Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-01-25
Some Analysed Church
Figures.

tional religious j ,urnal, recently
printed a summary of religious
progress in this country during
1899 which reveals some curious
and some unexpected facts. 1t
has been said often that religions
organizations have been losing
ground for some time 1t ap-
pears, however, that while the
estimated increase in our popu, ~
tion since 1890 has been about
so per cent that of church Nom
bership hasebeen about "a per
cent. This may or may not mean
an increase in real religious
strength, but it certsinly indicates
increased ecclesiastical weight in
the community rsthNr than any
falling off.
In the details of numerical gain
or loss in the several denomina-
tions curious facts are found.
Thus the highest percentage of
increase in membership is found
among Reformed Catholics, who
have increased so per cent within
the year. But this takes on a
quite different color when it is
seen that their entire member
ship is only 1880. The next larg-
est rate of increase, q per cent
is among the Armeniane, and here
again the whole number is but
$500. Chistian Scientists are
credited with gain Of IA per
cent and an aggregate strength of
10000. Yet, curiously enough,
they are credited with $4,000
"ministers," more in number than
those Of any other denomination
except Baptists and Methodists
Thus it takes $4,000 ministers to
take spiritual care Of 80, 600 Chris
tain Scientists, while a3, ,O88 mini
stsrs look after the interests Of
100000 Baptists and 36, ,424 mini
lsters shepherd more than 5.76O..
600 Methodists.
This looks as If Christian
Science must be a verv expensive
kind Of faith, though it is modified
q little when one sees that while
they have only 4a7 churches tbs
Baptists have nearly $4,000 and
the Methodists more than $1,000.
It is curious to find that willis
the net increase for the year a.
mong Baptists-thirteen v,riet-
les of them-has been 89,2Ol, tina
of the Methodists Seventeen var.
ieties-has been only 33,O51,
though the latter outuumber the
former more than 2,50O,0OO. The
Baptist rate of increase has been
for the year 2 per cent and the
Methodist only ono half of / per
cent, while the Lutherans, with a
membership of a little more than
100000, have increased 26 per
cent, and even the Episcopalians
two varieties popularity sup.
posed to be little If at all, bette,
than stationary, have incseased Il
per cent.
Another case of growth, supris.
ing to many, no doubt, is that OF
the Disciples nf Christ (presum
ably the sect commonly called
Campbellites), who have grown
per cent in 1899, and now nnmbe,
1,118,309 members. As if in re-.
! ply TO the loudly voiced fears o.
certain alarmists, it is found tha
the Catholics-three varieties
though aggregatine 8,446.3O,
members, or nearly s,75O,OO(
more than the Methodists, the
.Inext largest body. have grown
!. within the year only six-tenths o
!. l per cent.
i # is noticeable that the Con
/. gregationallsts, who promised ST
; ty years ago from a New England
noint al view {at leastin conjunc
ton with the Uhitarians) T., dom.
, mate the land, grew last year but
three tenths of one per cent, and
alone among the larger denomin,
ations, have more ministers thar
= churches, sharing in that peculi
arity with the Christian Scientists
the Latter Day Saintp, or Nor
mans, and q few Of the smaller do
. nominations. This rate of growtl
is the smallest shown. anon,
those that show growth at All. ex