On any given Sunday in 2022, nearly 350,000 people attended one of the 6,249 congregations of the Episcopal Church. That was an increase in attendance of more than 19 percent over 2021, though at the same time active membership in our churches fell by 5.81 percent.
How do we know that? Because each year, every congregation in the Episcopal Church is required by canon (church law) to complete the report, giving a picture of the condition and makeup of their congregations. The resulting data are made public, and offer rich tools for us to understand our church, our dioceses, our congregations, and our individual neighborhoods.
This information is collected on the General Convention Web site and is searchable in a variety of ways, including maps of every congregation.
On Dec. 21, the General Convention Office sent out filing information to individual congregations for the 2023 Parochial Report. The online form will open on Jan. 4, with all congregations required to complete it by March 1.
According to the General Convention Web site:
The Parochial Report is the oldest, continuous gathering of data by The Episcopal Church. By tradition and canon, the reporting requirements are developed by the House of Deputies’ Committee on the State of the Church, using a form approved by the church’s Executive Council. Seen as an annual rite of passage throughout The Episcopal Church, and overseen by the Executive Officer of General Convention, the Parochial Report touches every congregation of the church. Together with other data, including that of the Recorder of Ordinations and the Registrar of General Convention, the Parochial Report provides an insight to the state of the church.
Line-by-line instructions on filling out the report are available on the General Convention Web site.
If you’re having trouble completing the Parochial Report for your congregation, help is available by emailing reports@episcopalchurch.org.
Your church’s Parochial Report is an important element documenting the life of your congregation, our diocese, and the Episcopal Church as a whole. Begin planning now so you can submit your report accurately and on time.
Resources
- Complete the Parochial Report Online (opens Jan. 4)
- Line-by-Line Instructions for completing the Parochial Report
- Fast Facts from prior Parochial Reports
- Questions? Email reports@episcopalchurch.org
