The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1897-09-12
OKLAHOMA MISSION WORN.
Some Interesting Figures and statii-
tics Presented by Dick Morgan

which the CHRISTIAN Cnufch Is known IN
the United States census reports, have
become one OF the great religious bodies
OF the world. Our Membership now eN-
ceeds O0o.00e. Our rapid growth is at
tracing widespread attention. We have
l0397 churches, > 500 ministers, seven or
eight n iiversities, thirty or rty col
leges and u large number OF ably edit, d
religious journals. Our church prop rty
Is valu at over Sl7,UOOWO We have
1887 Christian Endeayor societies, , ii4
Sunday schools. $50, 100 Sunday school
teachers and scholars.
ln the twenty-five years since the or
ganization Of the Foreign Mission society
it has collected ever 81 10000. The Home
Missionary society has collected nearly
ssOO,OO0 The Christian Woman's board
of missions has collected over 10000
and our Church Extension fund has
grown In few years to nearly $50 900.
Our statistics OF the year 1896 show that
we spent for building churches $3.50 coo;
fcr the support OF ministers, s2,tO), 900;
for Incidental expenses, SG]i, 900; for
church and bible school literature, $500 =
600: for Orpan Home and orphan schools,
sij,0OO; for education and cndOwing col
leges, Sl25,0OO; for foreign missions we
spent through the Foreign Christian
Missionary society. the w. Il NJ and
other independent sources. SIPS 900; for
home missions, through Home Mission
airy society, Church Extension, Negro
Education and evangelizaton. G w B.
NJ, Ministerial Relief state and district
organizations. 500, ,slG. For all purposes
we, as a religious people, for the year
1895, collected and paid ont the sum Of
ASST 63. In brief, statistics show that
IN every department OF church work we
are advancing with gigantic strides. In
building church hOnses. colleges aud or
phan's homes, in the supporting OF the
ministry, In sending miss ons to both
10 Ia
every movement for the advancement OF
morality. Temperance and benevolence,
the Disc iples OF Christ are active In their
aid, support aud encouragement
These things are recalled with two OBJ
1ec,s view. viz: First. To encoural e
us In our work; second, to remind you
that we, In Oklahoma, must be up and
doing or we will be found in the rear Of
the procession. We should not UNDER
estimate the extent OF The field under our
special care and oversight. Oklahoma's :
area Is greater than the great state OF
Indiana. but we have more than broad
acres. Seven states OF this Union, VIZ;
Delaware, Idaho, Montana, North Da
kota, Utah, Wyoming and Nevada and
the two territOrles-AtiZona and New
MeXicO-each have a smaller population
than Oklahoma. Oklahoma has Ill news
papers More newspapers than any one
OF the following states: Delaware, Ida
mont and Wyoming. This shows that
the people OF Oklahoma are an intelli-
gent reading people and ready 10 receive
the truth when presented. Oklahoma
has long talked OF her poverty, her ina
bllity 10 support preachers and build
church houses. Are we not tired OF this
tune? Has the time not come to change
the key from flats 10 "sharps?' Tune
up cur instruments-the talents God has
given ns-tO concert pitch, sound new
note and sing a new song?
The products OF our farms, our wheat,
corn, cotton, beans live stock, fruit and
other products, will this year, according
10 u conservative estimate, reach SlOO
1000. This Is fifteen times the value
Of all tho gold taken from the mines Of
COLORADO In 1894. II IS more than all the
gold taken from the mines OF California,
Montana, North and South Dakota
the sane year. These states, from whence
comes nearly all Of our gold, I'm 1894 pro-
duced but S39, 500, 900 in gold Add 70 this
the silver prOduct-S6O, ,OOO, ,OO0-take all
the gold and silver produced in the
United States in one year and they hard
ly reach in value the products OF our
fields, orchards and pastures. Our peo-
ple-members OF the Christian church
certainly have their proportion of this
vast sum. Can we not, In this great
prosperity, build many more church
houses before another year shall roll
around? 1t is estimated that we have
eighty organized churches IN the terri
tory. Fully sixty-fve OF these have no
house OF worship With the proper
effort we should build this year at least
twenty-five church houses.
ln the year book Of 1897, Oklahoma Is
given credit with membership of 6,O22,
with GO Sunday schools. with 3 200 Sun
day school scholars and teachers, with
10 Christian Endeavor societies, with ~
ministers and with church property val
ued at S35, 600. Estimating the popula
tion of Oklahoma to be 200, only Two
and four tenths OF the people Of OlSlaho-
ma are members of the Christian church.
As small as this may seem, il Is good
showing as compared with the percentage
I'm other states and territories. The state
Of Kentucky Is reported 10 have l02 600
mem bers OF the Christian church. This
is i've and seventeenth Of the population
OF the state. Kansas reports 1880 mem
bers Of the Christian church, which is
three per cent. OF the population OF he
state Iowa reports AZ, 1856 mem bers, which
Is two and four -tenths per cent. OF the
population OF the state. Ohio reports 90,
600 members, which Is one and nine-tenths
per cent OF the population. Illinois re-
ports % PSI members, which Is two and
i've tenths per cent. OF the population OF
the state. Arkansas reports la,OOO mem
bers, which is one and two tenths per
cent. OF the population OF The state. Texas
reports IS, ,99l members, which Is one ard
seyen-tenths Of the population OF the
state. Tenne ssee reports 35 $40 mem mbers,
which Is two per cent. OF the population
OF that state Missouri reports 4i,3OC
members, which is five and five enths
per cent. OF the population OF that state.
IL will thus be observed that while Mis-
souri, reports larger membership than
any other state, yet In proportion TO her
population her membership Is slightly
81 - . l.
list IL Will be observed tnat there are but
four states, viz: Kentucky, Missouri,
Kansas aud Illinois, where the members
Of the Christian chuch are more numer
Gus In proportion TO the population than
in this territory. More than this the
probabilities are that the estimate of OuI
mem bership OF G,029 Is several thousand
too low. Ii Is probable that today there
are In Oklahoma nearly 10000 members Oi
the Christian church. II this be true
there Is no state or territory Ia the UniOr
where the members Of the Christian
church are more numerous In proportion
10 tho population than Ia Oklahoma.
Twenty states in the union report les,
number Of organized churches than Okla.
homa, twenty four states report a small
or membership. twenty three states re
port less number Of Sunday schoO
sch olaTs and teachers; twenty-five states
report SIS number OF Christian Endea
YOr societies; nineteen states report q
less number OF preachers, and fourteen
states report church property OF les
valuation.
These figures demonstrate, compare
lively speaking, our force Is not insignih
cant. We out-Iank nearly half the state
in the union ia the number OF churches
membership, 10 Sunday school scholars AM
teachers and In the number OF Chlisti Al
EndeaYor societies.
AT no time has the outlook been 81