Metro Atlanta is fertile ground for faith.

Even religious groups such as mainline Protestants that have steadily declined nationally are growing in metro Atlanta.

Between 1990 and 2000, the number of United Methodists increased by 20 percent, Episcopalians by 19 percent and Presbyterians by almost 9 percent.

And Catholics, once a small minority of Southern Christians, are neck-and-neck with United Methodists for second place in numbers behind Southern Baptists. Immigration both from the northern United States and from other countries contributed to the surge.

Catholics outnumber Methodists in Cobb, Gwinnett, Fayette, DeKalb, Rockdale and Clayton counties, according to a comprehensive county-by-county survey of religious membership around the country.

The number of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, also increased significantly, from 14,243 in 1990 to 22,229 in 2000.

Atlanta's Jewish population grew by almost a third, making it the fourth largest religious group in the region.

And Muslims are now the 10th largest religious group in metro Atlanta, according to the study, which estimates there are 32,469 Muslims. The area has 23 mosques.

The survey, conducted every 10 yeas by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies and published by the Glenmary Research Center, looks at more than 150 Christian and non-Christian groups.

Eastern religions are listed in the report only by numbers of congregations or temples, with 15 Buddhist, 10 Hindu, one Jain and three Sikh temples in metro Atlanta.

Overall, Atlanta is the 10th most diverse metro area in the United States, according to the study. Eighty-seven of the 149 participating groups are present in metro Atlanta.

ORGANIZATIONS

This list includes many of the major religious groups in the area. They can refer you to worship service locations and times.

African Methodist Episcopal Church. 404-524-8279, www.amec3000.org/6th_District/index.html

Assemblies of God. The Tabernacle, 404-284-5683.

Atlanta Jewish Federation. 404-873-1661, www.shalomatlanta.org

Buddhist instruction and practice. Drepung Loseling Institute, 404-982-0051, www.drepung.org/Index.cfm

BSS Hindu Temple, Clarkston. 404-297-0501, www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/america/ATLANTA.htm

Byzantine Catholic, Epiphany church. 770-993-0973, www.byzantines.net/epiphany

Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. 404-888-7801, www.archatl.com

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 1-800-755-0485, www.gadisciples.org

Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 6th District Headquarters. 404-752-7800, www.cmesonline.org/sixth.cgi

Christian Science Committee on Publication. 404-577-5624, www.christianscienceinfo.com/cop.htm

Church of God, state offices. 770-448-9300, www.ngacog.org

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 770-998-1301, www.mormon.org

Coptic Orthodox. St. Mary Church, 770-642-9727, www.suscopticdiocese.org/stmaryatlanta

Eastern Orthodox. St. Elias Antiochian, 404-378-8191, www.steliasofatlanta.org

Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. 404-601-5320, www.episcopalatlanta.org

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 404-589-1977. www.elca.org

Georgia Baptist Convention. 770-455-0404, www.gabaptist.org

Greek Orthodox Diocese of Atlanta. 404-634-9345, www.atlanta.goarch.org

Islamic. Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, 404-378-1600. www.atlantamasjid.com

Jain Society. 404-325-0627, www.jsgatemple.org

Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. 770-396-3250, www.atlantajcc.org

Moravian. First Moravian, 770-491-7250, www.gamoravian.org

Presbytery of Greater Atlanta/Presbyterian Church USA.404-898-0711, www.presbyteryofgreateratl.org

Quaker. 404-377-2474, www.quaker.org/atlanta

Russian Orthodox. 404-288-1556, www.stmaryofegypt.org

Seventh-day Adventists, Southern Union Conference. 404-299-1832, www.southernunion.com

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. 404-634-5134, www.uuca.org

United Church of Christ, Southeast Conference. 404-607-1993, www.secucc.org

United Methodist Center. 1-800-277-4322 or 678-533-1399, www.ngumc.org