Church Growth, Attrition, and Retention Rates

[Ernie]

I've often heard it said that Old Orders have high retention rates.
85% is an average figure I often hear for Amish. Of the 15% that do not join the church, some will join other Plain Anabaptist churches.
I assume it is higher for some groups that have more isolation from the surrounding society.

I was surprised to learn that of those raised in Evangelical homes, about 75% have stayed Evangelical.
Catholics have a about a 57% retention rate.
Mainline Protestants have about a 50% retention rate.

I would like to know the retention rates of
Old Order Mennonites (Groffdale and similar conferences)

[Ernie]

I find it interesting that only 12% of Evangelicals become "none's" as compared with about 24% of Catholics and Mainline Protestants.
https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023 ... d-religion

I wonder what percentage of people raised Anabaptists, both Plain and not Plain, become nones. Anybody have an idea?

[Ernie]

Regarding Church Attendance

Roughly 61% of Evangelicals attend weekly.
About 35% of Mainline Protestants attend weekly.
And about 30% of Catholics.

I'm guessing that 99% of Old Orders and Conservative Anabaptists attend church weekly.

And from your observation what might the percentages be for:

-Theologically Conservative Anabaptists like Rosedale

-Anabaptist groups like Evana, LMC, MB, AMEC

-MCUSA

[Ernie]

Regarding Church Growth

The Evangelical movement is comprised of approximately
70% - From Childhood
18% - Other Christian traditions
9% - nones/unbelief
3% - other religions

For Mainline Protestants it looks like this
60% - From Childhood
30% - Other Christian traditions
7% - nones/unbelief
3% - other religions

For Catholics it looks like this
84% - From Childhood
10% - Other Christian traditions
3% - nones/unbelief
3% - other religions

What do the numbers look like for your constituency? (the churches and fellowships you share pulpits with)

[Anthony]

Theres a subtle nuance with amish retention vs any other group, and its that theres very little acceptable drift when it comes to defining amish. When it comes to self identifying as “evangelical” or “christian” or any other group, you can self identify without taking the identity very seriously. I live in a technically heavily lutheran and catholic area, but it certainly does not “feel” catholic or lutheran. If i drive into the heavily anabaptist areas i can certainly “feel” the anabaptism in the cars, houses, buggies, clothes, buildings, atmosphere, etc

This means that when someone identifies as amish, or the amish retention rate is high, or an area is heavily amish, you know that its a serious conservative christian group. The same cannot be said for evangelicals or catholic. A “retained” evangdlical might of drifted on all essential christian doctrine but they still identify as evangelical. This is something that raw numbers cannot capture.

Edit: This can also be expressed in church attendance, about 30% of catholics in the US attend weekly mass, in catholicism not going to mass is a sin. Clearly 70% of catholics are hardly even catholic even though they might count for census data. You dont have this problem in conservative anabaptism. If someones amish you know theres a 99% chance they go to church, like you said above.

[Ernie]

A “retained” evangelical might of drifted on all essential christian doctrine but they still identify as evangelical. This is something that raw numbers cannot capture.

Can you say more about this?
Evangelicals have traditionally embraced:
Biblicism:
Crucicentrism:
Conversionism:
Activism:

Are you saying they may have drifted from these persuasions?

[Anthony]

Im saying if a person has drifted on all evangelical fundamentals, dont attend church, and they are polled, they still count as evangelical. This does not occur with conservative anabaptistism, as you cannot be amish without weekly church attendance. This makes the raw evangelical retention number less impressive because it includes drifted, worldly members

[Ernie]

Im saying if a person has drifted on all evangelical fundamentals, dont attend church, and they are polled, they still count as evangelical. This does not occur with conservative anabaptistism, as you cannot be amish without weekly church attendance. This makes the raw evangelical retention number less impressive because it includes drifted, worldly members

Got it. But many Plain Anabaptists sleep in church. So maybe church attendance is not the best gauge???

[ohio jones]

What do the numbers look like for your constituency? (the churches and fellowships you share pulpits with)

I can only speak for my own congregation, and we may or may not be representative.
75% from childhood (our own congregation and other Mennonite groups)
20% from other Christian traditions (half more "conservative" including Amish, half more "liberal" including evangelical, mainline, Catholic)
5% nones/unbelief

[Soloist]

Im saying if a person has drifted on all evangelical fundamentals, dont attend church, and they are polled, they still count as evangelical. This does not occur with conservative anabaptistism, as you cannot be amish without weekly church attendance. This makes the raw evangelical retention number less impressive because it includes drifted, worldly members

Got it. But many Plain Anabaptists sleep in church. So maybe church attendance is not the best gauge???

Wife: surprisingly enough, same with evangelicals. Protestants too, although I don’t know about catholics. It’s at least an improvement to decide to take your nap at church.

Got me thinking though, what’s the attendance/retention rate on Pentecostals? I cannot fall asleep in one of those services, so maybe theirs are the most accurate numbers.