The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-12
PULPIT AND PEW
NEW MEMBER" TEST
Small Churches Increase Their Num-
beers at Less Expense Than
Large Ones,
Interesting Inquiry Into Relative
Efficiency, by the Church
Economist.

Do small churches spend less money and
achieve greater results? The Literary
Digest has recent article In which this
question is asked in relation to church
union, the assumption being that 8. large
church organization is more efficient than
a small one. The Digest quotes the
church economist as believing that in GER
tain respects the small church has the adj
vantage. The quotation reads:
THE Church Economist has made a
comparison of statistics Of churches in
five large cities In different sections of the
United States, taking representative or
CARNATIONS Of the Episcopal, Presbyterian,
Congregational, Baptist and Methodist
bodies, with the purpose Of presenting the
conclusions without necessarily pointing
a lesson. Figures for individual churches
are apt to be misleading, special condi-
lions affecting results, and for this reason
all the following figures are averaged from
the reports Of a number of churches. We
have tried to deal with normal congre-
gational expenses in every case:
For instance, six Episcopal churches in
the city of New York, having an aggre-
gate membership Of $3.50, received in one
year 500 new members by confirmation.
In the same time the six churches spent
s134,769 for regular parish expenses, not
including amounts given for benevolences
that is, for every person confirmed in a
year these churches spent on an average
$269.53. It Is also interesting to note that
the expenditure averages $14.66 per COM
municant member of the churches
Compare the figures with those for six
other New York Episcopal churches hav-
ing an aggregate membership Of 1896.
These spent in one year for ordinary par
ish expenses s23,729. They added 157
members by confirmation, the average
cost, If 1t may be SO called, being s151.14,
and the expenditure per communicate
NAV hat o1,o 10
that the churches have not been chosen
with any purpose Of proving a precon-
ceived idea. They are representative or
CARNATIONS, neither the largest nor the
smallest in the city. Abnormal churches,
either in expenditure or additions to mem
bership, have not been included.
ut Is found that twenty nine Episcopal
churches in Ave large cities with an aver
age membership Of 876 spend annually
$11.69 per communicate member, or
s192.67 per member added by confirmation.
| Twenty seven churches, on the other
hand, with an average membership of 1874,
spend only Soil per member, or $108.S4
terrain churches, with an average member
ship Of S63, spend annually $17.5S per
member, or $357.91 per member received by
examination. Twenty-nine Presbyterian
churches, with an average membership of
| 2O5, spend but 1888 per member, or
| $155.16 per member added on confession.
Congregational figures give this compari-
SOM 26 churches, with an average mem
| bership Of 1885, spend annually $15.9S per
member, or $39236 per member added on
confession. Twenty six churches, with an
| average membership Of 17s, have re-
| spective average expenditures. Of $15.15
and Stats. = 80
| ..The Baptist figures summarized show
that q churches, with an average mem
| herShip of 91O : spend $11.43 per nen1ber.
or $225:2O per baptism. Twenty smaller
churches, having average memberships OF
25S, spend $11.s2 per member, or $209.6O
| per baptism. Methodist churches with
an average membership of $55422 OF
them, spend $13.41 per member, orr$1S2.05
per member added. Twenty one
| churches, with an average membership OF
per member added.