The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-16
THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN
1896.

DR.. Atwood contributes the article
relating to the Universalist Church
in 1896, to the Independents annual
review of the churches, as follows:
The year now closing has been one of
activity among Universalists, and of
moderate progress in every line of de-
nominational work. This may be most
conveniently presented at glance by a
summary Of
l. tistics.-Parishes, 1.006, gain
of ID; families. 45.405, gain of 1O54;
church membership. 49.44l. gain of L.
GAL; Sunday school membership. $3.50.
gain of 766; parish property above in
debtedness. 50 ,260, 321, gain of 1882 275;
parish expenses. $l,369 .2O2, a gain of
S249 958; church edifces, $685., 257, gain
of S203, 593; debts cancelled, 500 966, a
gain of $4,000; parish contributions to
missions, 500 300, a gain of $1,000. These
are the figures reported; they do not
cover the entire ground, as there are
from estimates" 1t should be remarked
that although the gain in communicates
as reported is but 1,641, the number of
members received during the year was
2,911. The invested funds of the
General Convention now amount to
S271 ,013.90; and of the various State
Conventions, the Woman's Centen-
airy Association, the Woman's M ssion-
airy Society, the Woman's Alliance, and
of other auxiliary societies. SAB, 7O2 =
in all STATIC. In 1869 these funds ag.
gregated less than $4,000.
2. Missions the mission work
carried on by the several State Conven.
tions. there are the Pacific Coast Home
Mission, maintained by the Woma1's
Centenary Association; the mission in
the South with headquarters at Allan
ia, the mission in the Southwest with
headquarters in st. Louis, both under
the supervision of the Field Secretary,
the Rev. @. H. Shinn. DID,; the mission
among the colored people in Virginia
and the important foreign mission in
Japan. Two new missionaries have
been sent to the latter field during the
present year.
3. Literdture.-The tract and book
publications OF the year have been un.
usually large. owing to the new fields.
The Publishing House in Boston now
holds property valued at a quarter of
a million. and is planning an extension
of its operations on a scale commensu-
rate with the growth Of religious knowl-
edge.
4. Meetings.-There has not been a
year in the history of the denomination,
since the great centennial jubilee in 1870
when the gatherings of Universalists in
all parts of the country have been SO
large as this year. The annual Conven-
tions in every State showed a marked
increase in attendance. Two great meet
ings Of the Young Peoples Christian
Union have been held. one in Jersey City
in July. the other in Atlanta, in October.
Five National Conferences were held in
October, one in Oakland, CAL, one in At
lanta. Ga, one in Chicago, one in SYRIA
cuse, and one in Portland, Me. These
conferences were seasons of intellectual
and spiritual quickening to the whole
Church. Over fifty papers were pres
ented at the five meetings, on a wide
range of topics. religious. social, econo-
mic and reformatory. Some of them
awakened profound interest and initiated
discussions likely to lead to important
changes. A veteran observer remarked
that the average maintained in the pa