First published as the Federal Council Year Book in 1916, The Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches is a comprehensive descriptive and statistical listing of major religious bodies and other important religion-related organizations in the U.S. and Canada.
The Yearbook's data serves as an authoritative source for the United States Census Bureau's ranking of largest religious groups, and for the Encyclopædia Britannica's listing of largest churches in the U.S.A. A historic archive compact disc was produced in 2000 which compiles previous editions' statistics for comparative and longitudinal analysis.
Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, a historian of American religious traditions, Presbyterian minister and former staff member of the National Council of Churches USA.
Dr. Lindner writes a yearly analysis of church statistical data charting much-watched trends in growth and decline, and the theme chapter which describes a significant feature of the contemporary religious landscape.
The Yearbook's 75th edition, released in March 2007, highlighted the growth of Pentecostal churches on the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles.