Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (1968 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: Other GroupsReligious Tradition: Mainline Protestant
Description: The largest of the several churches serving the homosexual community is the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, founded in 1968 in Los Angeles by Pentecostal minister Troy Perry.
Official Site: https://mccchurch.org/
Maps: Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches States (2020)1 [View all States]
Top 5 Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax city, VA | 1 | 50 | 2.07 |
| 2 | Winchester city, VA | 1 | 45 | 1.60 |
| 3 | Richmond city, VA | 1 | 149 | 0.66 |
| 4 | St. Louis city, MO | 1 | 187 | 0.62 |
| 5 | Richmond County, GA | 1 | 128 | 0.62 |
Top 5 Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Key West, FL Micro Area | 1 | 49 | 0.59 |
| 2 | Wilmington, NC Metro Area | 1 | 130 | 0.45 |
| 3 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Metro Area | 2 | 310 | 0.37 |
| 4 | Lubbock, TX Metro Area | 1 | 104 | 0.32 |
| 5 | Winchester, VA-WV Metro Area | 1 | 45 | 0.32 |
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, Members (1975 - 2006)2
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, Ministers & Churches (1975 - 2006)2
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, Trends (1975 - 2006)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 17,729 | 107 | 80 |
| 1976 | 20,731 | 139 | 72 |
| 1977 | 23,012 | 153 | 92 |
| 1978 | 25,520 | 157 | 118 |
| 1980 | 28,700 | 166 | 148 |
| 1981 | 30,000 | 183 | 180 |
| 1983 | 32,000 | 207 | 185 |
| 1984 | 33,500 | 217 | 200 |
| 1985 | 34,000 | 266 | 230 |
| 1989 | 22,296 | 271 | 195 |
| 1990 | 25,076 | 304 | 195 |
| 1992 | 30,000 | 296 | 291 |
| 1996 | 46,000 | 285 | |
| 1998 | 44,000 | 372 | 300 |
| 2006 | 15,666 | 425 | 115 |
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.
