New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-30
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

a STATEMENT FROM TIE REV. DIR. TAYLOR
FIGURES OF COMPARISON.
"a He would be a.bold mar" SAID the Rev. William
NJ. Taylor, d. D.. pastor of the Broadway Taber-
nacle who would announce himself satisfied with
the progress of Christian work in the city during
the last years. cannot say that am satisfied,
bat do not take that extreme Wow of the situation
which some inclined to. was at hrst alarmed
at the statements heard of ths decreasing inGu-
ence of Christian work, and this urged me to ex-
ammo the subject. The investigation las given me
a more intimate acquaintance with what has besn
done aud has satisfied that the religious welfare
of New York is not nearly so bad as IL would appear
on q cursory view. i cannot say that think
the Protestant churches are increasing In pro-
portion to the corresponding advance OF the pop
ulaton. but they are certainly doing great and
valuable work"
3Do YOU think the united efforts of Catholics aud
Protests.ts have kept pace with the citys growthT
al doubt 1t; ] would not ray It, The establish
ment of q church or u mission Ia now attended with
unusual difficulties. I am comparatively a new
conner ia the city, and would not say much on this
subject. l cannot speak greatly beyond my own
church even in nv own denomination. The Congre-
pationaI Church in the city is comparatively recent
body When the old Broadway Tabernacle became
Congregational rbout 1913, there wasno other Con-
cregatIOnal church In the city; there are now SIX
three Ot Wnlcl nave ucNtiDpcu tuIlbB bnc '"oO tOH
years In addition to the growth of the older ones.
DR. Thompson, my predecessor. held his own well
through trying period. When left my church In
Jiyerpool TO come to New-York in 1872 the Taber-
nacle had a mem beTship of 57S. the last annual
meeting the membership was reported as l.054. AS
to the mission work Of the church. mission was
started IN Thirty-siKth-st, near Nlnthave, and in
1877 "A church organized with membership OF w.
We have built for them church IN Tsnth'aye, that
was opened for them ia 1888 This has cost the
Tabernacle $50 600, all except $4,000 OF which Is
maid The Con rregational Church as a body has
no fund for church extension Orr work is the out
growth of individual church effort. Iu the bethany
Church which We have built at Tenth-avs. and
Tbjrty-Rfth-st there is now a membership OF
about $50 OF 140. DIR. Hepwortbs church. where
Dr. Newman is now, has strong membership
The Pilgrim Church. IN Harlem. is growing very
criy but the efforts of the Congregational
chuI ches are limited My wish has been to keep The
amounts expended for Home and Foreign MISSIONS
pretty muc but there is an excess on the cart
of the Home Missions arising from the present neces-
ty to provide for the new emil grants into the west
the GENERALIZATION of the cOlurod people, ana the
mission work in tho city.
@Therc 10 no question but the interest in churches
has increased and that very largely, IN ten years.
The Tabernacle is always well fled. believe 1T is
xrue that there is less denominational feeling now
than formerly Tor this is the age of the EVangecai
Alliance and the feeling is NOT strong among us
not so strong think as with most others. There
is a great inclination 10 follow men-wnat mean
is people go largely here they are best fe accord
sng to their wants AID tastes. Still there IL an
sf de corps that is veIy strong aud deeply rooted
in most of the leading denominations, ana though
it does not crop out Extensively very Often the lines
ara strongly drawn. Congregatlonasm is more "a
polity than "a doctrine i do not knew thht lts
methods are undergoing any particular mOdinch-
ton; there is growing interest sinong lts mem
Iers and increasing strength ana ue'olloh' DO
iieye In the church In New-York.
The difference between Now-fork OF to-day
and that of fifty years back appears 70 me entirely
ounted for by immigration On ms snDJe cS AZ ::
Lewis Jackson secrsiary OF the CITY Mission tract
Spciety who is probably better INFORMED by MI ex-
perlence extending over years than any one mas
presented careful invests CATION OF CHRISTIAN work
among us, III a recent report. he has gwen page
oil statistics comparing the number Oh cDurchss ~
years extending over almost q centary. III These
fQures the Roman Catholic well as the PROTESTANT
churches are included. He shows that IN 1880
there one church to every l.s5e OF the popuis-
too in $780, one TO every l.s4O; ia 1890, one W
every 2Q95 in $50, one to every 2,344 10 1917.
one 70 eyery 2044 in 1875, enc to every 2,13o; IN
1880 one 10 every 2,46S Ii IS also shown that
relatively to-day Ne nave really more cburcn
accommodation OF all sorts tDan there was IN New
York elghty.two years ago. In addition new edi-
fees have often twice the seating capacity OF the
old ana usually correspondngly large member
ship. THIS includes. as said, the churches vi the
Roman Catholics, who in 1870 were IN proportion
TO the frofestants to every nine anu lila loSO
one to every seven, while In 1880 they were only
one to every twenty-five. With these facts before
me cannot say that am satisfied that the Guys
christian work is keeping pace with its growth,