The United Methodist Church reports that its overall membership remained flat in 2001, as overseas growth offset a decline in numbers in the United States. The United Methodist News Service reported membership of 9.8 million, with 8.3 million of those members in the U.S.

Weekly attendance topped 3.5 million for the first time in more than five years, the News Service reported, a gain of 59,000 per week compared to 2000 figures. The gain may have been a reflection of the post-Sept. 11 boom in church attendance, the report said. The denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration compiled the numbers.

The church also launched its "Igniting Ministry" hospitality and outreach program at that time.

The primary growth area for church membership was outside the U.S., with gains in Africa, Philippines and Europe impacting the rolls. In 2001, international membership grew from 1.4 million to 1.5 million.

Within the U.S., Methodist membership is highest in the Southeastern Jurisdiction (2.9 million), followed by the South Central (1.8 million), North Central (1.6 million), Northeastern (1.5 million) and Western (less than 500,000).

"Our local church reports from the past five years present clear challenges for our denomination, particularly in view of U.S. population projections through the year 2010," said Don House, an economist from Bryan, Texas, and a member of the general council. "To retain our current overall membership concentration (which is 3 percent of the U.S. population), we must turn an average loss of 40,000 members per year to an average gain of 70,000 per year."