The Shasta courier., 1855-07-07
Religious Denominations of the United
States.

We often hear it said, that, if there were fewer
religious denominations i'll tile United States
there would be sufficient church aCcolnmoda-
tions for everybody. The argument is partic
ular favorite with certain class of persons,
when they are solicited to subscribe for the
ton of houses of worship but in face of this
round assertion, there are in the entire country
of twenty-six millions church accommodations
Tor only fourteen millions Allowing three mil
lions for children too young to 60 TO church, it
follows that one-third OF the entire population
have church to 60 To, even If they were SO
disposed.
The number of religious sects in the United
States is twenty, without counting the Chinese
Budhists in California, or sundry minor Christian
denominations. The whole number of edi6ces
of worship is about thiIiy-six thousand, capable
of containing as we have seen fourteen millions
of people. The total value of the church prop
erty held by these twenty denominations. is
merely ninety millions OF dollars in exact num-
Der $S6.4l6,639. The average value of each
church and its appurtenances is twenty four hun
dred dollars. These facts, which are derived
from official tables for the census, explode an
other false notion, which is that there is too
much luxury and wealth in American churches
The most numerous sect III the United States
is the Methodist, the SECOND the Baptsts. and
the third the Presbyterians The first has church
accommodations for over four millions of wor-
shippers in other words, the Methcdists have
houses OF worship for onesixth of the entire pop
ulation. The Baptists have accommodations for
more than three millions, and the Presbyterans
for more than two. The fourth sect, in the ex-
tent of its accommodations, is the Congregations
al, the fifth the Episcopalian, and the sixth the
Roman Catholic. The number of churches be.
longing to the three denominations does not al
ways follow this proportion however. The
Methodists for example, while they can accom-
modate but twice as many worshippers as he
Presbyterians, have three times as many churches
The Roman Catholics, though sixth on the list as
regards accommodations, stand seventh in the
number OF their churches OF the principle sects,
that which has the smallest edifces for worship
is the Methodist and those which have the lar
gest, are the Unitarians and Dutch Reformed
The smallest denomination is the Sweedeubor-
sian, and the next the Mennonite. There are no
less than fiity-two Tunker churches, and thirty
five thousand worshippers. The Friends, so nu-
merous in this city, have accommodations for
about three hundred thousand, or but little more
than one hundrel1 of the entire population of the
United States. -e-
The richest denomination is the Methodist,
which is set down in the census tables at $l4,
63067l. The next is the Presbyterian, which
is rated at Sl4,369.SS9. The Episcopal which
in number of churches stands fifth, ranks third
for It's church property being estimated at sl1.-
26l $40, The fourth is the Baptist, Sll 93l 1882;
the nth the Roman Catholic, 81 ,973,962 OF
these various sects, the two which sympalhse
the most IN doctrine, are the Congrega,ionalist
and Presbyterians-bo,h adhere to the West.
mins'ral Calhechism, and differing only in their
form Of government, The one being republican,
the other democratic. Together these two sects
have over sixihousand churches, can seat nearly
three millions of worshippers. and hold church
property TO the value of more than twenty-five
m'illons.-Ledger.