Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
The Evangelical Free Church of America
The Evangelical Free Church of America
901 East 78th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300
United States
Attesting Officer
Media Contact
44.8614633, -93.2611129
In October 1884, 27 representatives from Swedish churches met in Boone, Iowa, to establish the Swedish
Evangelical Free Church. In the fall of that same year, two Norwegian-Danish groups began worship and fellowship (in Boston and in Tacoma) and by 1912 had established the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association. These two denominations, representing 275 congregations, came together at a merger conference in 1950.
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of local, autonomous churches across the United States and Canada, blended together by common principles, policies and practices. A 10-point statement of faith addresses the major doctrines but also provides for differences of understanding on minor issues of faith and practice.
International outreach includes 625 missionaries serving in 45 countries.
Membership
| Full Communicants | Average Attendance | Other Members | Total Inclusive Members | Total Churches | Membership Calculation Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 159,166 |
356,000 |
197,000 |
356,000 |
1,475 |
|||
| 2003 | 130,000 |
344,000 |
220,000 |
350,000 |
1,420 |
|||
| 1995 | 124,499 |
242,619 |
1,224 |
|||||
| 1993 | 122,703 |
226,391 |
1,202 |
|||||
| 1992 | 117,027 |
214,186 |
1,173 |
|||||
| 1991 | 0 |
192,352 |
1,087 |
|||||
| 1990 | 165,000 |
165,000 |
1,040 |
|||||
| 1986 | 0 |
95,722 |
880 |
|||||
| 1985 | 90,000 |
90,000 |
838 |
|||||
| 1984 | 92,000 |
146,000 |
900 |
|||||
| 1983 | 81,451 |
110,555 |
853 |
|||||
| 1982 | 75,600 |
103,900 |
805 |
|||||
| 1979 | 0 |
77,592 |
732 |
|||||
| 1977 | 0 |
100,000 |
621 |
|||||
| 1971 | 0 |
70,490 |
562 |
|||||
| 1970 | 63,735 |
63,735 |
552 |
|||||
| 1969 | 59,041 |
59,041 |
539 |
|||||
| 1966 | 50,312 |
50,312 |
517 |
|||||
| 1965 | 43,851 |
438 |
||||||
| 1962 | 36,705 |
483 |
||||||
| 1960 | 31,543 |
468 |
||||||
| 1958 | 31,192 |
368 |
||||||
| 1957 | 28,052 |
362 |
||||||
| 1956 | 28,052 |
412 |
||||||
| 1955 | 24,353 |
312 |
Clergy
| Serving Churches | Retired | Other Service to the Church | Total Clergy | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,503 |
9 | 689 |
2,201 |
||
| 2003 | 2,025 |
708 |
2,733 |
|||
| 1995 | 1,936 |
2,436 |
||||
| 1993 | 1,769 |
2,233 |
||||
| 1992 | 1,434 |
1,817 |
||||
| 1991 | 0 |
1,863 |
||||
| 1990 | 0 |
1,795 |
||||
| 1986 | 0 |
1,484 |
||||
| 1984 | 1,150 |
1,401 |
||||
| 1983 | 1,056 |
1,180 |
||||
| 1982 | 930 |
1,042 |
||||
| 1979 | 0 |
1,218 |
||||
| 1977 | 0 |
960 |
||||
| 1970 | 780 |
807 |
||||
| 1969 | 501 |
762 |
||||
| 1966 | 579 |
746 |
||||
| 1965 | 482 |
680 |
||||
| 1962 | 461 |
581 |
||||
| 1960 | 461 |
579 |
||||
| 1958 | 424 |
618 |
||||
| 1957 | 377 |
531 |
||||
| 1956 | 498 |
614 |
||||
| 1955 | 381 |
298 |
||||
| 1954 | 320 |
485 |
||||
| 1953 | 394 |
468 |
Education
| Total Schools | Staff | Pupils | Total Individuals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 0 |
104,000 |
||||
| 1982 | 810 |
100,475 |
||||
| 1970 | 555 |
78,591 |
||||
| 1969 | 541 |
80,300 |
||||
| 1965 | 449 |
6,971 |
60,043 |
67,014 |
||
| 1962 | 489 |
6,971 |
52,612 |
59,583 |
||
| 1960 | 487 |
7,000 |
65,336 |
72,336 |
||
| 1958 | 419 |
6,705 |
52,110 |
58,815 |
||
| 1957 | 419 |
6,000 |
50,000 |
56,000 |
||
| 1956 | 418 |
6,000 |
40,082 |
46,082 |
||
| 1955 | 317 |
5,790 |
36,601 |
42,391 |
||
| 1954 | 396 |
5,790 |
32,395 |
38,185 |
||
| 1953 | 360 |
5,790 |
33,267 |
39,057 |
||
| 1952 | 300 |
6,246 |
27,754 |
34,000 |
||
| 1950 | 310 |
6,246 |
23,754 |
30,000 |
Finance
| Total Benevolences | Total Financials | Total Giving | Local Expenses | Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $36,000,000 |
||||||
| 2003 | $24,660,000 |
||||||
| 1970 | $5,869,992 |
$19,566,643 |
$13,696,651 |
||||
| 1969 | $5,701,547 |
$17,173,517 |
$11,471,970 |
||||
| 1966 | $5,701,547 |
$17,173,517 |
$11,471,970 |
||||
| 1965 | $11,133,816 |
||||||
| 1962 | $9,730,996 |
||||||
| 1960 | $6,991,930 |
||||||
| 1958 | $5,319,320 |
||||||
| 1957 | $4,488,495 |
||||||
| 1956 | $1,227,846 |
$4,046,986 |
$2,819,140 |
||||
| 1950 | $509,456 |