# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S166
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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166 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

At that time it was apparent and was so reported to Synod
that while Synod’s growth in the years immediately preceding
1927 had been proceeding at a normal rate of growth in com-
municant membership of 1.41% annual increase, for the 20-year
period from 1927 to 1947 the normal rate of growth in communicant
membership proceeded at the rate of 2.38% annually. However,
in annually checking the developing growth history of Synod
against this first effort at calculation of past growth and also of
the calculation of trends for long-range forecasting, it has become
clear that the very year of reporting, namely 1947 (for which at
that time the latest figures were available), constituted a year
of upturn with a very significant sustained increase in rate to
a new high of 2.84% annual growth in communicant membership
each year since. If the more recent growth rate should be con-
tinued, it will, of course, make previous estimates and calcula-
tions based on the earlier trend obsolete and conservative in effect.

The meaning of much of the foregoing is plainly portrayed
in graphic form in charts A, B, and C.

Chart A

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1200 1200

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1924 26 26 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 S4
Growth in Number of Communicant Members and of Souls — 1924 to 1954

Chart A shows the actual growth of Synod’s membership in
souls and in communicant members from 1924 to 1954.

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