NASHVILLE, TENN.

Large churches may get lots of press, produce CDs, host great workshops and have highly visible preachers, but such churches are, in actuality, a small minority of congregations and of members in churches of Christ.

The reality is that the total membership of the 47 churches of 1,000 or more in our fellowship (expressed by attendance figures) is 66,138, or only 5 percent of the total membership in churches of Christ.

So says the 2003 edition of Churches of Christ in the United States, compiled by Mac Lynn.

By comparison, 405,097 of our total 1.26 million members, or 32 percent, worship in congregations of 99 members or less.

Congregations of 99 or less number 9,263, or 70 percent of the total number of congregations — 13,198.

Other findings of the directory include:

•Congregations of 500 to 999 members number 190 with a total membership of 122,179.

•Congregations of 300 to 499 members number 515 with a total membership of 187,900.

• Congregations of 200 to 299 members number 726 with a total membership of 168,794.

• Congregations of 100-199 members number 2,359 with a total membership of 313,950.