Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-06


in heaven? Does 1t total the one-tenth that
the Scriptures say should be given to the
Lord; or do we fall short in this. as we
do in many another duty. laid on US by
the Divine Word?
The last church census made by the
United states was In 1890. At that time
the census takers were authorized to as
certain, among other things, the value of
church property" In religious censuses
before this one there had been much am
biguity concerning the term church prop
erty,' so in 1890 1t was laid down for the
guidance of all concerned that the item
value of church property is intended to
embrace the present estimated value OF
buildings, with their sites, their furniture,
organs, bills, etc, owned and used for
worship. 1t does not include halls or
other places which simply rented; nor
parsonages, parochial school buildings,
theological seminaries monasteries or con-
vents (only the chapels attached thereto);
nor buildings of the Young Mems Chris
tan Association, the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union or similar organiza-
TONS
turned up a total earthly investment in
heaven of nearly six hundred and eighty
million dollars-to be exact 1913 600, l39.
The Roman Catholic Church property was
100000; the Methodist Episcopal &S. 1904 COO;
the Protestant Episcopal SS1 go 600: the
Presbyterian (North), S745oo.o00: the Regu-
lar Baptist (North, s49500,000; the Con-
gregational, $43, 100000. and so on through
the list of the 143 distinct denominations,
besides the various independent organiza-
tons tabulated.
o. P. Austin, chief of the bureau Of sta
tistics, Department of Commerce and La
bor has set down the wealth of this coun-
try, fifteen years ago. at s65, 0C0. 100000. 1t
takes but a few minutes of calculation TO
prove that our investment In church prop
erty then was only a little more than one
ninety fifth of our aggregate material pos
sessions. as represented In dollar and cent
values.
Leaving out of consideration for the mo-
ment our material Investments In heaven
in the things not taken note Of by the CEN
sus of 1850. let US see whether or not we
have increased since then our investment
In church property in the census sense. IN
tho lapsed fifteen years the national wealth
has Increased prodigiously, faster than
ever before in our history. We have well
coined the increase, In words; have We
shown a beneficent Providence our appre-
citation of it, IN deed? In other words, have
we endeavored to give the prescribed tenth
that, up to 1890, had never given, at
least not far back as authentic statis-
tics go?
The fact that the government did not
take a church census in 1900 need not give
US too much worry. There are suf1cient
records at hand to make US reasonably sure
Of arriving at an adequate answer to the
will be approximate.
For example, take the 1906 year book OF
the Methodist Episcopal denomination. 1t
contains the property valuation OF its
churches for 1905, fifteen years exactly
after the 1890 census This valuation Is set
down at S142 800 600 In 1890 all the diff
ferent branches of Methodsm in the United
States could boast of church property
worth only S132, coo 900. The Methodist
Episcopals' share was 500, $50 COO There
fore since then 1t has gained over AZ per
cent in property valuation.
In 1890 the Methodist Episcopal Church
(Southl had SIS, $50 eco worth Of church edf
fees Last year the figure was $4,000 ,OO0
a gain of over 40 per cent.
The compiler of the Congregational year
book also makes practice of giving the
church values from year to year. They
now total $50, $50 600, while sixteen years
ago the valuation was 500, SOC, 600 less The
percentage of increase Is 81.
Nine denominations combined-Roman
Catholic Presbyterian (North), Protestant
Episcopal, Regular Baptist (North), Con-
gregational. Lutheran, Reformed Church in
America. Methodist Episcopal Ind the Jews
had In New York city in 1890 church edl-
fees and furnishings appraised at s4s.25O.
600. Once a year, for publication in one
of the most dependable almanacs of the
country. statistics of the metropolitan
churches are carefully collected, and for
1905 the church valuation for the above de-
nominations has been set down in this pub
LEGATION at S94. 100000 The gain in mil
lions has been 46. and in percentage about
.05
In New York the gain Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church was 6S per cent and of
the Congregational 20 per cent. Yet in the
country by and large their respective gains
were AZ and 81 per cent
Fifteen years ago the value Of Catholic
Church property was $1lS.o00.0o0; while
now It approximates s227, 775,0O0
The value of Protestant church property
was 500, 900 fifteen years ago. 1t is now
s943 000. 600.
The total church property valuation, ap-
proximately is about 81 OH 100000
Now, for the query-does this represent
tenth of our national wealth? This was