12 | 1,826 | 95.49 |
| 5 | Claiborne Parish, LA | 14 | 1,232 | 86.94 |
Top 5 Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsville, TN Micro Area | 8 | 1,416 | 79.27 |
| 2 | Hope, AR Micro Area | 15 | 1,572 | 55.40 |
| 3 | Greenwood, MS Micro Area | 11 | 1,386 | 36.15 |
| 4 | Magnolia, AR Micro Area | 6 | 820 | 35.96 |
| 5 | Thomasville, GA Micro Area | 7 | 1,272 | 27.77 |
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Members (1961 - 2006)2
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Ministers & Churches (1961 - 2006)2
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Trends (1961 - 2006)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 444,493 | 1,914 | 2,523 |
| 1965 | 466,718 | 2,259 | 2,598 |
| 1981 | 786,707 | 2,877 | 2,883 |
| 1983 | 718,922 | 2,650 | 2,340 |
| 1999 | 784,114 | 2,378 | 3,069 |
| 2001 | 850,000 | 3,375 | 3,250 |
| 2002 | 850,000 | 3,407 | 3,300 |
| 2005 | 850,000 | 3,424 | 3,320 |
| 2006 | 850,000 | 3,548 | 3,500 |
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.
