LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1967, Page 76

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76 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

losses in children then the proportion of the total
number which would be confirmed 14 years later would
be less. Chart IV shows that this is not the case; in
fact, the proportion of children baptized that are con-
firmed 14 years later is generally up. Hence we con-
clude that we are not losing a greater share of those
children that are baptized in our congregations.

In summary then, net gains in children are down
because of the decrease in child baptisms and not be-
cause of an increase in losses of child members.

Vv

B. We turn now to the adult, or confirmed members.

1. Total gains of confirmed members can be divided
into two categories: internal gains and gains from the
outside.

a. Total gains from the inside. This is, in effect,
the number of juniors that are confirmed one or both
of whose parents are already members in a synodical
congregation. Chart V shows that the total number of
juniors confirmed or adult members gained internally
has continued to increase during the 1960s.

b. Gains from the outside. Chart V also shows that
since 1960 the number of adult members gained from
the outside has decreased. The gains from outside in-
clude the juniors confirmed whose parents are not
members of the Missouri Synod, adults confirmed or
adults baptized, adults reinstated by profession of faith,
and adults received from other Lutheran bodies by
transfer or profession of faith.

2. Total losses. Chart V further shows that the trend
of losses of adult members has steadily increased each
year from 1944 to 1966. In fact, in 1962 for the first
time (!) the total loss was greater than the total number
of members gained from the outside.

3. Summary. Chart V, then, shows that the decreas-
ing rate of growth in adult members is the result of
a decrease in gains from the outside, as well as of
a substantial increase in the number of losses, despite
the fact that there was in the same period an increase in

total gains from the inside.
Vv
COMMUNICANT GAINS AND LOSSES 1940—1966 (U.S. ONLY)

70,000

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60,000

Gains Outside

Juniors Confirmed

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VI

Charts VI and VII present somewhat of a summary
picture of the factors determining the decreasing rate
of membership growth in adults. Chart VI shows that
the net gain during the 1960s was lower than that of
the previous 5-year period and was also lower than
the 5-year period prior to that. This chart shows that
this is true despite the fact that the number of juniors
confirmed in the 1960s was greater than in the 1956—61
period and was also greater than in the 1951—56 period.
Part of the reason for the decrease in net gains is that
gains from the outside during the 1960s are considerably
lower than in both the first and second halves of the
previous decade. Is this a measure of failure to sustain
a missionary outreach into each congregation’s com-
munity or an inability to do so, or what?

VII

Chart VII shows that the losses have steadily in-
creased from 1951 to the present. The number of deaths
has increased very slightly. The number of transfers
to other Lutheran bodies has increased somewhat more,
but the greatest increase in membership losses is due
to a substantial increase in the number of members who
are removed from the rosters of our congregations for
a variety of reasons.

VU

Table VIII brings a few other comparative figures
over the past two decades, But overall the rate at
which it is growing may be the most vital statistic of
any church body, not because of any magic in the sta-
tistic as such but because each and every unit thereof
stands for a child of God, old or young, male or female,
weak or strong, rich or poor — but all one in Christ
Jesus. Statistics reliably compiled and competently used
can help as a planning resource, a working context, and
a basis of evaluation for congregational or synodical
leadership.

Church business is serious business, and the worst
of it is, we are prone not to take the matter as seriously
as we ought. Each year we tend to watch eagerly for
the news about how we have fared in important or
unimportant ways, but who in the church holds his
breath to learn how many were added to the Lord
through the ministry of the 6,000 congregations and
preaching stations of the Synod during the past year?
How we are doing in winning and conserving royal
priests for the kingdom of our Lord is one of the ulti-
mate tests of all that we do.

The proclamation, demonstration, and propagation
of the Christian faith — that is the fundamental business
of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. Although
a declining rate of growth and membership does not
prove that our congregations and their members have
been slack in proclaiming, demonstrating, and propa-
gating the Gospel, a decline year after year should cause
us to ask ourselves some serious questions. For ex-
ample:

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