Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-21
CHURCH LIFE IN NEW YORK.

The New York Times recently published
some extremely valuable and suggestive
statistics of church life and growth
In the metropolis which are well
worth study and thought. The period
covered by the figures is thirty seven years
from 1s45 to 1882. In that time the popula-
ton of New York has increased from 400,
900 to 1900 900, or ratio Of about 22S per
cent. During the same period the total Pro-
testant church membership has grown from
81, 459 to 9O,579, an Increase of 10 per cent,
while the Roman Catholic membership has
grown from 50,000to 500, 900, making an ad-
vance OF 900 per cent. Andy the first Roman
isl congregation Of which there is any record
was organized in 1888 The first ediiice was
erected in 1886, and this remained the only
Roman Catholic church building in the city
for thirty years, In 1916 there were but
sixteen places Of worship aud the population
was about equally divided between Protcs-
tants and Catholics. The total Roman
Catholic population of the city is now est-
mated at GOO, 900. or course, owing to the
custom OF counting every baptized person us
church member, the aggregate OF the
Roman following counts up much larger
than of the Protestant membership, which is
based upon the actual number Of communi-
cants not upon the total number baptized,
and yet, after all, the growth is enormous,
and at the present ratio of increase is likely
to advance 80 per cent in the next decade.
This rapid growth was in the first instance
due to the immense emigration from Ireland
which has constituted New York the great
est Irish city in the world and the grea
number of cmigrants from other Catholic
countries has of course aided it.
Of the Protestant churches. the Episcopa
is easily first In point of numbers, having
more than one-fourth OF the aggregate mum
Der of Protestant church mcmbers-25, 27'
out of total of OF $40 and it has game,
over four thousand members in the past tel
years. The Baptists numbered 10,754 com
municants in 1872 and 1e,GSG in 1882 tn
Methodsts 10,GQ5 in 1872, and 1l,4l4 Ii
1909 dul tHc Ilesu| lciihus nhu io,fS' "
J 1872, and now have 1871 The Congregs
! tionalsts have gained in the last ten year
, from 1869 to 24GG. The Reformed Dutc
church numbered 4713churcli members in 1874
and now counts 1854. The Lutherans hav
5000 members, with Il church. going popult
ton of 10000 The Unversalists count Il
four or Ave churches. The Unltarians hav
all active church membership of about 20O(
| The Spritualists have an organized repre-
sentation of about 1000, an unorganized 70
owing of perhaps 20, 900. The Swedenborl
ians are in stdtu quo, and the Friends NJ
diminishing in number. The Jews, Turk
and nfdels bring up the rear The figure
/, of the orthodox churches are almost iucred
bly, small. 1t seems impossible, for II
stance, that that great religious denominatio
the Methodist church, with its hundreds {
thousands Of members throughout the cour
try. can boast of but eleven thousand IN
city having population OF nearly mllio
, and half. But SO the figures stand an
they represent an astonishing and not alto
gether gratifying state of affairs in on
, churches.