Membership in the Christian Science Church has been steadily declining for 45 years. The first table lists the total number of practitioners and teachers in each state, which has declined an average of about 5% per year. The second table lists the number of churches, which has declined about 2% per year. Through 2005, these figures were obtained by manually counting the number of listings in the Christian Science Journal. The 2009, 2013, and 2016 numbers were extracted from the listings in the church’s online directory. Practitioners listed in more than one state were tabulated only in the state used as their primary address. The 2016 online directory also listed 432 “nurses” in the United States.
Christian Science contends that illness is an illusion caused by faulty beliefs and that prayer heals by replacing bad thoughts with good ones. Christian Science practitioners work by trying to argue the sick thoughts out of the patient’s mind. Consultations can take place in person, by telephone, or even by mail. Individuals may also be able to attain correct beliefs by themselves through prayer or concentration. There is no scientific evidence that Christian Science methods influence the course of any disease. The steady membership decline is not surprising because the church’s doctrines have little appeal to modern youth.
Practitioners and Teachers
| Date | 1/71 | 1/76 | 1/79 | 2/91 | 2/96 | 9/05 | 2/16 |
| U.S. Total | 4,965 | 4,302 | 3,878 | 2,237 | 1,802 | 1161 | 942 |
| Alabama | 19 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Alaska | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Arizona | 57 | 66 | 67 | 29 | 44 | 32 | 22 |
| Arkansas | 20 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| California | 1,246 | 1,087 | 986 | 571 | 435 | 259 | 180 |
| Colorado | 84 | 70 | 68 | 42 | 43 | 32 | 35 |
| Connecticut | 61 | 62 | 54 | 35 | 26 | 17 | 13 |
| Delaware | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Florida | 376 | 336 | 311 | 210 | 182 | 90 | 65 |
| Georgia | 51 | 40 | 34 | 26 | 23 | 16 | 16 |
| Hawaii | 8 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Idaho | 11 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 8 |
| Illinois | 314 | 241 | 204 | 106 | 77 | 46 | 33 |
| Indiana | 77 | 67 | 55 | 30 | 18 | 9 | 9 |
| Iowa | 32 | 29 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Kansas | 45 | 41 | 38 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
| Kentucky | 24 | 19 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Louisiana | 31 | 28 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Maine | 28 | 25 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 20 |
| Maryland | 49 | 44 | 44 | 36 | 25 | 16 | 23 |
| Massachusetts | 295 | 272 | 247 | 152 | 124 | 101 | 97 |
| Michigan | 187 | 164 | 124 | 72 | 51 | 35 | 32 |
| Minnesota | 47 | 43 | 4w1 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 11 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Missouri | 134 | 107 | 99 | 58 | 45 | 36 | 37 |
| Montana | 14 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Nebraska | 28 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Nevada | 13 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| New Hampshire | 56 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| New Jersey | 110 | 88 | 69 | 34 | 27 | 21 | 11 |
| New Mexico | 21 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| New York | 333 | 261 | 224 | 96 | 75 | 35 | 34 |
| North Carolina | 35 | 41 | 34 | 38 | 34 | 16 | 6 |
| North Dakota | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio | 194 | 168 | 147 | 80 | 61 | 34 | 19 |
| Oklahoma | 67 | 61 | 52 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 2 |
| Oregon | 112 | 105 | 90 | 51 | 49 | 32 | 28 |
| Pennsylvania | 133 | 107 | 96 | 29 | 25 | 14 | 11 |
| Rhode Island | 12 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| South Carolina | 13 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 7 |
| South Dakota | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 33 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Texas | 237 | 214 | 201 | 107 | 99 | 60 | 43 |
| Utah | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Vermont | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Virginia | 42 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 43 | 30 | 23 |
| Washington | 137 | 118 | 116 | 79 | 65 | 44 | 41 |
| West Virginia | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 75 | 65 | 64 | 34 | 30 | 22 | 15 |
| Wyoming | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 44 | 31 | 34 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 6 |
Churches
| Date | 1/71 | 1/76 | 1/79 | 8/86 | 2/91 | 2/96 | 2/03 | 9/05 | 12/09 | 1/13 | 2/16 |
| U.S. Total | 1,829 | 1,780 | 1,721 | 1,563 | 1,450 | 1,284 | 1,108 | 1,010 | 911 | 867 | 778 |
| Alabama | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Alaska | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Arizona | 10 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 16 |
| Arkansas | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| California | 327 | 310 | 298 | 273 | 238 | 225 | 194 | 174 | 162 | 154 | 140 |
| Colorado | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| Connecticut | 27 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
| Delaware | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Florida | 83 | 82 | 83 | 88 | 85 | 82 | 71 | 64 | 60 | 59 | 52 |
| Georgia | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Idaho | 12 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Illinois | 118 | 117 | 114 | 100 | 99 | 76 | 65 | 61 | 51 | 48 | 38 |
| Indiana | 55 | 51 | 46 | 38 | 34 | 32 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 18 |
| Iowa | 27 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Kansas | 32 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Kentucky | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Louisiana | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Maine | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Maryland | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
| Massachusetts | 72 | 70 | 69 | 65 | 61 | 51 | 49 | 43 | 43 | 39 | 35 |
| Michigan | 84 | 81 | 82 | 68 | 58 | 49 | 44 | 38 | 31 | 29 | 27 |
| Minnesota | 28 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Mississippi | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Missouri | 52 | 50 | 49 | 40 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 17 |
| Montana | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Nevada | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | 17 | 17 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 11 |
| New Jersey | 64 | 59 | 50 | 41 | 34 | 31 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
| New Mexico | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| New York | 137 | 127 | 121 | 107 | 93 | 79 | 67 | 57 | 48 | 46 | 37 |
| North Carolina | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| North Dakota | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio | 87 | 89 | 84 | 70 | 64 | 56 | 46 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 27 |
| Oklahoma | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Oregon | 43 | 43 | 38 | 36 | 35 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | 62 | 60 | 57 | 52 | 49 | 42 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 25 | 23 |
| Rhode Island | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| South Dakota | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Texas | 74 | 69 | 71 | 66 | 64 | 62 | 53 | 49 | 46 | 44 | 37 |
| Utah | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Vermont | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Virginia | 18 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 19 |
| Washington | 62 | 63 | 62 | 60 | 55 | 49 | 42 | 42 | 38 | 35 | 34 |
| West Virginia | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 48 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 40 | 35 | 29 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Wyoming | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| District of Columbia | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
This article was revised on March 13, 2016.
