Nondenominational Church Estimates
US Religion Census Nondenominational Sub-Project
Scott Thumma
2010 *
35,496 Nondenominational/Independent churches
10,883,968 Members
12,241,329 Adherents
8,621,258 Worshippers
Earlier Estimates:
Organizing Religious Work Project
Ammerman, Lummis, Roozen & Thumma
1997-98
Nondenominational/Independent 12% of churches
National Congregations Study
Mark Chaves 1998
Nondenominational/Independent 19% of churches but 11% of attenders
**If 300,000 congregations
at 12%=36,000 Nondenominational/Independent churches
at 19%=57,000 Nondenominational/Independent churches
**If 325,000 congregations
at 12%=39,000 Nondenominational/Independent churches
at 19%=61,750 Nondenominational/Independent churches
** If 340,000 congregations in the U.S.
at 12%=40,800 Nondenominational/Independent churches
at 19%=64,600 Nondenominational/Independent churches
** - researchers are not exactly sure just how many congregations exist in the U.S. but the most accurate estimate (Hadaway and Marler, 2005 Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion) suggests it is approximately 330,000.
Wuthnow (1988:97) citing a 1984 Gallup poll showing 3% of the public said they had ever been a member of an independent, nondenominational congregation.
Gallup data of Protestants when asked what specific denomination they belonged to:
| YEAR |
Percent Protestants in U.S. Population |
Percent of Protestants belonging to Nondenominational Churches |
| 1996 |
58% |
4% |
| 1995 |
56 |
3 |
| 1994 |
60 |
3 |
| 1993 |
57 |
3 |
| 1992 |
56 |
1 |
1990 Religious Congregations Membership Data (only for churches 300+ adherents in cities of 20,000 or more)
| Non Charismatic Nondenominational Churches |
1,363 churches |
1,207,173 adherents |
| Charismatic Nondenominational Churches |
829 churches |
794,254
adherents |
TOTAL |
2,192 churches |
2,001,427 |
Percept - 1998 National Ethos Data
Nondenominational/Independent 7.5% of churches
George Barna 1999 Survey
Nondenominational/Independent 6% of churches
|
