The landmark figure originates from the Business and Records office at the International Offices in Cleveland, Tennessee, and is derived from reports submitted from states and regions, and from Church of God World Missions which corresponds with leaders from the 192 countries in addition to the U.S. and Canada where the Church of God has a presence.
The statistical report with the global membership figures also includes the number of churches (50,737 worldwide), credentialed ministers (54,295), Bible schools/colleges/universities (120), number of students (38,625), and spiritual results including conversions, water baptisms, sermons preached, etc. as reported by ministers each month.
The 10 million+ membership figure, while significant, is actually higher when considering the number of people who attend a Church of God congregation, mission, or house church each week. That number has been estimated at more than 15 million and does not include numbers from countries where churches meet underground or do not have an organized reporting system.
“This is a significant milestone for our church and verifies the growth taking place around the globe,” stated General Overseer Gary Lewis. “We give God the glory for how He has been blessing our movement and recognize that this growth comes from the dedication and commitment of our pastors and laypersons who have a burden for the Harvest.”