The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-15
TALKS WITH CHURCHMEN
LEADING OPINIONS ON TIE TOPICS
OF THE HOUR.

The Surrender of Bmiu Boys Pro-
vince, the Decline of Church-Going
and the Proposed Presbyterian
Change of Creed Discussed-Inter-
views With Rev. Drs. Clarke, Roche,
Paxton, Taylor, Ward Elder and
Others,
tCopyright)
NEW York, Dec. 14-Three topics are
claiming the attention Of churchmen at the
present time, viz: the surrender of the
African province of Emin Pasha to slavery
and barbarism after eight years of christian
civilization; the problem of declining
church attendance aud how to prevent it,
and the Presbyterian agitation for change
in the Calvinistic creed SO long held by that
denomination in its integrity.
ADropos OF the Widespread discussion
aroused by Daniel Dougherty's recent
speech at the Baltimore Catholic congress,
it is important to note the statistics of the
present and past strength of the various
christian bodies. The Adventists, who
include the Original Evangelical Adventists,
the Advent Christians, the Seven Day
Adventists, the Life and Advent Union,
the Age-to-Come Adventists, the Barbour
ties, and the Christadelphians, had, at the
close of 1886, 1892 churches, 1881 minis
tiers, and 1884, communicates. At
the same date the regular Baptists, north,
south and colored had 80, 522 churches, 49,
S77 ministers and 49,, SO COMMITMENTS.
The Free Will Baptists, Cumberland Free
Baptists, other Free Baptist associations,
general Baptists, Seventh-Day Baptists'
Seyenuh-Day German Baptists, anti Mission
Baptists, Separate Baptisos, United Bap-
fists and the Six-Princlple Baptists, along
with the Disciples, Duukers. Winnebren-
narians, or "Church of God" and Men
nonites raised the total Baptist strength
to AZ, $50 churches, %, 003 ministers and
3, 297, 745 communicates. The Christians
northern and southern convention had l. 35
churches, 1874 ministers, and 1921 COM
munican.s. The Clristian union churches
had 1,500 churches, 200 ministers, and
125, 600 C mmunicants. The Congregation
aliSts had APT churches, 1900 ministers,
and 436,3.9 communicates. The Episco
palians, including the Reformed Episco-
pal, had 1926 churches, 1913 ministers,
and 80, POS Communicates. The Friends or
Quakers had 600 churches, 500 ministers, and
81, 900 members. The German Evangelical
Church Union had 553 churches, $50 minis
tiers, and 10000 communicates. The
Lutherans, including the General Synod,
United Synod, South General Council,
Synodical Conference, AMI Independent
Synods, had 1913 churches, 1890 ministers,
and $50. $50 communicates. The Methodists,
including the Methodist Episcopal, North
and South, African, Zion, Colored and
African Union, with the Protestant Con-
gregational and Independent Methodist
bodies, the Free Methodists, the IVES
leyans, the Primitive and Reformed
Methodists, with the kindred bodies of
the United Brethren, the Evangelical
Association, the Moravians, and the
Bible Christians had 80, OIL churches, "a, 5i2
ministers, and 4,691, 4l6 COMMITMENTS.
The Presby terians, iuclu ling the General
Assemblies, North and South, and the
United Presbyterian church of North
America, Cumberland Presbyterian. Cum
berland Presbyterian, colored; Reformed
Presbyterian, Central Synod of Reformed,
Associate Reformed Synod of South.
Welsh Presbyterian, with other small
bodies, and the kindred bodies of the
r formed Qate Dutch church, and the
True, Reformed Dutch Church, and the
Reformed Gate Germany church had
l5,002 churches, 11,24l ministers,
and 1,431.249 communicates. The
Schwenkfelders had 6 churches, 10 minis
tiers and $50 communicates. Other small
bodies, such as the Bible Union, River
Brethren, Colored Methodist Protestants,
etc, had total of $1,000 members. This
gives a combined Protestant strength at the
close Of 1856 of 112, IA churches, So, S45
ministers, and IL, I32, 65l members.
The following table is interesting as a
comparison of the growths of the various
churches:
YEAR. CHURCHES MINISTER'S. CoMMUNI-
CANTS