The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-02-14
Chicago Interior.
Growth of the Presbyterian
Church.

So much has been said, and 30 foolish
ly said, about our UNCONVENTIONAL status
in city parish and rural districts that it
may be worth while to get down to the
positive facts in the matter. 1t is easy
to assert expansion and not difficult to
point to instances of decadence, but
isolated years and individual congrega-
tions prove nothing. As matter of
fact the first century of our denomina-
tIonal existence in this country as a ms
tional organic alton was one of remark
able prosperity. Between 1899 and 1892
the population of the United Statee,
multiplied forty-one times. In other
words the denomination as represented
by its large st branch alone grew two and
half times as rapidly as the popula-
ton of the states.
Taking the decade embraced between
the tenth census and the eleventh, tie
population increased therein at the rate
of IA So per cent, while the Presbyterian
church (Nortb) increased at the rate o.
more than 80 per cent. As the past
eight years eince that census have been
notable for the decrease of emigration.
it is certain that our population is not
increasing at the rate of 2 48 per cent
yearly now, while the Presbyterian
church (North) showed an increase last
year of go per cent. This was greatly
in excess of the Methodist Episcopal
church North, much ae that fact may
surprise some of our readers.
But in which part OF our country lie
the growth most seen? Our secular
papers "deplore" TIE disappearance of
city churches that were once strong,
and prophesy the rapid ex xinction Of
Presbyterianism in metropolitan Ger :
ters. But we'll informed ministers of
our denomination know that it is lot
the policy of our church to hold on to
sites but to hold on to people. Presby-
terianism has always been a strong and
influential factor in the religious life of
St. Louis, for example; and yet between
1884 and 1885 there were dropped from
the roll of the Presbyteries OF st. Louie
the names of twenty defunct Preeby-
terian churches. 1t was quite recently
We reviewed in these columns the his
tory of rural presbytery in central
New Y York, and we showed how this
body, which had in the course of one
generation decently inferred nineteen
churches, was still more hoarishinp
than ever. The surrender of q site
which has become impracticable is not
the sign of senility but of sound sense.
Nor are our cities "godless," as mourn
full Jeremiahs would have us believe
Throughout the whole Union there are
337 communicates to each 1000 of the
population. In our larger cities the pro-
por ion is 379 to each 600. And in this
urban church life our own denomination
has good rank. OF our entire popula-
ton % per cent. live in cities of 25. 900
population, or upwards; while of the
Presbyterian church NORTH nearly 20
per cent. are found in such cities. Among
Protestant evangelical bodies no church
in more strongly urban than our own
except the Episcopal, which has practi-
cally no rural congregations. In fact re
other denomination can compare with
our own ss to evenness of distribution.
Taking 25.OOO as the minimum of strict
ly city life, we find that the population
of the country is divided between city
and country in the ratio of twenty-five
to seventy-eieht. while the memhershir
of the Presbyterian church (North) il
diyided between the same localities II
the proportion of twenty-nine to seven
ty-one.
| 1t may be granted that in exceptiona
populations, like those New York arc
Chicago, swollen by vast streams of for
eign immigration, the growth of nj
native religious orRan:z stion is likely II
keep pace with the unnatural increaee o
the alien citizenship. For illustration
the population of the city of New Yorl
grew at the rate of 80 per cent. for th'
twenty years between 1870 aed 1890; bu
the Presbyterianchurch in the city of New
York increased only at the ratio of q
per cent. Yet if we turn to the who'll
Empire state we find that the entir
population of the state increased in tina
decade at the rate of 81 per cent. whil
the Presbyterian church increased at tn
rate of 36. If we turn to Chicago, tn
figures are not very different. That is
Chicago grew in twenty years at the rat
of 268 per cent, while the church il
creased at 100 per cent, in this city q
in New York the tremendous increas
being accounted for by the il fux Of Rue
SLAMS, Italians, Bohemians and other ma
tionalities among whom any Protestan
evangelism would be matter of elo,
|, growth.
But if we take cities rem oved in
measure at least from such foreign influ
encee, we f I'D that in the same score {
years the population of Cincinnati wa
increased 81 per cent, while the Presby
ter an membership there was enlarge
81 per cent. In Philadelphia the figure
were for the city population, 81, and fc
the church, 30 per cent. There is nc
the slightest reason for supposing tbs
the Presbyterian church is losing its hol
upon the people.