- Community of Christ membership and field organization
-
Community of Christ membership and field organization is governed by the scriptures, resolutions and Bylaws of the Community of Christ and administered by the First Presidency, Council of Twelve and others. To be considered a member of the Community of Christ, individuals participate in two sacraments of the church: Baptism and Confirmation. Baptism in the Community of Christ is by full immersion and Confirmation is conferred by the "laying on of hands." Membership statistics are maintained by local recorders in each congregation and reported electronically. The Community of Christ reported 2006 enrollment within Mission Centers a total of 195,605 members, up from 195,432 in 2005. Ordained priesthood members in 2006 stood at 20,794, up from 20,700 in 2005. Membership totals for the year 2006 in each mission center are shown in the table below.[1]
Membership By Jurisdicition
Mission Center Name 2006 Enrollment Mission Field[2] Alabama-Northwest Florida 2479 Southern USA Arizona 2187 West Central USA Ark-La-Tex 917 Southern USA Australia 2017 Pacific Bountiful 2232 East Central USA British Isles 1373 North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Brush Creek 2506 East Central USA Canada East 5679 Canada/North Central (USA) Canada West 2610 Canada/North Central (USA) Caribbean 545 Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA Cedar Valley - Nauvoo 2591 East Central USA Central Africa 9583 Africa and Haiti Central America 2022 Central and South America Central Missouri 3259 Southern USA Central 15481 Central and Michigan USA Chesapeake Bay 1615 North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Chicago 1591 East Central USA Coastal Bend 1959 Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA Dominican Republic 1108 Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA East Asia 526 Asia Eastern Great Lakes 2879 East Central USA Europe 1151 North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Far West 2630 West Central USA Florida 2760 Southern USA French Polynesia 6882 Pacific Gateway 2755 East Central USA Greater Pacific Northwest 6218 Pacific Gulf 2044 Southern USA Haiti 10970 Africa and Haiti Headwaters 2659 Canada/North Central (USA) Heart of Michigan 2602 Central and Michigan USA Heart of Texas 1416 Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA Inland West 3075 West Central USA Kentucky - Indiana 1563 East Central USA Lamoni Heartland 3823 Canada/North Central (USA) Mexico - Texas 778 Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA Michigan Blue Water 3259 Central and Michigan USA Mid-Atlantic 1984 North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Midlands 5260 West Central USA Mid-South 2179 Southern USA New England 2069 North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Northern Great Lakes 2615 Central and Michigan USA Oklahoma 3605 West Central USA Pacific Island 1506 Pacific Prairie Bluffs 4596 Canada/North Central (USA) Rio Grande 862 West Central USA Rocky Mountain 3873 West Central USA Sierra Pacific 3378 Pacific South America 785 Central and South America South Central Asia 6284 Asia South Central States 4805 Southern USA South East Africa 7017 Africa and Haiti Southeast Asia 1457 Asia Southeast USA 1753 Southern USA Southern California 2347 Pacific Southern Great Lakes International 6489 Central and Michigan USA Southwest International 1685 Pacific West Africa 8749 Africa and Haiti Western Ohio 2151 East Central USA Field Organization
The basic unit of organization in the Community of Christ is the congregation. The congregation is the Community of Christ in its local area and attempts to bring the ministry of Jesus Christ into the surrounding community. Each congregation has a Pastor, Financial Officer and usually several additional, mostly volunteer priesthood members. Congregations belong to mid-level organizational units called a Mission Center. Mission Center Presidents report to a field Apostle who supervises several mission centers in one of eleven mission fields. At the 2007 World Conference, a member holding the priesthood office of Seventy was teamed with each of the Apostles as follows: Apostle Linda L. Booth and Seventy Karin Peter in the Southern USA Mission Field; Apostle Andrew Bolton and Seventy Sam Kumar in the Asia Mission Field; Apostle Bunda C. Chibwe and Tanoh Assoi in the Africa and Haiti Mission Field; Apostle Stassi D. Cramm and Seventy John Wight in the Central and Michigan USA Mission Field; Apostle Mary Jacks Dynes and Seventy Kris Judd in the Canada/North Central (USA) Mission Field; Apostle Ronald D. Harmon Jr. and Seventy Larry McGuire in the East Central USA Mission Field; Apostle Dale E. Luffman and Robin Linkhart in the West Central USA Mission Field; Apostle Rick W. Maupin and Seventy Ruben Landeros in the Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA Mission Field; Apostle Carlos Enrique Mejia and Seventy Bob Kyser in the Central and South America Mission Field; Apostle Susan D. Skoor and Seventy Gina Norton in the Pacific Mission Field; and Apostle Leonard M. Young and Seventy Richard James in the North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Mission Field.
Notes
- ^ Carina Lord Wilson and Andrew M. Shields, "Church Membership Report," in 2007 World Conference Monday Bulletin, March 26, 2007, p.269-276. Community of Christ, 2007.
- ^ Andrew M. Shields, "Official Minutes of Business Session, Wednesday March 28, 2007," in 2007 World Conference Thursday Bulletin, March 29, 2007, p.329-330. Community of Christ, 2007.
Categories:
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
