The Spanish explorers who laid claim to (but did not settle in) Colorado were Roman Catholic, but the first American settlers were mostly Methodists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. Some evangelical groups sought to proselytize the early mining camps during the mid-19th century.
Roman Catholics comprise the single largest religious group in the state, with 752,505 adherents in 298 congregations in 2000. The United Methodist Church, which was the 2nd-largest Protestant denomination in 1990, slipped down to 4th in 2000 with 77,286 adherents in 222 congregations. The 2nd-largest group is the Latter-day Saints with 92,326 adherents in 243 congregations, followed by the Southern Baptist Convention with 85,083 adherents in 243 congregations.
There were about 72,000 adherents in the Jewish community in 2000. The same year, there were about 72 Buddhist, 7 Hindu, and 12 Muslim congregations in the state. About 60.5% of the population were not counted as members of any religious organization.
The World Evangelical Fellowship and the Focus on the Family are both headquartered in Colorado Springs.