From Wyoming-
Pastor Eric Snyder steps down from the dais at Zion Congregational Church.
As he makes his way to the center of the room, he asks for names of those in the congregation who have died this year so that he can include them in his service. He collects the 12 or so names in his careful handwriting, checking the spelling of each before retreating back to the dais to read before a moment of silence.
His list is slightly longer than he expected, and the moment of silence is a heavy one.
Snyder was only recently selected as the pastor at Zion, a congregation founded in 1923 in south Cheyenne. He is fresh out of seminary and just 31 years old. Of the 50 or so regular parishioners at Zion Congregational, most fall into the 65 and older category. Gray hair dominates the room, making Snyder's close crop of red hair distinctive as he moves among the pews.
Next door to the church, Snyder's wife runs a small Bible study during the service for the handful of young children with relatives in the church. Snyder's daughter, age 3, and his 1--year--old son make up about two--thirds of the group.
Between 2001 and 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that membership in congregational churches like Zion dropped from about 1.3 million in the U.S. to about 736,000.
More here-
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2011/11/13/news/01top%2011-13-11.txt
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