When the ALEX Yearbook reporting period closed on March 31, 2024, the Congregation Directory listed 2,887 congregations. This directory details the congregations affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada.
Listed congregations have voice in the life and ministry of the church by sending voting delegates to the General Assembly and to regional assemblies. To maintain standing, ministers hold membership in one of these congregations. Listed congregations—if they have an EIN, that is, a federal tax ID—participate in the General Assembly’s 501(c)(3) group exemption.
The number of listed congregations is not static. Regions welcome new congregations and confirm closures and withdrawals throughout the year. Any count of listed congregations represents a snapshot in time, such as when reporting closed on March 31.
Examining ALEX data also indicates which congregations reported Yearbook statistics for a given year. Unlike the dynamic count of listed congregations, a congregation’s ALEX Yearbook report reflects activity during a given year.
For 2023, 1,647 congregations reported Yearbook statistics to ALEX. That represents 57% of the listed congregations.
In addition to reporting Yearbook statistics, congregations also demonstrate connection with the wider church by giving to Disciples Mission Fund and other forms of Disciples outreach. ALEX data provides information on connected congregations by indicating which congregations reported Yearbook statistics, gave to Disciples outreach, or both. For 2023, ALEX data shows 2,032 connected congregations.
This does not tell the whole story of a congregation’s connection with the wider church, though. For example, church members may attend regional assemblies, camps, or other events beyond the local congregation. These forms of connection are not reflected in ALEX data.
For 2023, 70% of the listed congregations demonstrated connection as defined here, and 81% percent of the connected congregations reported Yearbook statistics.