The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10
RELIGIOUS MEMBERSHIP
IN THE UNITED STATES
Twenty-Five Million Commpni-
cants or Affiliated Persons, an In
crease of 100000 for the Year.
RECORDS POORLY KEPT

Special 20 the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK, Jan. 9.--In even figures the
membership OF all religious bodies in Amer
Tea at this time is 100000. OF an increase
last year Of about $4,000 Even figures
must be given, since religious statistics are
collated in a most slipshOd fashion, and in
some bodies are little more than guesswork.
The basis OF membership differs. Some
reckon actual communicates, some bap-
tisns some adherents. and very large
proportion OF church officials do not reckon
at all, but jump at estimates. and then
forget 20 send their estimates 10 the de-
nominational statitstician. The ecclesiasu-
cal years in different bodies are not the
came. and hence it is impossible to say
that a particular body increased in member
ship so many hundreds or thousands last
year. Roughly speaking, IL appears that
Christianity is Just about keeping pace with
population in matter of growth. Certainly
AZ grew none on the population last year.
Always. in prosperous financial times re-
ngfous interests suffer TO some extent
The present times are no excep-
lions. and returns for the year just ended
show. as far as they show anything with
certainty. that the world is paying marked
attention to worldly affairs.
Three bodies about which much has been
heard during the year 1893 are the DOWle-
ties the Christian Scientists and the Jews.
The first named have been credited by the
religious statisticians with a membership
OF 5000. They themselves admit that they
know Of only 1850. The statisticians have
uniformly given membership hgureS OF
Christian Scientists. Yet officials of Chris
tfan Scientist churches affirm that rec
ords are compiled, and that they themselves
60 not know their numbers. Ii Is said the
number of Jews who are recorded as pc
longing To a congrega ton IS 15O,O 600 If this
be accurate which Is doubtful, Il Is less
than one-quarter of all the Jews resident
in New York city alone, at present the
great center Of Jewish population III the
world.
few years ago it was true that the
larger religious bOdieS were growing larger,
and the small ones smaller. Last year, II
the statistics are TO be accepted the small
bodies grew quite In proportion TO the large.
Unitarians have been at standstill for
some years. Last year they claimed a
growth of about 1000. Universalists have
barely held their own, but last year claimed
a growth OF 594. Other small bodies. like the
Evangelical, the various branches of Meth
odism, almost all the divisions or Presby-
terianism, and the many small synods or
Lutherans, and others, show proport1onate
growth. On the other hand, some OF the
larger bodies made showings Of which they
have little reason to boast For example,
the Protestant Episcopal Church increased
IN membership only 1900, and Is steadily
tisms: all Presbyterian bodies grew but
3l552, which Is an average OF not so many
as one member TO church, and Methodists
North. with zS.213 churches, grew only 2. 200
members. They passed the 100000 mark
and are the single religious body in Amer
lea. which bases its members on actual
communicates, and not on population, I'm
the case of the Roman Catholic Church.
Official Baptist and Roman Catholic fig
ures for the year just ended have not yet
been collected. Any figures given now
would be estimates. and the data upon which
they rest Is vague that they must be
hardly more than guesseS. The figures this
year for the principal Lutheran divisions
are: General Council, 3S3. 1872: General Synod,
213I09; SynOdical Conference, 53l,3s0. and all
Lutherans les 1856. Polish Catholics claim
a membership at this time of 30 $50. but this
IS a showing made. 1t is charged in some
quarters TO impress the Protestant Episco-
pal Church, with which the Poles seek
union.