InterSections
inform - encourage - unite
CHURCHSCENE
2024 Church Survey
The 2024 Survey of Non-denominational Churches of Christ in Australia is now freely available on the Klesis Institute website (www.klesis.com.au/surveys).
Background
From 1984 to 2001, Stephen Randall of the Canberra Church of Christ conducted six surveys. The next four surveys ending 2019 were conducted by Alan Rowley, with the latest undertaken by Theophilus Gyau on behalf of Klesis. Peter Gray of Southern Pacific Christian Research has undertaken the analysis of each survey on a voluntary basis, a service we greatly appreciate.
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The surveys ask simple questions of each congregation: the number of members, average Sunday attendance, and the number of baptisms over the previous 12 months. The figures relate to the month of October in the year of the survey.
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Since the 2006 survey, churches are also given the opportunity to update their church details to be included in the Directory of non-denominational Churches of Christ in Australia. The Directory is also published on the Klesis website and is updated throughout the year.
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What’s different in 2024?
In contrast to earlier survey reports, which were structured around two primary sections, the 2024 report adopts a four-part framework. It begins with a comprehensive overview of the 2024 survey findings, examining data on churches, membership, attendance, and baptisms. This is followed by an analysis of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 2024 results, situating the Australian findings within the broader experience of Christian communities and drawing comparative insights from non-denominational Churches of Christ in the United States. The third section assesses changes since the 2019 survey, highlighting patterns of development and identifying areas of most significant change. The report concludes with an examination of longer-term trends from 1984 to 2024 in the post-pandemic context, tracing shifts in the number of churches, membership levels, and average weekly attendance, and evaluating how the 2024 results relate to those of previous surveys.
Basic Facts
The survey covered 75 churches, which together had an estimated total membership of 1,685 people. Average Sunday attendance across these congregations was 1,972, indicating participation beyond formal membership. Over the previous 12 months, the churches reported a combined total of 86 baptisms. On average, each church had approximately 22.5 members and a mean Sunday attendance of about 26.2 people.
In the table below are the figures for 2024, compared with data from the past 40 years:​
Some noticeable trends over the four-decade period (1984–2024):
Churches
• Except for the first survey (1984), the number of churches in Australia has been
in the range of 72 to 81 congregations.
• From 1992 to 2019, the number of churches has hovered around 78 to 81
(except for the dip to 73 in 2006).
• Following the drop in 2006, the number of churches rebounded to 78 in 2010.
Members
Across the first thirty-five years of surveying, membership numbers generally ranged between 1,780 and 2,100, before declining to 1,685 in the post-pandemic 2024 survey. Analysis of the 12 surveys suggests four broad phases of membership change: an initial growth period from 1984 to 1988, relative stability with modest decline from 1990 to 2006, renewed growth from 2010 to 2019, and a post-pandemic contraction evident in 2024. Membership rose from 1,926 in 1984 to a peak of just over 2,090 by 1988, then fell to slightly above 1,780 in 1990 and remained in the low-to-mid 1,800s through to 2006. A subsequent increase occurred between 2010 and 2013, when membership climbed into the low-to-mid 1,900s.
Changes Since the 2019 Survey
Between 2019 and 2024, the surveyed churches experienced a noticeable contraction in membership and participation. Total membership declined from 1,906 to 1,685, representing a reduction of 221 members (12%), while average Sunday attendance decreased from 2,272 to 1,974, a decline of 298 attendees (13%). Over the same period, the number of churches participating in the survey fell from 81 to 75, reflecting a net loss of six congregations (12%). In contrast to these downward trends, the number of baptisms recorded in the survey years increased marginally from 83 to 86, indicating a modest rise of 3 baptisms (4%).
Conclusion
The 2024 survey has provided additional data and insights for everyone interested in non-denominational Churches of Christ in Australia. The survey also raises important questions worthy of further conversation and gives a vivid picture of the state of the church following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we are very grateful to all the congregations who provided data for the 2024 survey
to be completed. May God help us to use this information to further his kingdom.
Married to Maame, Theo Gyau works in finance and administration and is also studying Bible and ministry. Theo and Maame are members of the Belmore Road Church of Christ in Melbourne. theopreach@gmail.com
