The numbers are in, and the United Methodist Church is still shrinking.
The UMC lost approximately 174,000 members in the United States in 2025, another staggering decline for a denomination already rocked by theological division, with thousands of churches departing.
According to The Christian Post, newly released statistics from the UMC’s General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) show U.S. membership dropped from approximately 3.988 million in 2024 to 3.814 million in 2025—a 4.36% decline in just one year.
And it wasn’t just membership.
Average in-person worship attendance fell 3.08% to about 1.041 million, while online worship participation fell to about 986,000. Baptisms also declined.
The numbers represent the latest chapter in a much bigger story unfolding across American mainline Christianity.
For years, the UMC was embroiled in an intense theological battle over homosexuality, same-sex marriage, LGBT clergy and biblical authority. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 7,600 congregations—many of them theologically conservative—disaffiliated from the denomination, The Christian Post reported.
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Now, even after the enormous wave of conservative church departures largely concluded, the UMC’s American membership continues to move downward.
GCFA, however, cautions that the latest losses cannot be pinned on one issue.
“There is no one single reason for the decline,” a GCFA spokesperson told The Christian Post.
Still, the larger picture is difficult to ignore.
The UMC is not alone. Other historic mainline Protestant denominations have faced significant membership declines, including the Episcopal Church.
Only time will tell what the future holds for the UMC church in America.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
