The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-24
DEARTH OF MINIS ERS
IS Deemed ALARM|N 2
SUPPLY OF cLERGYMEN NCr
EQUAL TO THE DEMAND.
Plenty Of Missionaries Available for
Foreign Fields Young Mem from
Theological seminaries Going Into
Settlement Work to Large Degree
Interesting Statistics.

!, There is some alarm among religious
leaders in this country and in Europe
at the. continued falling off in the num-
Der Of candidates for the ministry.
Theological seminaries of practically
all bodies are graduating smaller class.
those entering the seminaries gives no
hope, it is declared, of any substantial
increase in graduates for series OF
years to come. So marked is this de-
cline that grave fears are held as to the
possibility of keeping churches supplied
1t is pointed out that even at the
present time the supply of clergymen is
not equal to the demand Of the /
churches. The latest available stats
tics Of all religious bodies in the United
States give, the total number Of
total number of ministers at 1855.
In other words there are scarcely more
than three ministers for every four
churches. While it is realized by lead.
ers who are studying these conditions
that there are many rural churches
thruout the country unable individually
to support minister, SO that their pull
pits have to be supplied one minis
ter sometimes serving three or four
charges, they say that the limit has
been reached and that unless conditions
change this plan Of cooperation will
have to be Extended and may even
reach into city churches.
This marked difference between the,
number of ministers and the number OF
churches is seen in very nearly all of
the larger denominations. Baptists, for
instance, have 52,919 churches and only
37,00l ministers. Disciples Of Christ
have 1903 churches and .6,475 minis,
/ 1885 ministers Presbyterians, all
bodies, have 1902 churches and 1850
ministers. Episcopalians. JAG churches
have but 5,109 clergymen. The Re-
formed churches have / 1910 ministers to
1886 churches. United Brethren have
4,4O7 churches and but 2,ls5 ministers.
There are but few exceptions among
American religious bodies to this dis.
proportion between the. number of
churches and ministers. A notable one,
however, is the Catholic church, which
has IL 1887 churches and Ia, l04 clergy
men. In the Congregational church the
churches and ministers are nearer IN
numbers than in most other bodies. 1t
has 6.O59 ministers and 1898 churches.
! Unitarians have also more ministers
than churches. as have some others OF
|athe smaller denominations.
It has also been noted that among
Il the denominations which show marked
advances, in members and churches the
| supply of ministers does not keep pace
r with church growth. Lutherans last
, year added 279 churches to their, total,
| but gained only ia ministers. There
, was an increase of PIG in the number OF
5 Episcopal churches in the United States
, with gain of but seventy clergymen
: Baptists gained 176 churches and but
81 ministers, and Methodists added 49,
? ministers and 535 churches.
: The Rev. C. D. Matthews Of London
t general secretary Of the Alliance Of Re
. formed Churches, has been making g
: close study Of the question Of the fail
: ing supply of ministers, and he reaches
the conclusion that the decline y al
? most universal. Since 1900, he finds
t the ministerial supply in the Presbyte
5 rian church Of the United States Of
) America has declined 8 per cent; II
|, the United Free church in Scotland il
q is II per cent; in the Church Of Eng
land ID per cent. These percentages o.
: decline are said not to be SO large. al
: they were in the five years preceding
:. 1900, but there is held to be iustifica
J ton for the claim Of some alarmtst
: that there has been q falling off OF u
- per cent in the number of candidates
s for the ministry tho some authorltie
- hold that the number Of such candi
. dates is now no more than two'thirds o.
:: what it was decade ago.