The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-11
CHURCHES IN THE CENSUS.

CHURCHES IN THE CENSUS.
The Census Bulletin, devoted to sta
tistics OF the churches of the unitet
States, contains some interesting ane
curious information not hitherto OBJ
tainable. For tho first time we have
definite figures showing the strength o.
religious societies among ii coloreo
population. 1t appears there are sis
Methodist bodies, composed wholly o.
people of the African race, the largest OF
which, the African Methodist Episcopal
church, reports 4522, Taa5 commandments
and owns church eaifces valued in
round numbers at s6,5co.o0o. This de-
nomination has tho greatest number OF
communicates IN South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas. The
eight southern states alone report 31o,-
I69 members, or more than two-thirds
Of the entire membership Of the church
in the United States. There are no
societies Of this denomination in Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, the two Da-
kotas, Idaho and Nevada. Montana
reports only three churches and thirty
two members in the entire state.
Twenty of the latter are in Helena, ten
in Butte and two in Great Falls. The
figures would indicate that this denom-
nation in particular has built churches
far beyond it's needs. Thus while there
are 2,481 organized societies there are
Aba church edifices with seating capac-
ity for ], 160,836 persons, while as stated
above there are less than one-half mil
lion communicates. Financially the
church has had q gratifying growth, the
value Of church property having in
creased in tho last fourteen years nearly
$3,500,0o0, or Ill per cent.
The various branches Of the Mennon-
ties, who have never been fully emu
merated before, are here given. The
number Of denominations under this
general head will surprise the average
reader. There are the Bruederhoef
Mennonites with five churches and 352
communicates, the Amish Mennonites
with siXty-one churches and 10000 COM
munlcants. the old Amish Mennonites
with one church edifce and 2,038 COM
municants, the Apostolic with one
church and 200 communicates, the
Reformed Mennonites with twenty-nine
churches and 1,655 communicates, the
General Conference Mennonites with
forty-three churches and $500 commu-
nicants, and then among the scattering
little hocks are Wisler Mennonites, De-
fenceless Mennonites, Mennonite Breth-
rem in Christ, and the Mennonites
proper who number 200 churches and
1900 commandments. Other branches
OF this denomination are the Dunkards,
both the Conservative and the Progress
Bive bodies, who have nearly 1000 church
edifices and 10000 communicates. The
great strength of this denomination
is in Pennsylvania. Ohio comes next,
while the western states have only scat
tering societies. .".
The Mennonites are properly to be
ciassed with the communistic societies,
to which the Bulletin devotes an inter-
esting chapter. Chief of these commu-
mites are the Shakers. who have sixteen
church edifices with a seating capacity
OF $3.50 and a valuation of S36,8OO. The
actual membership Of this society is
l,728. In 1875 Charles NordhoH, in his
work on. communistic societies reported
eighteen Shaker societies with 2,4l5
members. Mr.. Porter's figures indicate
that these interesting people are dimin-
ishing in number.
The Bulletin gives statistics of two
that are not properly classed
with religious bodies. These are the New
lcarians whose sole creed is "R%ationalism.
founded on observation, and opposition
TO anti-scientiic revelations" and the
society of Altruists, who are also non
sectarian. The principles of this com
munity are thus expressed: ut holds
the property of all it's members in com
and all work according to their
ability and are supplied according to
their wants, and live together in a COM.
mon home for their mutual assistance
and support and to secure their greatest
wealth, comfort and enjoyment. 1t al
lows equal rights and privileges to all
it's members, men and women, in all it's
business affairs, which are conducted in
accordance with their majority vote by
its officers who are thereby elected; and
it makes no Interference with the mar
riage or family affairs Of its members,
with their religious, political or
other opinions" This remarkable
broad-guage society numbers only
twenty-five members.
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I Yrfn e,onrnt Lali>t ic n naal ILL., Ill