Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-22
DECREASE IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE F WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF IT?
 PASTORS GIVE THEIR OPINIONS
m
  Some 0 eChudnsm aRuanNn
at Some of the Churches on a Recent Sunday


 refer to former counts taken in this city and town by an agent of the American Bible society Ac- cording to a summary canvass, September 29 1S65 1909 families visited, numbering 9,OOS persons Of these families 859 were Protestants and 71S Roman Catholics Of the 1900 families 923 reported them selves not attending any of the churches, and very these Roman Catholics. "At this rate says the Waterbury history "the church going Protestants considerably fewer, In 1S65 than the Catholics, of a population of 1O- GOO only 2,70O to be reckOned as belonging to the church going Protestant class
 A count of the attendance at the public worship in tho Protestant churches Sunday, January 13, 1SS9 the weather being favorable, the attendance follows: Morning, 2,847; evening, 2164; to- ta 5,O11. To-day according to the figures submit ted by the different pastors the attendance is as follows: Morning, 3,1SO; evening" 2955; total, 6,135, ago.
 At the count fourteen years ago it found that three-ffths of the congregation women. The Rev pr Anderson says that to-day four times many women men attend public worship. .
 The pastors of number of churches asked by a reporter If the church attendance was de creasing and if what the of such decrease. The answers received follow:
 Rev Father Crowley, pastor of St Thomas's church: Il think that church attendance is in creasing and that the number of persons who refrain from attending Sundays is growing smaller The attendance at St Thomas's church has increased 33 13 per cent during the past two three years.
 
 church: T believe that the church attendance is increasing, but also think that the number of peo pie who do not attend church is also increasing But are holding own. The church attendance in the south is much greater in proportion to the popu lation in the north reason for this is the commercial spirit the south is not so intense in the north Another reason is that the church holds larger place in the social life of the people in the south than in the north The preacher is prominent leader in the southern than in the northern states.'
 Rev W. J. Slocum, pastor of the Immaculate Con ceptfon church T believe that the number peo pie who don't attend church is decreasing The at tendance at the different masses at the Immaculate Conception church is 1000 than when I came here in 1S95 At that time the membership 5000 more than now, since large portions of my par ish was cut off to form the new parishes of St Fran cS Xavier and St Thomas's"
 Rev Benjamin F. Root: "I think that 1t is stand still that the number of church -goers neither creasing nor decreasing. It is my opinion that the masses seeking entertainment and are very like ly to go where they will find that entertainment whether in the nature of elaborate musical pro- gram sermon profusey illustrated by fiction stoI. les. Any man with his eye open may see this desire to be enrolled among the number who believe that the world is growing better. The world needs the gospel now as 1t needed it before"
 Rev John N. Lewis, pastor of St Johns church. 1 believe that church attendance is increasing very materially I believe it is due to an increased in terest upon the part of the people in general in prac tical religion which manifests itself between Suns days They realize more and more that the church Is interested in the true welfare of mankind coming back to the church. Four or five years ago the church attendance decreasing. It's the re- The people then thought that the church was not interested in mans physical and mental fare but since then they being convinced to the contrary"
 Rev John G. Davenport pastor of the Second Con- gregatlonal church: II inclined to think that there is decrease in the church attendance and a corresponding increase in the number of church gOers This does that the people are not much influenced by Christianity as in the past but that there is growing feeling that Christianity doesn't consist of church attendance solely, but to the practcing of it's teachings in everyday life Be sides this growing feeling believe that the increase of non-church. goers may be attributed to the vasfon of q materalistic spirit, Furthermore the church doesn't hold threats in days past Fifty years ago the people compelled by theology to attend church, but such theology is not taught to- day. Formerly the pulpit the only means disseminating knowledge. Now it's place is partly taken by large quantity of good literature. books and newspapers I think that some members have been driven away by the theology" The Rev Louis Nj. Holden, pr Davenports assistant. said during the transition from the old the new theo ogy that people became disturbed and dis gruntled at the preaching of the old theology and left the church.
 Rev r. D. Buckley rector of Trinity church: 'The number of nOn-church goers, in my opinion, is in creasng much. The membership of Trinity church IS over So0 If all should come, the seating capacity of the church would not be sufficient But they do not come. I believe that but compara lively small portion of the people attend church. This is due in part to the extensive materials of the day the mad rush for money and success. Business men are kept very busy until late hours on satur- day nights and Sunday mornings When Sunday comes they seize an opportunity to rest catch up in strength and to fix odds and ends of their work The manifold attractions, including the~ Sunday newspaper in the morning, ball game in the after noon. concert in the evening" tend to take a few away. Furthermore, church going is not looked upon to-day as so much of saving ordinances as it by fathers"
 Rev MT Lemke pastor of the German Lutheran church: '"1'he attendance at churches depend upon the city. There is doubt that in cities the number of people who don't attend church is in creasing. I don't know much about church attend annce in Waterbury since I have only been here q few weeks. At the church in Seymour, where | last stationed the attendance increasing" Rev F. E. Stockdale, pastor of First Methodist