TO: Clerks of Session
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
SUBJECT: Statistical Report to the General Assembly for 2006

Dear brothers:

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us. Once again it is time to gather statistics from each church and mission work and presbytery. The General Assembly's Standing Rules specify that the Statistician "shall collect and compile statistical reports of the regional churches for the fiscal year ending December 31 and the information required by the Form of Government Chapter XIV, Section 6, and provide them in combined form to the Stated Clerk at least six weeks prior to the General Assembly, for presentation to the Assembly" (S.R. III.C.1). Further, the Statistician "shall prepare, and present to the General Assembly each year, explanation and analyses of the statistical reports for a meaningful understanding of them by the Assembly" (S.R. III.C.2).

The 2006 Statistical Report form is available in Excel and PDF. If you do not use Excel, but can print the file, simply fill in the printed form and mail it to me. You can download the free Microsoft Excel Viewer here.

The membership totals you report for December 31, 2005 should match those previously reported. You can find your report for 2005 summarized in the Yearbook section of the Minutes of the Seventy-third General Assembly (2006). If you find that the membership totals for 2005 were incorrect, please make the necessary corrections in this year's report and provide a brief explanation for the change(s).

Do not include any ministers in local church membership statistics even though they may have communicant fellowship in the congregation. A minister's membership is in the regional church, where he is counted separately on the roll of the presbytery.

Be careful to report all benevolence contributions separately from general offerings, as explained on the form. Only in this way can we obtain an accurate summation of benevolence giving.

Please send me your report by February 17, 2007. This gives you time to gather your data and report it, and me the time I will need to compile reports from more than 300 congregations and 16 presbyteries, correct errors and omissions, and provide the "explanation and analyses" expected of the Statistician.

May the Lord bless you and your congregation in 2007.

Sincerely in Christ,
Luke E. Brown
OPC Statistician
1585 Bauman Dr.
Maple Glen, PA 19002-3215
brown.1@opc.org