Australian Christian Churches: Growing and Slowing

Since the late 1970s the ACC (formally AOG) has been one of Australia's fastest growing denominations.

From 1977-2007 attendances grew from 9,446 people to 215,000. A staggering 2276%. The number of churches grew from 152 to 1120 — or 736%.

Around 2007 the rate of growth in attendances and number of churches slowed.

Since 2008 growth in the number of constituents was still a very healthy 20,407 people, or 9.4%.

Yet for the first time in it's 75 year history the ACC has gone backwards in the number of churches.

The ACC peaked in 2008 at 1133 churches. Three years later the number of churches had slipped to 1073.

The decline is around 5% — modest when compared to most other denominations, but a dramatic decline when compared to the ACC's history of explosive growth since the late 1970s.

The number of people attending ACC services is still growing. Yet history shows that no movement can sustain growth in numbers of people without increasing the numbers of churches.

Growing movements plant churches.