The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-09-19
Church Accommodations.
Deductions from the Census.

ly be considered light reading, yet we
have found perusal of 1t quite enter
tanning. even in this hot weather. We
have been consulting its solid pages to
see what it had to say about the church
growth of the last few decades. The
census does not undertake to give the
humber of COMMITMENTS in the several
denominations it only gives the num-
ber of local church organizations, the
number of church edifces, the number
of sittings. and cost OF buildings. We
s,1ppose that the church accommoda-
ton furnished by each denomination
bears a weary nearly constant ratio to
that the figures of the census afford US
some measure of the numerical strength
of the various denominations. The
population of the United States and
territories increased from 1850 to 1870
about sixty-six per cent. The native
population increased during the same
period about ffty-seven per cent. The
number of sittings in all the churches
of the land increased during these two
decades about fifty-two per cent, and
the number of sittings in the Protes-
tant churches only about forty-tive per
cent. It will thus be seen that the IN
crease of church accommodations does
not keep pace with the growing popula-
ton. In 1850 there was room in all the
churches for sixty out of every hundred
of the people; in 1870 there was room
for only fifty-six in hundred. In 1880
the Protestant churches would contain
sixty-four per cent. of the native popu-
Iation in 1870 they would mold only
sixty per cent. of it. The comparison
of the Protestant church accommoda-
ton with the native population IS, how
ever, not very instructive for large
number of our native population are
now Catholics, and about two-fifths, II
we estimate rightly, OF our torelgnoofn
population are Protestants. The ratio
of the whole population to the church
accommodation of all the sects IS the
only sure test of progress; and 1t shows
that in our facilities of worship we are
not quite keeping up with the growth OF
the country. The case is not as bad,
however, as at first sight might be mag
ined. Fifty-six out of every one nun
dred of our citizens can now lind seats
in our churches. But it has been shown
by careful investigation that not more
than fifty eight out of every hundred
could possibly attend church on gwen
Sunday. Counting out the infants, the
sick, the aged, and those who are COM
pelled to remain at home to care Tor
| these, leaves only fifty-eight per cent.
of the population as possible church
goers. For fifty-six per cent. the
churches of this country make proy1-
sion: and we all know that those who
will not 90, no matter how much room
is given them, amount to more than two
in every hundred. There is, then, IN
the churches of America more than
enough room for all who can possibly
be induced to attend divine service.
| Our church facilities are, in this COM
prehensive view, fully up to the needs
of our population. They are not SO
large. relatively, as they we're twenty
wears ago: but then they were larger
than the country required. This
is not saving that no more churches are
needed, or that DR.. Palmer and the resi-
of the church builders can sut up then
offices and go home. New communities
ar all the while being gathered, ane
they must be supplied with new
churches. Besides, we must not Jorge
that. while, there are churches enough
thev are not always where they ough
to be. In the east the church accommo
dation is often largely in excess OF tn
needs of the local community but tn
case is reversed at the west. Ii W
could pick up the superfuous churcne
which are scantily filed by quarrellnj
sectaries in eastern villages, and trans
. port them to the west, we should no
, need to build so many new ones; bu
. the machinery with which to do this ha
not been invented. The fact that ther
are too many churches in some commu
/ mites does not justify us IN leaVln
+ other communities with too few or non
r at all. It is interesting to compare Wit
q these figures statistics which are tul
q nished by a number of the Englls'
p Nonconformist. which has just come
4 hand. In the twenty largest towns
O England, Lordon excepted, there IS I,
s Iigious accommodation in the aggrega'
r for only thirty-nine per cent. OF tE
population. If the rate is no bette
than this throughout England, 1t WI
be seen that America, under the volQl
tary principle, it much better ProVlde
e with church room than England, und,
: the establishment. Mr.. Mail VII
g doubtless, find in our statistics stroI
J confirmation of the theory that u
u churches are abundantly able to tai
g ! care of themselves and to provide Il
=; the community, without any help 1ro
~ the state.-hodeperdent.