Latest Statistics Show ACNA has Recovered from COVID Dips

Average Principal Service Attendance (APSA) during the pandemic years was 58,225 in 2021. By 2024 the figure skyrocketed to 96,148.

Congregations grew from 972 in 2019 to 1,027 in 2024.

By Mary Ann Mueller with David W. Virtue DD

VOL Special Correspondent

www.virtueonline.org

July 10, 2025

The 2024 statistics released by the Anglican Church in North America, (ACNA) reveal a denomination that has recovered and grown from the COVID years which saw American churches closed and parishioners scrambling to live out their faith outside their home parish.

ACNA statistics from 2019 (pre-COVID year); 2020-2021 (COVID years); and 2022-2024 (post-COVID years) reveal that the ACNA survived the pandemic which crippled many denominations that are still struggling to regain their pre-COVID footing.

ACNA shows a steady increase of the number of congregations from 972 in 2019 to 1,027 in 2024. There was no church-wide COVID years dip.

However, overall membership took a dip from 127,624 in 2029 to 126,760 in 2020 and bottomed out at 122,450 in 2021. Today, in 2024, ACNA membership has rebounded to 130,111.

The Average Principal Service Attendance (APSA) took a COVID hit during the pandemic years with 2021 dipping to a low of 58,225. The newest 2024 figures show a robust recovery with the numbers sitting at 96,148 as it inches closer toward the 100,000 milestone.

ACNA-wide attendance percentages dipped to 47.5% during 2021, but with COVID restrictions lifted, attendance percentages have bounced to 73.9% which is higher than the pre-COVID figure of 66.1% in 2019.

Eleven dioceses experienced the loss of worshipping congregations during the COVID years and they have yet to recover from those losses. Dioceses with fewer churches in 2024 than they had in 2019 include: All Saints 31 to 27; Canada (ANiC) 76 to 72; Gulf Atlantic 42 to 39; Northeast & Mid Atlantic (REC) 25 to 23; Pittsburgh 58 to 47; Quincy 36 to 28; San Joaquin 35 to 30; Upper Midwest 29 to 18; Western Anglicans 38 to 34; and Western Gulf Coast 38 to 15.

Fourteen dioceses have more congregations in 2024 than they had before COVID started in 2019. They include: the Armed Forces Chaplaincy 8 to 9; Carolina 29 to 38; Cascadia 21 to 27; Christ for the Sake of Others (C4SO) 52 to 53; Christ Our Hope 35 to 51; Fort Worth 54 to 55; Living Word 35 to 45; Mid-America (REC) 33 to 41; Mid-Atlantic 37 to 45; New England 28 to 30; Rocky Mountains 25 to 40; South 46 to 53; South Carolina 52 to 55; and Southwest 18 to 25.

The number of pre-COVID and post-COVID number of parishes remained unchanged for two Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) dioceses. They are Central States at 20; and Southeast at 32.

Membership statistics fluctuated during COVID and post-COVID years.

Most dioceses showed decline, with modest losses, during the COVID years. However, the Diocese of the Carolinas and the Diocese of New England showed continuing growth during COVID.

The Carolinas started out at 8,207 before COVID, climbed to 8,239 in 2020 and 8,639 in 2021. Coming out of COVID the Carolinas climbed to 9,769 in 2022 and peaked at 10,049 in 2023 before falling to 9,769 in 2024.

The Diocese of New England, too, showed steady growth during COVID, starting at 1,966 in 2019 and climbing to 2,391 in 2023 before dropping to 2,267 in 2024.

Several dioceses have recovered and increased over their Pre-COVID membership numbers: Central States (REC) – Pre-COVID 1,233 & Post-COVID 1,543; Christ for the Sake of Others (C4SO) – Pre-COVID 10,493 & Post-COVID 11,694; Christ Our Hope – Pre-COVID 5,415 & Post-COVID 8,821; Quincy – Pre-COVID 1,956 & Post-COVID 3,663; South – Pre-COVID 5,269 & Post-COVID 6,347; Mid-America (REC) – Pre-COVID 2,270 & Post-COVID 2,746; Living Word – Pre-COVID 2,106 & Post-COVID 2,507; Mid-Atlantic – Pre-COVID 7,619 & 8,540; and Southwest (REC) – Pre-COVID 1,579 & Post-COVID 1,901.

After suffering pandemic losses, several ACNA dioceses have recovered their Pre-COVID numbers in 2023 but then dropped below their Pre-COVID figure in 2024 including: Cascadia – 1,357 (2019), 1,534 (2023), 1,070 (2024); and Great Lakes – 3,065 (2019), 3,185 (2023), 3,012 (2024).

Thirteen dioceses have yet to recover their Pre-COVID 2019 numbers reflected in their latest 2024 figures, including: All Saints 1,290 & 1,109; Canada (ANiC) 7,563 & 5,159; Fort Worth 9,559 & 9,110; Gulf Atlantic 7,637 & 6,684; Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (REC) 1,724 & 975; Pittsburgh 6,933 & 5,305; San Joaquin 3,172 & 2,392; South Carolina 20,475 & 17,103; Southeast (REC) 2,209 & 1,482; Upper Midwest 3,131 & 2,601; Western Anglicans 3,295 & 2,844; Western Gulf Coast 3,172 & 2,090; and the Armed Forces Chaplaincy 456 in 2020 & 228 in 2024.

Church-wide ACNA figures show that following the pandemic 11,838 people are now showing up for the principal Sunday service in 2024 than they did at the start of the COVID lockdowns. That's a 14% overall increase in church attendance.

Some dioceses posted an increase in active Post-COVID participation. Dioceses which have more people in the pews in 2024 than in 2019 are: Carolinas 1,197 (+23.2%); Central States (REC) 230 (+29.3%); Christ for the Sake of Others (C4SO) 2,487 (+30.1%); Christ Our Hope 2,646 (+56.2%); Cascadia 132 (+13.6%); Living Word 424 (+27.7%); Mid-America (REC) 490 (+32.6%); Mid-Atlantic 843 (+14.6%); New England 15 (+0.9%); Rocky Mountains 1,333 (35.7%); South 780 (16.3%); Southwest 2,063 (125.8%); Western Anglicans 288 (13.3%); and Quincy 2,529 (204.7%).

When releasing ANCA’s latest stats Calley Mangum, ACNA’s Content & Media Relations Manager emailed VOL to explain why some numbers might look somewhat skewered.

“A couple caveats to please keep in mind…” she wrote.

“Some of the larger jumps and drops in numbers over the past few years were caused by the mergers or closures of Dioceses. We intend to more clearly indicate that reporting going forward,” she explained.

The two dioceses which have faded into ACNA history include the International Diocese in 2024, under Bishop Bill Atwood, and the Via Apostolica Missionary District in Canada (ANiC) in 2023. Also: All Nations, formerly CANA-West, joined the ACNA fold in 2023.

“Some Dioceses may look a bit off due to lower reporting responses in the prior years. We continue to work toward 100% participation, which will impact Year-Over-Year comparisons going forward.2024 Congregational Report,” shje said.

Dioceses showing empty pews which have not yet achieved full Post-COVID Sunday participation include: All Saints -108 (-13.8%); Canada -2,404 (-31.7%); Fort Worth -188 (-3.9%); Great Lakes -28 (-1.3%); Gulf Atlantic -638 (-13.6%); Northeast & Mid Atlantic (REC) -401 (-35.9%); Pittsburgh -217 (-5.2%); San Joaquin -267 (-16.1%); South Carolina -247 (-2.7%); Southeast (REC) -721 (-46.1%); Upper Midwest -481 (-16.7%); Western Gulf Coast -730 (-31.1%).

While membership is important, the percentage of church attendance can fluctuate wildly. During the COVID years ACNA had its lowest percentage of attendance (APSA) at 47.5%. This later rebounded to 73.9% in the Post-COVID era.

Five dioceses’ post-COVID percentages hit triple digits. They had more people attending services than many who signed on the dotted line as members. Those dioceses are: the Armed Forces Chaplaincy at 109% up from a COVID low of 50.6%; Cascadia at 102.7% up from 64.1%; Christ for the Sake of Others (C4SO) 104.8% up from a COVID 65.9%; Quincy at 100.2% up from 50.7%; and Rocky Mountains at 100.2% up from 67.5% during COVID.

A few dioceses’ attendance percentages went backwards. Their highest attendance percentage came during COVID including: Christ Our Hope’s high water mark was 90% during COVID it's down to 83.3% in 2024; Gulf Atlantic was 63.3% during COVID but sits at 60.3% in 2025; New England had a Pre-COVID percentage of 76.6% which has dropped to 67.1% in the Post-COVID era; South peaked in 2020 at 93.1% which has now dropped to 87.6% in 2024; Southeast’s (REC) 71.7% benchmark came during COVID, the percentage is now down to 68.5% in 2025; and although Upper Midwest has a Post-COVID attendance percentage of 91.8% its peak percentage of 96.5% came in 2020 during COVID.

The remaining dioceses' attendance percentages dropped during COVID only to recover once the pandemic was over. They include: All Saints 53% to 60.4%; Canada (ANiC) 43.5% to 89.3%; Carolinas 46.1% to 64.1%; Central States (REC) 55.1% to 69.3%; Great Lakes 53.2% to 70.9%; Living Word 59.2% to 77.9%; Mid-America (REC) 58.8% to 72.4%; Mid-Atlantic 44.2% to 77.3%; Northeast & Mid-Atlantic (REC) 53% to 73.3%; Southwest 40% to 70.4%; Western Anglicans 54.8% to 85.6%; and Western Gulf Coast 48.5% to 77.5%.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.