TABLE OF ESTIMATED SIZE OF
THE PROTESTANT MOVEMENT
IN COSTA RICA, MAY 2001

Produced by Clifton L. Holland, Director of PROLADES

(Last Revised: January 29, 2002)


TRADITIONS – FAMILIES - DENOMINATIONS

NUMBER OF CONG.

% OF TOTAL CONG.

ESTIMATED MEMBER- SHIP

MEMBER- SHIP AS % OF TOTAL

ESTIMATED PROT. COM- MUNITY
1.0 LITURGICAL TRADITION (Formerly were "Established Churches" or State Churches in Europe)

62

2.2%

4,720

1.7%

9,440
1.1 LUTHERAN FAMILY

9

  

600

  

1,200
Costa Rican Lutheran Church (Spanish-speaking)

7

  

350

  

700
Lutheran Association for Social and Evangelistic Action

1

  

50

  

100
Lutheran Church in Costa Rica (German-speaking)

1

  

200

  

400
1.2 REFORMED/PRESBYTERIAN FAMILY

36

  

3,470

  

6,940
Christian Reformed Church

3

  

360

  

720
Fraternity of Costa Rican Evangelical Churches (PCUSA-related)

19

  

1,700

  

3,400
Genesis Presbyterian Church

10

  

1,000

  

2,000
Korean Presbyterian Churches 

2

  

310

  

620
Other Reformed/Presbyterian Churches

2

  

100

  

200
1.3 ANGLICAN/EPISCOPAL FAMILY

17

  

650

  

1,300
Episcopal/Anglican Church

17

  

650

  

1,300
2.0 SEPARATIST TRADITION
 ("Free Church" Origin)

539

19.4%

49,124

17.3%

98,248
2.1 MENNONITE FAMILY OF CHURCHES

28

  

3,650

  

7,300
Conservative Mennonite Conference (related to Rosedale Mennonite Missions)

21

3,000

6,000
Religious Society of Friends-Quakers

2

  

100

  

200
Other Anabaptist-Mennonite Churches (example: Colony Mennonites, independent churches, etc.)

5

  

550

  

1,100
2.2 BAPTIST FAMILY OF CHURCHES

238

  

22,436

  

44,872
American Baptist Association, Missionary Committee (Walter Goulding)

33

  

2,880

  

5,760
Churches related to Baptist Bible Fellowship International (6 church associations)

28

  

3,500

  

7,000
Baptist Convention of Costa Rica (related to American Baptist Churches in the USA)

27

  

1,400

  

2,800
Baptist Missionary Association of America Churches (Robert Heflin)

20

  

2,200

  

4,400
Emmanuel Baptist Churches (Bill Murdock, affiliated with Baptist International Missions)

2

200

400
Jamaican & Central American Baptist Mission (Conservative Baptist Home Mission Society-related)

6

500

1,000
National Union of Baptist Churches
(related to Southern Baptist Convention in USA)

24

  

1,876

  

3,752
World Baptist Fellowship Churches (Bill Tabor)

23

  

2,380

  

4,620
Other Baptist churches (independent--not a denomination)

75

  

7,500

  

15,000
2.3 PIETIST FAMILY OF CHURCHES

56

  

5,950

  

11,900
Methodist Church of Costa Rica (United Methodist-related)

50

  

5,000

  

10,000
Methodist Church in the Caribbean & the Americas (British Wesleyan Methodist tradition)

3

300

600
Moravian Church

3

  

600

  

1,200
Evangelical Free Church

1

  

50

  

100
2.4 INDEPENDENT FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCHES

81

  

6,525

  

13,050
Association of Central American Evangelical Churches (CAMI-related)

69

  

5,925

  

11,850
Plymouth Brethren (Brethren Assemblies, Canada: reported to exist but not found)

8

  

400

  

800
Witness Lee-related churches (reported to exist but not found)

4

  

200

  

400
2.5 HOLINESS FAMILY OF CHURCHES

74

  

4,809

  

9.618
Christian & Missionary Alliance

4

  

550

  

1,100
Church of God (Anderson, IN)

10

  

702

  

1,404
Church of the Nazarene

33

  

2,006

  

4,012
Free Methodist Church

5

  

300

  

600
Salvation Army

5

  

551

  

1,102
Pillar of Fire Ministerial Assoc.

7

  

700

  

1,400
2.6 RESTORATION MOVEMENT CHURCHES

59

  

3,704

  

7,408
Christian Church/Disciples of Christ

14

  

1,029

  

2,058
Churches of Christ (fellowship of independent churches-Ray Bynum)

40

  

2,400

  

4,800
Church of Christ-Christian (Shelton)

4

  

175

  

350
Christian Congregational Church

1

  

100

  

200
2.7 OTHER SEPARATIST CHURCHES (unclassified)

2

2,050

4,100
3.0 ADVENTIST TRADITION

151

5.4%

32,800

11.6%

65,600
Seventh-Day Adventist Church

132

  

31,350

  

62,700
Seventh-Day Adventist Reform Movement

8

  

400

  

800
Church of God Seventh-Day

10

  

1,000

  

2,000
Worldwide Church of God

1

  

50

  

100
4.0 PENTECOSTAL TRADITION

1,769

63.7%

169,890

60.0%

339,780
4.01 APOSTOLIC PENTECOSTAL FAMILY (none)

--

  

--

  

--
4.02 PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS FAMILY

639

  

39,774

  

79,548
Church of God (Cleveland, TN)

380

  

19,000

  

38,000
Church of God of Prophesy

63

  

2,500

  

5,000
Congregational Holiness Church

22

  

1,250

  

2,500
Council of National Evangelical Churches (includes 6 churches that were part of Elim Assemblies, 1988 merger)

45

  

4,768

  

9,536
Free Will Baptist Pentecostal Churches

30

  

2,556

  

5,112
Pentecostal Church of Faith and Holiness

18

  

1,800

  

2,600
Pentecostal Holiness Church

78

  

7,600

  

15,200
Other Pentecostal Holiness churches

3

  

300

  

600
4.03 JESUS-ONLY (ONENESS) PENTECOSTAL FAMILY

69

  

5,900

  

11,800
Apostolic Assembly of Faith in Jesus Christ

35

  

3,550

  

7,100
United Pentecostal Church

32

  

2,250

  

4,500
Other Apostolic churches

2

  

100

  

200
4.04 FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST PENTECOSTAL FAMILY

700

  

63,330

  

126,660
Assemblies of God (USA-related)

326

  

46,890

  

93,780
International Church of Foursquare Gospel

99

  

5,940

  

11,880
International Pentecostal Church, Worldwide Missionary Movement (Puerto Rico)

140

  

5,000

  

10,000
Pentecostal Church of God
 (Puerto Rico)

121

  

4,000

  

8,000
Prince of Peace Pentecostal Churches

11

  

1,200

  

2,400
Other Finished Work Pentecostal churches

3

  

300

  

600
4.05 SABBATICAL PENTECOSTAL FAMILY

13

  

800

  

1,600
International Evangelical Church, Soldiers of the Cross of Christ (formerly known as Gideonites)

13

  

800

  

1,600
4.06 DELIVERANCE & HEALING PENTECOSTAL FAMILY

117

  

29,251

  

58,502
Association of Christian Churches (Jorge Borbón)

32

3,500

7,000
Christian Centers of San José (Panamerican Mission) 7 1,200 2,400
Crusade of Faith (Ramiro Mijangos)

10

1,171

2,342
Maranatha Church (Oscar Coto)

8

800

1,600
The Rose of Sharon Christian Mission (Luís Madrigal)

8

15,000

30,000
Transworld Missions (Christian Centers-Manuel Tijerino)

17

  

4,000

  

8,000
Wesleyan Pentecostal Holiness Church

29

2,930

5,860
Other Deliverance Pentecostal Churches

6

650

1,300
4.07 LATTER-RAIN PENTECOSTAL FAMILY (unknown)

--

        
4.08 CHARISMATIC PENTECOSTAL FAMILY

7

950

1,900
Vineyard Christian Fellowship

3

500

1,000
Other Charismatic Pentecostal churches

4

  

450

  

900
4.09 SHEPHERDING PENTECOSTAL FAMILY

8

  

4,115

  

8,230
Independent Churches

7

  

1,015

  

2,030
International Charismatic Mission (Colombia)

1

  

3,100

  

6,200
4.10 WORD OF FAITH PENTECOSTAL FAMILY (none)

--

        
4.11 UNCLASSIFIED INDEPENDENT PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES

216

  

25,770

  

51,540
5.0 MIXED TRADITIONS (PENTECOSTAL & NON-PENTECOSTAL)

134

4.8%

8,772

3.1%

17,544
Costa Rican Bible Church Association (LAM-related)

134

8,772

17,544
6.0 OTHER PROTESTANT CHURCHES/UNCLASSIFIED

124

4.5%

18,050

6.4%

36,100
TOTALS (Estimated for May 2000)

2,779

100%

283.356

100%

566,712
TOTAL POPULATION:  mid-2000 = 3,824,593 (100%)    

7.4%

  

**14.8%

**NOTE:  According to a recent public opinion poll on religious affiliation in Costa Rica, about 16% of the total population is "Protestant" (CID-Gallup Poll, July 1999), which is about 608,000 persons (3.8 million X 16% = "Protestant Population"); therefore, the Protestant "membership" to "population" ratio is about 1:2.26 ("membership" X 2.26 = "Protestant Population"). The "Estimated Protestant Community" represents those who are "affiliated" with Protestant churches, whether active or inactive members, those who attend but are not "members" (regardless of the frequency of attendance), including the minor children (under 12 years of age) of members and non-members, as well as other relatives and friends who attend worship services and other church activities occasionally. However, it appears that only about half of those who claim that they are "Protestants" (or Evangelicals) actually attend worship services at least once each year, which means that the other half of the Protestant population is even less active: "nominal Protestantism" is alive and well in Costa Rica.

SOURCES: PROLADES national church growth survey of Costa Rica, March 1, 2000 to October 30, 2001; Coordinator, Clifton L. Holland, Director of PROLADES.

PROLADES
Apartado 1524-2050, San Pedro, Costa Rica
E-Mail: prolades@racsa.co.cr