The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-04-04
Religious Denominations OF she
UMitea States.

The number of religious sects in the Unit
ed States is twenty, without counting the Chi
nese Budhists in California. or suudry minor
Christian denominations. The whole nun
Der of edifices is about thirty. six thousand,
capable OF accommodating fourteen millions
of persons The total value of the church
property held by these twenty denomna,
tions, is nearly ninety millions Of dollars, in
exact numbers $50, ,4i6,639. The average
value of each:church and its appurtenances is
twenty-lour hundred dollars. These tactss
which are derived from official tables for the
census, explode another false notion, wh;on
is, that there is too much luxury aud wealth
in American churches.
The most numerous sect in the United
States is the Methodists, the second Babtst,
and the third the Presbyterians. The first
has church accommodations for over four
millions of worshipers: in other words, the
Methodists have houses of worship tor one
sixth Of the entire population. The Babtists
have accommodations for more than three
millions, and the PAsbyterans for more
than two. The fourth sect, in the extent of
its accommodations, is the Congreg st'onal,
the fifth Episcopalian, and the sixth the Ro-
|
belonging to the three leading denomina'
tions does not always follow this propotion
however. The Methodists, for example
while they can accommodate but twice as
many worshipers as the Presbyteians, have
three times as many churches. Tne Roman
Catholics, though sixth on the listas regards
Accommodations, stand seventh in the number
of their churches. Of the principle sects
that which has the smallest edfces for wor.
ship, is the Methodists, and those which have
the largest are the Unitarians and Dutcf
Reformed. The smallest denomination il
the Swedenborgian, and the next the Mon
MONTE. There are no less than fiity-tWt
Tunker churches, and thirty-ive Thousand
worshipers. The Friends, 50 numerous il
this city, have Accommodations for abou
three hundred thousand, or but little mor'
than one hundreth of the entire population o
the United States.
The richest demon nation is the Methodist
which is set down in the census tables a
$14,635,636. The next is the Presbyterian
which is rated at $l4,369,S ,Ss9. The Eps
} copal, which in number of churches stand
: fifth, ranks third for its church property, be
ing estimated at l1,26l $40; the fourth is tn
Babtist, $40, 93l 1882, the fifth the Roma
: Catolic, 8, 973 .S33; and the six the Congrega
n tional ,S7, ,713, 962. Ofthese varions sects thu
, two who sympathize the most in doctrine
arc the Congregationalists and Presbyterian
both adherring to the Westminster Ca
echism, and differing only in their form (
government, the tone being republican
Y and the other Democratic. Together thes
It sects have over 5000 churches, can SCI
e nearly 100000 of worshipers, and hol
: church property to the value Of more tina
. $22 100000.
il The'sect whose average value ofprol
is erty ranks highest, is the Unitarian. Ne:
d comes the Dutch Reformed, and next Il
!, Jewish. The Swedenborgians, Roms
= Catholics and Episcopalians follow in Il
n order named. OF the leading denomin
II tions, the Mee.hedists stand the highist {
# the list, the Babtst next, while the Presb
:. terians and Congregationalists hold the mi
:, die place.--Philadelphia Leadger
w