The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-05-17
BAPTIST STATISTICS.
Nearly 100000 Church Members in
this Country.

The American Baptist "Year Book
for 1889, published by the American
Baptist Publication society, and edited
by Lansing Burrows, D. D., OF Augusta,
Ga, presents an array of statistics.
The whole number of members OF Bap-
fist churches in the United States is
given as 100000, or, to be exact, 2,29',-
794. OF these about 10000 are found
in the Northern states OF the Baptlsts
in the Southern states about 1,25O,OOO !,
are colored, and about 100000 white.
These 100000 members are divided
among Sc 500 churches, so that there
are. on the average, less than a hundred
members to a church. The preponder-
ance of Baptist strength being in rural
districts, including very thinly settled
regions of the Southern states, great
numbers of churches are necessarily
small, and in many cases churches have
been formed of little groups of persons
who might better, perhaps, have RETAIN
ed their membership in existing organl-
cations.
To the $4,000 churches there are but
81 400 ordained ministers. AS these hg-
ures include the superannuated and
others without charge it might seem
that there are a lack of pastors. But
there are great numbers of churches
which cannot support minister ana
are so small as not to need the whole
time of one pastor. Again, in the South
ern states perhaps 80 per cent OF the
churches have preaching only once a
month; one minister being pastor OF four
CONGREGATIONS. It cannot be said, there
fore. that there is an urgent demand Tor
more pastors.
From these 100000 church members
there was contributed last year tor mis-
sions. education and miscellaneous pur
noses the sum of S3,144 994.17. BY tal
the greater part of this came from tht
100000 Baptists of the Northern states
. IT. should be remembered that thu
NEGROES and also the white mOuntaneer
of the South have little to give. More
over. when churches are scattered
through thinly settled regions, 1t !
.. harder for agents and other advocates
: roach them and arouse their interest, s
l that. even with equal wealth and willing
:: ness to give when they fully understan
| the case. they will contribute less ina
: churches in more thickly settled region
. The Baptists of theUnited States haV
= seven theological seminaries, includln
q one in Richmond for colored young mel
l. The total value of the property OF thef
= is reported at $3,019,403. There al
10 thirty four universities and colleges,
l. which eleven have property worth u
d ward of a quarter of a million eac
r, There is also a list of thirty two fema
D. seminaries, forty-two academies for DO
TX sexes and seventeen other instltutlo
10 for the colored race and Indians. The
h. are fourteen homes for the aged, orpaa
ly age. ETC., with property to the value
We 1888. 900 and endowments to the amou
at of s392,792.
he The Baptists have forty nine weel
ry napers is the United States, with a c.
a oS responding number of monthly and gu
err terly periodicals. There are over twel
Mt journals issued by the colored Bapt''
as The German Baptists who number nea
m $4,000, have four periodicals, while
US Scandinavian Baptists and the We
bic Baptists have one each.
ted The Baptists of the Northern states
IS. their missioary work through the An
ing lean Baptist Missionary Union Qoreli
10 with headquarters at Boston, the An
the lean Baptist Home Mission Soc'
use whose rooms are in New York, and
ed American Baptist Publication Socr
he whose offices are in Philadelphia.
him Southern Baptist Convention, with
his foreign and home boards, was organ
anu in 1845 as the result of differences on
Ger question of slavery. The old estral
self. ments have now nearly all disappea
step but there is no move toward reur
On as the territory is so large and the
hem stituency so great that single orga
be- alton would be incOnveniently Ia
obar The American Baptist Education Soc
of organized a year ago, is made up OF
road sections. The colored Baptlsts
l ,s general organizations of their own.
mall The Baptists of the Dominion OF
BAD, ada report II 80 members. In the
eide Indies there are 40,925. mostly ccl'
ed to IN Great Britain. 100000, with anc
lying 100000 on the continent OF Europ
&C. Australia there are 1928; in Asia
|, at 414, and in Africa. 3,673. The x
n OBJ total" given in the Year Book" Is 3
mat AS But this does not include the
! for Will Baptists Of this countrywide r
him S2.6S6 members, nor others who a
truly members OF the denOminati
large as are the Open Communion