Episcopal Church Has Lost Nearly 350,000 Members Since 2015, New Data Shows
Membership fell to about 1.425 million in 2025 and Sunday attendance to about 407,000. The decline is real — and it sits beside other data showing young adults returning to church
The short answer
According to The Christian Post, reporting the Episcopal Church's analysis of its 2025 Parochial Report, membership was about 1.425 million in 2025, down from about 1.77 million in 2015 — a drop of nearly 350,000. In-person Sunday attendance fell from about 600,000 in 2015 to about 407,000 in 2025. Open parishes and missions fell from 6,707 to 6,673 between 2024 and 2025, and baptisms from 19,624 to 19,316.
The Episcopal Church has lost nearly 350,000 members in a decade, according to its own data.
The Numbers
The church's analysis of its 2025 Parochial Report, reported by The Christian Post, shows:
"The Episcopal Church reports about 1.425 million members in 2025, down nearly 350,000 since 2015, with Sunday attendance down from about 600,000 to 407,000. It's part of a long mainline decline — even as other data show young adults returning to church."
Click to copy and share- Membership: about 1.425 million in 2025, down from about 1.547 million in 2023 and about 1.77 million in 2015.
- In-person Sunday attendance: about 407,000 in 2025, down from more than 413,000 in 2024 and about 600,000 in 2015.
- Congregations: 6,673 open parishes and missions in 2025, down from 6,707.
- Baptisms: 19,316 in 2025, down from 19,624.
"Membership continues its slow decline, a trend that has persisted for decades," the report states. (The 2024 report did not include a membership total; the church's Office of Public Affairs said the data had revealed confusion in how congregations reported that figure.)
The Wider Pattern
The Episcopal Church's membership fell below 2 million in 2010, and its decline follows a long pattern among historic mainline Protestant denominations in the United States. Commentators have long debated the causes; The Christian Post points to the church's theological shifts and the departure of congregations and dioceses after 2003.
The Other Side of the Data
It's important to read numbers like these alongside the rest of the picture. The same years have brought other signals: research showing young adults' church attendance rising, record baptism Sundays at churches like Biltmore and Lakepointe, and campus outreaches reporting hundreds of decisions in a night. Our guide on whether Christianity is growing or declining lays out the evidence on both sides — the honest answer is that some parts of the church are shrinking while others grow.
A Word on Tone
Decline in any congregation means real people: fewer neighbours hearing the gospel, aging churches, pastors carrying heavy loads. It's not a scoreboard. The right response is prayer — for renewal in every tradition — and faithfulness in our own.
The Episcopal Church reports about 1.425 million members in 2025, down nearly 350,000 since 2015, with Sunday attendance down from about 600,000 to 407,000. It's part of a long mainline decline — even as other data show young adults returning to church.
Biblical Perspective
Jesus addressed seven churches in Revelation with both praise and warning, calling some to "remember the height from which you have fallen" and return (Revelation 2:5). Renewal in Scripture always begins with returning to God: "Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old" (Lamentations 5:21).
"Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old."
— Lamentations 5:21 (NIV)
Pray With Us
Lord, we pray for renewal in every church across our nation — in congregations that are shrinking and those that are growing. Raise up faithful pastors, draw people back to Your Word, and let the gospel be heard in every neighbourhood. Begin with us. In Jesus' name, amen.
Declarations to Speak
- ›God can renew any church!
- ›The gospel is still the power of God for salvation!
- ›Revival begins with returning to the Lord!
Take Action
- 1Pray for a declining church in your area by name.
- 2Read our guide on whether Christianity is growing or declining.
- 3Invite one person to church this Sunday.
"The Episcopal Church has lost nearly 350,000 members since 2015. What the data shows — and what it doesn't."
Pray & Speak Life Over This Story
Don't just read — respond in faith. Click below to declare that you have prayed over this story and spoken life into it. Our prayers and words have power to change the world.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." — Proverbs 18:21
Your Prayers & Words Have Power
Every time you pray over a story and speak life, you are partnering with Heaven to see God's Kingdom come on earth. When believers around the world agree in prayer, mountains move. Keep praying over these matters — your consistency in intercession is changing the world.
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." — James 5:16
Prayer Is Powerful — So Is Action.
You've prayed. Now take it further. Join or start an outreach group in your area and take the love of Jesus to the streets. Every act of love, every meal shared, every prayer prayed in person is the Kingdom advancing in your community.
"Faith without works is dead." — James 2:26
Questions people are asking
How many members does the Episcopal Church have?
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According to the Episcopal Church's 2025 Parochial Report, reported by The Christian Post, membership was about 1.425 million in 2025, down from about 1.77 million in 2015.
How much has Episcopal Church attendance declined?
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In-person Sunday attendance fell from about 600,000 in 2015 to about 407,000 in 2025, according to the church's 2025 Parochial Report.
Sources & further reading
- 1.Episcopal Church membership has dropped by nearly 350K since 2015The Christian Post
About the Author
Daniel Ziedins
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Daniel Ziedins is the founder and editor-in-chief of Thy Kingdom News. A passionate believer with a heart for revival, missions, and seeing God's Kingdom advance across the earth, Daniel created this platform to report on what God is doing in the nations — the stories the mainstream media won't tell. He is also the creator of LoveOnTheWorldMap.com, a global initiative to map acts of God's love worldwide. Daniel believes that every testimony, every revival report, and every prayer answered is evidence that the Kingdom of God is here and advancing.
"Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old."
Lamentations 5:21 (NIV)
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