Top 15 Reporting Religious Bodies
Abilene, TX
Church, Christian, or Religious Body Adherents (and rank) Congregations
in 2000 in 1990 in 2000 in 1990
Southern Baptist Convention 42,878 (1)   43,439 (1)   40 40
Churches of Christ 12,004 (2)   11,574 (2)   41 38
United Methodist Church, The 10,101 (3)   10,290 (3)   19 18
Catholic Church, The 8,352 (4)   7,152 (4)   5 5
Presbyterian Church (USA) 1,533 (5)   1,452 (7)   2 3
Independent, Non-Charismatic Churches 1,400 (6)   1,950 (6)   1 2
Episcopal Church 1,111 (7)   1,253 (8)   2 2
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada 1,076 (8)   970 (9)   2 2
Assemblies of God 1,020 (9)   933 (10)   9 9
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The 827 (10)   792 (12)   2 2
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod 657 (11)   824 (11)   2 2
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 602 (12)   597 (13)   1 1
Church of the Nazarene 500 (13)   503 (14)   3 3
Independent, Charismatic Churches 400 (14)   350 (15)   1 1
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel 392 (15)   292 (16)   4 3

Metropolitan Population, 2000 Census:   126,555
Percent of Population Claimed by
Reporting Groups:
  67.1%

National Average: 50.2% claimed

Reporting Groups (149 possible): 34 (32 of 133 in 1990)
Total Reported Adherents: 84,905 (86,791 in 1990)
Total Reported Congregations: 159 (151 in 1990)

The metro area included 1 county (or equivalent) at the time of the 2000 census:
  Taylor County, TX
The newly published book Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000 includes a CD that allows users to determine such lists for any selected group of counties.
Source: Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000
Churches and Church Membership in the United States 1990
Both studies, copyrighted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, are published by the Glenmary Research Center, Nashville, Tenn. More information is available at www.glenmary.org/grc.