The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-06-07
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

The largest national church in the
world is the Greek Church of Russia,
with over forty millions in its ranks.
The Third Congregational Church in
San Franci-co has voted, hy a large
majority, TO r. ceive several Cniness
converts into ful membership.
Catharine Hampton, of the Christian
order, is preaching TO large and inter
ested congregations m Southern Indi
ana and Kentucky.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
owns and contro.s siXty-One cUlleg, :,
which is more than any other deHom-
ina,iun in the United States. The Ro-
man Catholics have fifsy-eighl, which
is the next highest number.
A writer in The 1niericttit BdptiS is
of opinion that in a few years Baptist
ministers will be found officiating in
their pulpits by reading not only their
sermons, but reading prayers from n
Baptist prayer-book.
The Young Mems Christian AsSoci:;-
ton Of Boston are planning Il religious
campaign in connection with the ap-
preaching Jubilee. If they can get
suitable preachers, they will raise Il
tent for 1900 people, and keep up daily
services.
Rev. Allen HAHN, Of Sholapoor,
India, recently arrived in this coun-
try, has Just completed the arduous task
of iranslating the Bible into the NAH
rata language He has visited this,
his native land, only once before dur
ing the last twenty-five years.
The Methodist Episcopal Church has
greater church accommodations in the
United States, than any other denOm-
inatiOn, being capable of seating 6,52S,-
209. The value of her property is
greater, also, than any other, being
reported, according to the late census,
at $69, 9,S5i,l2l.
The General Synod of the Irish
E1iscopalJ Church has been consider
ing "A revision Of the Prayer-Book, par
tic,Ilarly the baptismal services. The
chief point relates to the word ''regen-
crate; one proposition being to adopt
the resolution passed by the American
Bishops last year, and another to sub
stitute for the words, "oeeing that this
child is regenerate," the words, 'See-
ing that this child has received the
sacrament of regeneration"
A writer in one of the Methodist
papers offers statistics to show that
ministers of this denomination do not
average as long life as those of other
Protestant bodies. The average life Of
the ministers of all denominations is
between 65 and 66 years; that of the
MethOdists is 23 per cent. below this.
Segregating the Methodist Ministers,
who constitute one-fourth of the entire
clerical body, the average of the rest
will be raised to IS yearS-a figure
which, compared with the fifty years
of the Mcthodists, shows q disparity
that must command attention.
The American Home Missionary So
cicty gives n good account of its stew
ar,iship. 1t has collected S29l $50, or
Sll 900 more than in any other year;
and the gifts of living contributors
have been SIS 800 more than in any
other year. 1t has supported 961 mis-
sionarirs in % States and Territories,
who have preached statedly To 2,0ll
congregations. One hundred and ten
of them report revivals of religion, and
about $3.50 persons have been added to
the missionary churches. Eighty-fOur
churches have been organized, and 46
have come to self-suppOrt. The Society
has done IL much larger work than in
the previous year.
Bishop Gobat in u recent letter, re
views the missionary work done in
Palestine during the twenty-five years
that the London Society for Promoting
Christianity among the Jews has been
established there. At the time of its
arrival in Jerusalem earlier efforts had
been abandoned, and the American
missionaries had withdrawn altogether.
There was only one native Protestant
in all Palestine. The first Christian
school, established by the Bishop in
1847, with only nine children, has so
increased us to make frequent subdi-
visions necessary, and there are now
in Jerusalem five schools, attended by
400 children of both sexes; and i'm all
Palestine twenty five schools, in which
about 900 scholars are taught, from
the five Christian denominations, and
also from Jews, Samaritans, Moslems,
and DTuSes.