When she gave her annual report on Friday, June 15, New England Conference statistician Joy Mueller had a question for the members of Annual Conference – How well do you know the New England Annual Conference by the numbers?
 
To find out, Mueller gave the members a 12-question quiz – and offered a prize to anyone who answered all the questions correctly. If you want to try the quiz, read no further and click the link to see the questions (and answers).
 
Mueller also reported a first in her 25 years as statistician: Every one of the 525 non-federated churches in the conference submitted a report; 32 of the federated churches also submitted reports.  
 
Here are some of the highlights from the report:
 

• The number of Professions of Faith increased this year. The total of 1,141 for 2017 was 14% higher than the 997 in 2016 and also higher than the 1,120 in 2015.
• Though baptisms overall did not increase, there was a slight increase in the number of children baptized: 235 in 2017 compared to 231 in 2016.
• Church school attendance increased and the number of children enrolled in Christian Formation Groups (5,492) went up for the first time in the past decade.
• Median average pledge went from $33.87 in 2016 to $35.56 in 2017.
• Mission Spending (not including Mission Shares) went from $2,654,227 in 2016 to $2,850,492 in 2017.
• There was an increases in the percentage of members of color.
• An increase was also seen in number of people in ongoing small groups and in mission service.
• 147 of our churches reported an increase in worship attendance.

 
Mueller also pointed to areas that were following the overall trend and decreased over the past year, those include: membership, worship attendance, number of churches, and the number of churches with full-time pastors.

See the complete report as a PowerPoint