The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-12
The Growth Of Churches in this Country

"a Al Wis SouulEys
In the last number Of the Forum Mr..
HENRY X. CARROLL brings together some
interesting statistics concerning the growth
OF various religious bodies within the last
ten years. That part Of the census which re-
lates to the Protestant Episcopal. the Bap-
fist. and some other ecclesiastical organiza-
lions has not yet been published. but the
fucts thus far made known prove that the
increase in the number Of communicates
more than keeps pace with the expansion of
population.
The total number OF communicates In the
denominations reviewed. viz, the Catholic.
the Methodist Episcopal. the Presbyterian.
the Dutch Reformed. the German Re-
formed, the Lutheran. the Congregational.
the Disciples Of Christ. and the Jews Is. ac-
cording to the census. 12.4S7.3s2. The same
denominations had ten years before $780,
100. The gain Is 1921 per cent. whereas
tho gain in population during the
same period was 24.S6. Scanning the re-
turns in detail. we find tho number OF COM
municants assigned to the Catholic Church
in 1880 to be {. 25nO45. Tho Catholic popula-
tion OF the United States In 1880 was es-
timated by SADLIER's Catholic Directory
at 6 1867 $3.50. and If 50 per cent. of this num-
Der represented communicates. We should
have as basis Of comparison the figures
5,4l2.2so. This would indicate growth at the
rate Of only 15.49 per cent. Mr.. CARROLL
considers this percentage of increase much
too low. and he consequently assumes that
the SADLIER estimate was too high. That
the rate Of Catholic increase should have
fallen below that Of the general population
does indeed seem incredible.
OF the Protestant churches tho Methodist
Episcopal is not only the largest. but it cx-
hbits IL capacity OF steady expansion. In
1880 it reported l.707.0Oo communicates.
Now the census gives it 2.22o.29l. Here the
ratio OF growth Is n little more than 80 per
cent or per cent. more than the increase
OF population. Next comes tho Presbyte-
rian denomination. whose four branches
comprchcndcd at tho date OF the previous
census ss4.O3G communicates: Il number
which in 1890 had become l,227,2S7. The
Southern Presbyterian Church and the
Cumberland body showed an increase
Of 50 per cent each. the North
crn Presbyterian Church OF 40 per
cent. and the so-caled United branch
OF II per cent. Tho comparatively
slow increase of the last-named organiZa-
ton is ascribed partly to its strict terms OF
communion and partly to the fact that it
appeals particularly to the Scottish element
In our population The average growth OF
the four Presbyterian churches is about
80 per cent. or per cent. more than
the rate OF increase OF the Mctholists.
Tho COngregationalsts have advanced from
3s4332 to 5l277l. gnin OF little more
than SO per cent. The Dutch Reformed
Church. which ministers chiefly to the de-
scendants Of the Dutch. has gained less
than 1s per cent. having had 1892 com
municants in 1880 and 92,o7O in 1890. The
German Reformed Church shows higher
rate OF growth. namely. 81 per cent,
having expanded in ten years from
l6l 900 to 2Oa.Ols communicates. None Of
the well-known Protestant denominations,
however have increased so rapidly as the
Lutherans, owing TO the inflow of emigrants
from northern Germany and Scandinavia
The aggregate Of Lutheran communicates
was set down in 1880 at 1920, whereas in
1890 it was 1.l99.5l4. This represents a
surprising gain OF more than Gs per
cent. These remarkable figures. however,
are exceeded by an organization little
known in the Eastern States but which is
exhibiting amazing vitality in the West
and Southwest and border States of tho
South. We refer to tbs Disciples Of Christ.
who are Congregational in ecclesiastical
polty Baptist in their mode OF baptism,
and who advocate rs their leading Dliur-
pie the rest Grafton of the lost unity Of be-
levers, and So OF the Church of CHRIST IL
1888 they were said to uuL!ocr 35l,OUO. but