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Page 6 of 11 Historical Growth Patterns
The church began with 12 members in 1877, and in 1882 there were only 13 members. Growth was rapid under C. I. Scofield's ministry, so that the average Sunday School attendance was about 400 by the time he resigned for other ministries. In addition to the average attendance at the main church, there were two satellite churches that had been formed.
The transition time was difficult for the church, and by the time that Dr. Chafer became pastor in 1924, the average attendance for Sunday School was down to about 150, and both satellite churches had been consolidated into the founding church. The church rebounded to around 180 by 1927 when Dr. Roper became pastor. Under Dr. Roper's leadership, the church soon grew to over 350, and after moving to the new location at Swiss and Carroll during the two decades of the 50's and 60's the average Sunday School attendance was typically between 550 and 650.
The neighborhood was beginning to decline at the Swiss and Carroll location adjacent to Dallas Theological Seminary. (Several older members testified that car batteries were often stolen during the Sunday evening services!) There was some talk of relocating, but the discussion was settled permanently in 1975 when the church sanctuary burned down on Christmas Eve. Transition issues and the declining neighborhood had caused the attendance to slip to just around 500, and it remained this size during the years the church met at Dallas Theological Seminary.
In 1979, the new facility at 7730 Abrams was ready, and the church moved into the "sanctanasium" as Pastor Neil called it. Attendance came back to the 600's for Sunday school, and in the late 80's the church averaged between 800 and 900 in attendance and needed more space. The worship center was built which would seat 1200, and though it has been filled from time to time with special events, the church has never averaged more than 1017 (the average for 1993) in attendance in Sunday school.
The transition after the resignation of Dr. Neil Ashcraft has been difficult for the church. Attendance has gone from an average of 1017 in 1993 to an average of 555 for the first half of 2003.
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