So, as far as population counts go, is there any church that can offer an accurate count?

I've seen the LDS church auditing report, and, granted that many "members" aren't actively practising (if they did at all), at least they can differentiate between converts and children born to existing members in any given year. Further, their organization and building program would suggest that, at a minimum, they have half as many practising members as they claim, and that must be living to make the buildings worth the expense.

And, as I said earlier, is there any real need to keep track of these membership numbers? You suggest marketing--it certainly does get one's religion listed in the "fastest growing," "largest," etc. lists of various magazines. Is that the only reason for the count?

If numbers fell, say, for the Southern Baptist Convention, would it create a feeling among members that something were theologically wrong? Would it create a sense among those looking at joining the congregation that it was somehow failed, false, or otherwise unworthy of their attention?

In short, are all churches required, de facto, to report ever-growing numbers in order to maintain and gain more followers?