Religion In The United States

Religion in the United States is an integral part of the culture of the United States. The U.S. is one of the most religious of all the large nations of the world. Gallup International reports that 57 percent of American citizens regularly attend religious services, compared to 15 percent of French citizens, 10 percent of UK citizens, and 25 percent of Israeli citizens. The American religious tradition is primarily Christian, but the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion and the diversity of the population means that no one religion holds sway over the entirety of the population. Also, a tradition of separation of church and state developed early in the nation's history contributes to this diversity. Culture "wars" often have roots in religious differences, but religious violence is rare and on a small scale. The considerable majority of presidents have been of some Protestant Christian denomination, several early holders of the office being deists, with a number of Unitarians and a single Roman Catholic. (See the list of U.S. Presidential religious affiliations.) Politicians frequently discuss their religion when campaigning, and many churches and religious figures are highly politically active, though to keep their status as tax-exempt organizations they must not offically endorse a candidate.

Table of religious bodies in the United States

__NOEDITSECTION__ [Edit] The below table represents selected data as reported to the U.S. Census Bureau. It only includes the voluntary self-reported membership of religious bodies with 60,000 or more. The definition of "church member" is determined by the religious body. It should also be noted that a growing sector of the population (~10%) does not identify itself as a member of any religion. Religious body>
tyle="background:#cccccc;"| Year Reported style="background:#cccccc;"| Churches Reported style="background:#cccccc;"| Membership
(thousands)
style="background:#cccccc"| Number of Pastors
a href="/encyclopedia/African-Methodist-Episcopal-Church" title="African Methodist Episcopal Church">African Methodist Episcopal Church 1999 6,200 2,500 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/African-Methodist-Episcopal-Zion-Church" title="African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church">African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church 1998 3,098 1,252 2,571
a href="/encyclopedia/American-Baptist-Association" title="American Baptist Association">American Baptist Association 1998 1,760 275 1,740
a href="/encyclopedia/American-Baptist-Churches" title="American Baptist Churches">American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. 1998 3,800 1,507 4,145
a href="/encyclopedia/Antiochian-Orthodox-Christian-Diocese-of-North-America" title="Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of North America">Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of North America 1998 220 65 263
a href="/encyclopedia/Armenian-Apostolic-Church-of-America" title="Armenian Apostolic Church of America">Armenian Apostolic Church of America 1998 28 200 25
a href="/encyclopedia/Assemblies-of-God" title="Assemblies of God">Assemblies of God 1998 11,937 2,526 18,148
a href="/encyclopedia/Baptist-Bible-Fellowship-International" title="Baptist Bible Fellowship International">Baptist Bible Fellowship International 1997 4,500 1,200 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Baptist-General-Conference" title="Baptist General Conference">Baptist General Conference 1998 876 141 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Baptist-Missionary-Association-of-America" title="Baptist Missionary Association of America">Baptist Missionary Association of America 1999 1,334 235 1,525
a href="/encyclopedia/Buddhist" title="Buddhist">Buddhist 1990 (NA) 401 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Christian--and-Missionary-Alliance" title="Christian and Missionary Alliance">Christian and Missionary Alliance, The 1998 1,964 346 1,629
hristian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) 1997 1,150 100 (NA)
hristian Church (Disciples of Christ) 1997 3,818 879 3,419
a href="/encyclopedia/Christian-Churches-and-Churches-of-Christ" title="Christian Churches and Churches of Christ">Christian Churches and Churches of Christ 1998 5,579 1,072 5,525
a href="/encyclopedia/Christian-Congregation" title="Christian Congregation">Christian Congregation, Inc., The 1998 1,438 117 1,436
a href="/encyclopedia/Christian-Methodist-Episcopal-Church" title="Christian Methodist Episcopal Church">Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 1983 2,340 719 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Christian-Reformed-Church" title="Christian Reformed Church">Christian Reformed Church in North America 1998 733 199 655
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-God-in-Christ" title="Church of God in Christ">Church of God in Christ 1991 15,300 5,500 28,988
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-God-of-Prophecy" title="Church of God of Prophecy">Church of God of Prophecy 1997 1,908 77 2,000
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-God-(Anderson,-Indiana)" title="Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)">Church of God (Anderson, IN) 1998 2,353 234 3,034
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-God-(Cleveland)" title="Church of God (Cleveland)">Church of God (Cleveland, TN) 1995 6,060 753 3,121
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints" title="Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1997 10,811 4,923 32,433
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-the-Brethren" title="Church of the Brethren">Church of the Brethren 1997 1,095 141 827
a href="/encyclopedia/Church-of-the-Nazarene" title="Church of the Nazarene">Church of the Nazarene 1998 5,101 627 4,598
a href="/encyclopedia/Churches-of-Christ" title="Churches of Christ">Churches of Christ 1999 15,000 1,500 14,500
a href="/encyclopedia/Conservative-Baptist-Association-of-America" title="Conservative Baptist Association of America">Conservative Baptist Association of America 1998 1,200 200 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Coptic-Orthodox-Church" title="Coptic Orthodox Church">Coptic Orthodox Church 1992 85 180 65
a href="/encyclopedia/Cumberland-Presbyterian-Church" title="Cumberland Presbyterian Church">Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1998 774 87 634
a href="/encyclopedia/Episcopal-Church" title="Episcopal Church">Episcopal Church 1996 7,390 2,365 8,131
a href="/encyclopedia/Evangelical-Covenant-Church" title="Evangelical Covenant Church">Evangelical Covenant Church, The 1998 628 97 607
a href="/encyclopedia/Evangelical-Free-Church" title="Evangelical Free Church">Evangelical Free Church of America, The 1995 1,224 243 1,936
a href="/encyclopedia/Evangelical-Lutheran-Church-in-America" title="Evangelical Lutheran Church in America">Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 1998 10,862 5,178 9,646
a href="/encyclopedia/Evangelical-Presbyterian-Church" title="Evangelical Presbyterian Church">Evangelical Presbyterian Church 1998 187 61 262
a href="/encyclopedia/Free-Methodist-Church" title="Free Methodist Church">Free Methodist Church of North America 1998 990 73 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Full-Gospel-Fellowship-of-Churches-and-Ministers-International" title="Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International">Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International 1999 896 275 2,070
a href="/encyclopedia/General-Association-of-General-Baptists" title="General Association of General Baptists">General Association of General Baptists 1997 790 72 1,085
a href="/encyclopedia/General-Association-of-Regular-Baptist-Churches" title="General Association of Regular Baptist Churches">General Association of Regular Baptist Churches 1998 1,415 102 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/General-Conference-Mennonite-Brethren-Churches" title="General Conference Mennonite Brethren Churches">General Conference Mennonite Brethren Churches 1996 368 82 590
a href="/encyclopedia/Grace-Gospel-Fellowship" title="Grace Gospel Fellowship">Grace Gospel Fellowship 1992 128 60 160
a href="/encyclopedia/Greek-Orthodox-Archdiocese-of-America" title="Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America">Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 1998 523 1,955 596
a href="/encyclopedia/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hindu 1990 (NA) 227 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Independent-Fundamental-Churches-of-America" title="Independent Fundamental Churches of America">Independent Fundamental Churches of America 1999 659 62 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/International-Church-of-the-Foursquare-Gospel" title="International Church of the Foursquare Gospel">International Church of the Foursquare Gospel 1998 1,851 238 4,900
a href="/encyclopedia/International-Council-of-Community-Churches" title="International Council of Community Churches">International Council of Community Churches 1998 150 250 182
a href="/encyclopedia/International-Pentecostal-Holiness-Church" title="International Pentecostal Holiness Church">International Pentecostal Holiness Church 1998 1,716 177 1,507
a href="/encyclopedia/Jehovah's-Witnesses" title="Jehovah's Witnesses">Jehovah's Witnesses 1999 11,064 1,040 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Judaism" title="Judaism">Jewish 1998 (NA) 6,041 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Lutheran-Church---Missouri-Synod" title="Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod">Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, The 1998 6,218 2,594 5,227
a href="/encyclopedia/Mennonite-Church" title="Mennonite Church">Mennonite Church 1998 926 92 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Islam" title="Islam">Muslim/Islamic 1990 (NA) 527 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/National-Association-of-Congregational-Christian-Churches" title="National Association of Congregational Christian Churches">National Association of Congregational Christian Churches 1998 416 67 534
a href="/encyclopedia/National-Association-of-Free-Will-Baptists" title="National Association of Free Will Baptists">National Association of Free Will Baptists 1998 2,297 210 2,800
a href="/encyclopedia/National-Baptist-Convention-of-America" title="National Baptist Convention of America">National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. 1987 2,500 3,500 8,000
a href="/encyclopedia/National-Baptist-Convention" title="National Baptist Convention">National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. 1992 33,000 8,200 32,832
a href="/encyclopedia/National-Missionary-Baptist-Convention-of-America" title="National Missionary Baptist Convention of America">National Missionary Baptist Convention of America 1992 (NA) 2,500 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Old-Order-Amish-Church" title="Old Order Amish Church">Old Order Amish Church 1993 898 81 3,592
a href="/encyclopedia/The-Orthodox-Church-in-America" title="The Orthodox Church in America">The Orthodox Church in America 1998 625 1,000 700
a href="/encyclopedia/Pentecostal-Assemblies-of-the-World" title="Pentecostal Assemblies of the World">Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. 1998 1,750 1,500 4,500
a href="/encyclopedia/Pentecostal-Church-of-God" title="Pentecostal Church of God">Pentecostal Church of God 1998 1,237 104 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Presbyterian-Church-in-America" title="Presbyterian Church in America">Presbyterian Church in America 1997 1,340 280 1,642
a href="/encyclopedia/Presbyterian-Church-USA" title="Presbyterian Church USA">Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 1998 11,260 3,575 9,390
a href="/encyclopedia/Progressive-National-Baptist-Convention,-Inc." title="Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.">Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. 1995 2,000 2,500 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Reformed-Church-in-America" title="Reformed Church in America">Reformed Church in America 1998 902 296 915
a href="/encyclopedia/Religious-Society-of-Friends" title="Religious Society of Friends">Religious Society of Friends (Conservative). 1994 1,200 104 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Reorganized-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-Day-Saints" title="Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints">Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1998 1,236 140 19,319
a href="/encyclopedia/Roman-Catholicism-in-the-United-States" title="Roman Catholicism in the United States">Roman Catholic Church in the United States, The 1998 19,584 62,018 45,000
a href="/encyclopedia/Romanian-Orthodox-Episcopate-of-America" title="Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America">Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, The 1996 37 65 37
a href="/encyclopedia/Salvation-Army" title="Salvation Army">Salvation Army, The 1998 1,388 471 2,920
a href="/encyclopedia/Serbian-Orthodox-Church-in-the-USA-and-Canada" title="Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada">Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada 1986 68 67 60
a href="/encyclopedia/Seventh-day-Adventist-Church" title="Seventh-day Adventist Church">Seventh-day Adventist Church 1998 4,405 840 2,454
a href="/encyclopedia/Southern-Baptist-Convention" title="Southern Baptist Convention">Southern Baptist Convention 1998 40,870 15,729 71,520
a href="/encyclopedia/Unitarian-Universalist" title="Unitarian Universalist">Unitarian Universalist 1990 (NA) 502 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/United-Church-of-Christ" title="United Church of Christ">United Church of Christ 1998 6,017 1,421 4,317
a href="/encyclopedia/United-Methodist-Church" title="United Methodist Church">United Methodist Church, The 1998 36,170 8,400 (NA)
a href="/encyclopedia/Wesleyan-Church" title="Wesleyan Church">Wesleyan Church, The 1998 1,590 120 1,806
a href="/encyclopedia/Wisconsin-Evangelical-Lutheran-Synod" title="Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod">Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 1997 1,240 411 1,222

See also

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