tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post478777976694592821..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Gone in little more than a generation. . . Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-15749537879867057182020-01-13T10:51:34.292-06:002020-01-13T10:51:34.292-06:00Long-term straight line projections sometimes are ...Long-term straight line projections sometimes are not reliable. Here's a plot of the <a href="https://i.imgur.com/f3XF2h6.jpg" rel="nofollow">ELCA-to-LCMS membership ratios</a> based on membership data from 1987 to 2018. <br /><br />The ELCA's <a href="https://i.imgur.com/xf224hl.jpg" rel="nofollow">big membership dropoff</a> is immediately following its 2009 decision allowing ordination of active homosexuals and the formation of NALC by breakaway congregations. Whether, in the last few years the dropoff is leveling to a slower decline (relative to the LCMS decline) remains to be seen. <br /><br />Also some of the slow decline may be related to the slowly increasing average membership age.Carl Vehsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00348831096001668813noreply@blogger.com