, 1881-10-09

In ISL the Baptists had eight missions
the Congrcgatiunaists =; tile Episcopalia1
i; the Independents S; and the Presbyterian
= S. In 1851 the missions were divided as TO
lows: Baptists, j; Congregationalsts, !
Episcopalians, ?; Reformed Episcopaian:
l.; Evangelical, 5; Metllodists, ?; Presby
terians, ).
i large part of the increase in the nnmbe
OF churches has bccn dlle to immigration
lhe Evangelical Lutheran churches, TIL
membership of which is almost wholly mad
lip of persons Of foreign birth and tl1ei
children, are twice as many now as in 1871
The Methodists also hare gained two Ger
man and four Scandinavian churches since
1871, and the Baptists several Swedish,
Danish, and Norwegian churches 4 con
| siderable portion of tic Roman Catholic gai
| Is to be credited to the same cause, and the
Jewish Increase from five to eleven taber
nacles can be reasonably accounted for in
no other way.
There have been noteworthy changes il,
! the personnel md the church relations OF the
Chicago clergy since 1871. Bishop White
house. Of tile Episcopal Church, and Bishop
| Foley, of the Roman Catholic Church, arc
dead. The Baptists have lost Goodspecd and
Evarts; the Congregationalists. Bartlett
(1V. Az Bartlett Is. C.), Chamberlin, ilel-
| mer, and W. W. Patton; the EpscopaIans,
besides tlleir Bishop, Drs. Powers, Sullivan,
and Hugh Miller Thompson; the Methouists,
Drs Fowler, Parkhurst, and Thomas; tho
Presbyterians, DR.. T. W. Patterson from
tile pastotatc), Dr. Arthur Mitchell, DR.,
Robert Patterson, and Prof. Swing; tile
Israelites, Rabbi Adler.
In 1871 Prof. Swing was 4 PRESBYTERIAN in
regular standing, preaching at the Fourth
Church; Dr. Thomas was all unqnestioncd
Methodist, in charge Of the Park Avenue
Church; the Rev. Florence Mccarthy was
Holding forth in the Union Park Baptist
Church; Dr.. Cheney, the present Dishop of
the Reformed Church, was still on the rolls
rs rector of Christ Church in the Protestant
Episcopal communion.
The statistics of the membership of thu
churches could not easily be made up.
In general way it is known that the native
membership has not increased in equal ratio
with the population of tho city. The Presby-
terians and Congresationalisis, for example.
haye not SO many churches as in 1871, a1ld ]
the Baptists only one more. The contrbu-
tons for benevolent purposes are also
less i'll proportion than ten years
ago. The debts OF the churches are
more now than then, and their financial con-
dition generally less satisfactory. This was
natural consequence Of the loss of property |
by the fire. The churcl,-members were al~ !
most all sufferers: directly or indirectly; and
manly Of them seemed to think their expendi- !
lures OH account Of religion to be the most
convenient item to retrencli OH. Some Of
hem have not stopped retrenchtns yet.
The one great religious event Of the decade
% which orthodox church people can all
urn back with pleasure is the Moody revival
meetings., which -1nquestionably stimulated
ellEions feeling in Il powerful manner, and
'rongtt 'nany converts into the churches.
3nt III other respects the review Of the rclfs-
otls experience of the city in the ten years
5 not one to cause unmixed content,