The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-14

From tho Philadelphia Press
Tho American Baptist Publication
Society has just issued tho "Amcri
can Baptist Icar Book for 1897,
showing condensed statistics us fol-
lows: Minister'S 2T,2oT, churches
churches lO,G1S; total number Of
members 3,S2l, ,O3S. eAIany of these
churches are worry small and quito
unahlc to support minister. Thus,
in Wyominr thcrc arc ten churches,
with Il total Of 31J members: Ow
iuS to the Independence Of the
churrhcS and the nIscnc" of any cen
trail authority it is impossible to got
full and exact statistics. The editor
states his belief that "no living man
Is able to give even an approximate
est ,matcSof tho number of colorod
III, .,tist minister's" In many hun
drcds. of cases, particularly in tho
Southern States, no returns have
been received from tho associations.
There are 23,7S7 Sunday. schools,
with l6l ,l3l teachers and 1909, 100
scholars. OF tho total number Of
members l,3Gl 1872 urc co red Bnp-
tists living in the South, ,53G, ,G9G
are white Baptists in tho South,
leaving 291,GlS Bapti,ts in the
North.
Under tho charge Of tho Bapti5ts
thoro are scvcn theological semi
narios, of which that at Chicago has
81 students and that at Louisville,
Ky, BOB. The several scminarios have
in all 81, 3,ool, lSo in property; includ-
ing endowment, buildings and libra
rlcs. Thcro arc 81 universities and
colleges, many Of which, however,
aro hardly entitled to these lofty
names. Ono institution called a
college has only $4,000 of ondow
mont, another has $4,000 and
another $4,000 whilo tho Univor-
sity Of Chicago, on tho other hand,
oas SS,G25,000 in endowment and
property. Brown University, the
Oldest oftho institutions, has 50. 300.
0SS Of endowment and property
Colgate University has s2,4Ol,27a
and tho University of Rochoste,
Sl,2SO,S0t. Religious statistics I'm.
fortunately, arc, like other statistics
often worry unreliable.
Philadelphia is naturally specially
Interested in tho American Baptist
Publication Society, whose printing
and publishing building at Lombard
and Juniper and it's now building
now rising at 1920 Chestnut street
on tho sito Of tho old building do.
stroycd in February, 1896, will be
two Of the finest structures in the
city. Tho affairs ofthis society arc
managed with wisdom and energy.
The society issues oach ycar between
forty and fifty million copies of its
periodicals and is doing book busi-
ness Of about half million dollars.
Wo shall rofcr later to the national
societies of tho denomination which
arc to meet in Pittsburg during the
week beginning Monday, May rs.
Tho denominations which are in
harmony with tho regular Baptists
in tho practice Of immersion and in
church Independence mako total
of 5, 5,l3l,37S. Tho various branches
of tho Methodist, who hold tho
Armonian system Of doctrine, and
tho Episcopal form of church gov
crnment, number 5,207,S0G. The
Prosbyterans in all branches num-
Dor 1,IlO, llG, and the Luthorans, all
branches, ,42O,00o. The Baptists
throughout tho whole world who arc
in sympathy with tho regular or as
soei"tion Baptists number 4,572,364.
These aro found chiefly in Grcat
Britain, Wales, tho British Provin-
cos, Sweden, Germany, British Indin
and Australasia. If to these were
added tho bodies in tho United
States which resemble tho associa.
ton Baptisis in tho practice of i'm
mersion and in church government,
tho total number in tho world would,
OF course, bo greatly increased.