The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-28

1898 showing, We must infer that eith-
er our Presbyterian friends rested up
on their oars considerably during 1896
and 1897, or else that lall the efforts
which their churches put forth in chose
years were productive OF comparatively
small results. -
The Methodists, who number II bod
les, report that in 1885 they gained 162,-
1876 in membership. The 1895 statistics
credited them with total strength then
OF 5,452,6S4 Now they claim to be $685.
094 strong. They have therefore gained
in three years $40, which would mean
an average annual increase of 148, ,4S0.
AS they bettered this average in 1898 by
only 1916 members, the followers of
John Wesley do not appear to have
made as much profit out of the past
year as some other American denomi-
nations, and that. despite the fact that
Methodism rules the White House and
enjoys more than its usual share of
political influence and power.
An exhibit of contrary character
to the general showing of the churches
is that obtained when the Lutheran
standing OF 1893 is compared with what
1T was three years age. Then the entire
Lutheran membership of the United
States was 1,390,775. Now in 1898, the
Lutherans are represented as numbering
1,526,552. In the last three years, conse-
quently these particular Protestant
churches gained 135,777 members, an
average gain for each year of 45,259. Yet
last year, despite the fact hat the head
OF the Lutheran church went to the Holy
Land and exploited his religious follow
ing for all 1t was worth the Lutheran
gain was but 36,678 in this country, or
nearly 5000 under what it was in each
OF the two previous years.
We have recently heard a leading
lGpiscopalian minister down in Maine
declaring that his church was steadily
losing ground in all parts of the land;
and the Protestant Episcopalian element
OF our population has always been a
rather numerically insignificant one. The
entire membership OF the two Profess
tant Episcopalian churches in the coun-
try was last year 689,347. Three years
tefore, in 1896, it was 626, 300 The Pro-
testant Episcopalian gain then for the
past three years is represented NV G., O57
which would make its annual increase
average 21,O19. These figures tally very
closely with the reported increase for
the past year, to wit, 21,S44,
The past year seems to have been a
very good one for the Congregational
churches, which repor gain of Ia. GOO
members in that period. and that is
about 1000 higher than the average in
crease for the past hree years.
Ihe Mormon gain during 1898 was
s'ooo in excess of what it was on an
average since 1895. The Unitarians, who
were $4,000 strong in the aforementioned
year. now claim $4,000 members, and
assert that their increase in 1898 was
5000, thus leaving only 1900 of a. gain
to be divided between the two earlier
years. A rather inexplicable difficulty
presents itself when we find the Uni
versalists, who three years ago declared
themselves as being 479SG, and whom
the independents figures put at 1886,
difference of only $40 for three wears
claiming that they gained last year 2, 1863
new members. If they did, they must
have lost about 1900 adherents some
time or other during the two preyi-
GUS years, after the figures of 1895 were
collected Some Of the societies repre-
nented In our New York contemporary
tables, as already stated claim no gains
ana II they made comparative state
ments would probably have to report
losses. The Communistic bodies, for ey-
ample, report their strength last wear
as being 1880. In 1895 they were credit
cd with $3.50, thus Indicating a loss Of
~ members. Probably the smallest
three years increase is that of the tour
plymouth Brethren bodies, which last
year numbered 6,722. In 1895 they were
6,661, so that their gain for three years
was but 81, or an average yearly increase
Of 20.
Generally favorable, however, as tho
last year appears to have been to the
leading American religious denomina-
tons, Its showing, when all the churches
are considered together, is not 80 fiat
tering. According to last years figures
the total church membership of tho
United States was 27,714,523, and the
gain for the year is put down at 862-
300. In 1895 the same membership was
24,646.5S4. That would make the gain
for the three years ;3,O67,s39, or an an
nual increase Of 1,O22,64s, which is 1So-
$40 more than what the churches an
pear to have gained in 1893.
The Independent counts five bodies az
Catholics in this country Four of these
1t deslgnates as Catholics" simply, The
other denominationsa are called Apostolic
Catholics" Why it. does not group with
these Catholic" churches the Dowie
Christian Catholics. whom it credits
with $4,000 members. we cannot say.
These sectarians have just as good a
right as the others who arroeate TO
themselves the name Of Catholics to he
classed as SUCH In the five Catholic
bodies aforementioned, our New York