Evening journal., 1902-01-18
DR.. CARROLL GIVES STATISTICS
ON GROWTH OF THE CHURCHES S

DR.. II. X. Carroll, Of New York. who
was in charge Of the religious statistics
dn the United States census of 1890, and
has since then annually made up the
figures on the growth of the churches
has Just completed the statistics for
the year 1901. He finds the total
Church cOmmunicant membership in
the United States alone, and exclusive
of members on foreign mission fields,
to be 2S,09O, ,637, out of a population
that must, If popular growth has been
the same this last year as during the
decade from 1890, be about 77,000, 900.
This is for actual membership, and
does not include adherents and mem
bers of congregations. The increase,
according to Dr. Carroll, was 730,027
last year, or 2.67 per cent. This is an
increase slightly greater than the an
nual increase in population from 1890
to 1900. The latter rate OF increase
was 21S per cent Thus, if DIR. Carroll
be correct, the churches of the United
States are growing slightly faster in
membership than is the population.
or the church. membership growth
during 1901 Dr. Carroll finds, on the
face of the returns. the Roman CaItho-
lie Church TO have credited to It 468.-
0S3. But he points out that Catholic
rectors do not revise their statistics of
population every year, so that the in
crease given represents in large pro
portion of the dioceses the growth for
several years, where, in the case of
Protestant bodies, the growth given
represents that for the last year only.
He concludes that the Catholic figures
are too large. The Catholic member
ship in the total he gives as 9,15S,741.
EPlSCOPALIAN GROWTH.
The Protestant Episcopal Church
makes, next to the Roman Catholic,
the largest growth Of the year. The
percentage OF growth is a little more
than four, a very large figure, and one
which few religious bodies have ever
maintained for decade together The
growth is greatest in Eastern cities,
and. as is the case in no other religious
bodies, it comes from Methodists. Pres
byterians, Baptists, Congregationalists
and everywhere, rather than from the
non-church public. The growth in fig
ures last year was 31,341, and there
was an increase of 21S parishes
Disciples of Christ increased their
membership last year 29,559. This
membership is almost wholly in the
middle West. The body has almost
doubled its membership since 1890, and
now has a total Of 1,179541, making
the body now hold sixth place in the
United States. Eleven years ago Dis
ciples held eighth place.
In actual membership gained last
year the two next largest bodies were
Southern Bapists, which increased &c.
112. and African Methodists, which
grew 22,S92. In point OF percentage
growth Christian Scientists make a
big showing, according to DR.. Carroll
although he discredits Christian Scien-
tist membership previously given, and
claimed by Scientists themselves. He
says he has gone to the mother church
in Boston for statistics. He finds the
growth TO have been last year 1880,
hut gives the total at only 1880. which
is far less than has been claimed. Even
the figures given he thinks to be too
high, because some members of branch
churches are also members of the
mother church, and are counted twice.
MANY KINDS OF LUTHERANS.
Speaking Of Lutherans. he points
out that there are not fewer than twen-
ty-two different kinds in the United
States. There are five general bodies.
and contrary to the general impress