Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-06
Heavenly Investment.
How Does the Total Amount Of Money Given in This Country
for Religious Purposes Compare With Nations Wealth?

set down for 1904 by Mr. Austin at $4,000
Vo.Vu. Surely, IL is an even 500. 600 coo.
600 by this time. And so our material In
vestment In heaven, as far as church prom
erty, In the census sense is concerned is
only a meager one ninety-third of our
wealth Instead OF a tenth. which would be
just $4,000. 100000.
Ten billions-how far short we fall OF tho
mark. And yet not quite SO distressingiy
far as the figures would seem TO Indicate
There is our investment in parsonages
and manses and priests houses. for exam
pie, still to be considered. Although not
taken into consideration by census or
Gals they are, nevertheless, part and par
Gel OF our material investment IN heaven.
One Of the few denominations which an
nually collects statistics OF Its church resi-
dences Is the Methodist Episcopal. 1t has
nearly 1850 parsonages. representing a to-
tai valuation of almost $24,00o.o0. Last
years increase in parsonages. over the pre-
vious year, was 141, and In value 81 600, co.
In the east New York conference are 225
parsonages. held at 81 10000, while the 2I9
parsonages In the confines of the Philadel-
phia conference are estimated as being
worth little more than 81 100000. The de-
nomination has 1920 more churches than
pareonages. The Congregational Church
organizations number 4.soo. and 3.1oo own
parsonages. About three-fourths of the
5000 Presbyterian NORTH churches boast
Of manses. and an even greater proportion
OF the 600 Protestant Episcopal churches
Of rectories. How many catholic churches
do you see without priests house nearbyE
Surely, our material investment in heaven
in roof trees for our various denomlna-
tional shepherds-they number l5l.oO and
are in charge of 2oo.o0 churches-reaches
millions beyond the hundred million mark.
Mark you, only one of our twenty-five lead
ing denominations has parsonages valued
at close on to a. quarter OF a hundred MIL
lion dollars.
Church houses represent n pretty million
or two; the church house of st. Georges.
New York, cost a fortune OF SIX hgures.
and this building Is but one or group
owned by that church and devoted TO Its
various institutional enterprises. An insti-
tutional church of Cincinnati occupies nine
buildings besides the church proper me m
stitutional property, all told, of Grace
Church New York nearly covers city
square church that aims to be institu-
tional In character must have other prop
erty besides that of the church edihce ana
the parsonage rectory manse. SIX years
AGO ITO of the 4SS Protestant churches in
New York were institutional The NUMBER
has materially increased since them
Every denomination engages. ut large, IN
various charitable enterprises, Every city
has its important hospitals. founded and
maintained by various denominations. EV-
ery city In the first class and most in the
second can boast of It's Presbyterian hospi-
tai. and of It's Catholic hospital, as well.
Throughout the country the Methodist
Episcopal denomination maintains twenty
one hospitals. One-the Methodist OF f lIa
adelphia-is valued at close on 20 Sto'oNo'
The PRESBYTERIAN Hospital. New York. COW
uhn block and Its value runs up
into the millions. All other denominations
engage In this work.
All these items aggregate rnllhons on
millions yet are they far from sufncient'
when added to the church property Valua-
tion to make our total investment IN
heaven tenth of our inconceiVable wealth:
But how about our yearly investment az
the present time; are we giving tenth
Of our income? Perhaps here we can ma
a better regard for the Biblical injunction
Last year the 100000 odd members OF
the Presbyterian Church North contribute
ed for all purposes-home and foreign mis-
sions, education, aid for colleges, benevo-
lence congregational support including
preachers salaries. etc.-the tidy sum OF
SIS SIS, 600. AS the greater portion OF churcn
property Is in the hands OF twenty-five OF
the countrys nearly $50 distinct denomlna-
TONS SO, also the greater portion OF the
YEARLY contributions for religious purposes
made by all denominations, Is made by
these twenty five. Now. II each denomina-
ton contributed in 1906 as much as tIe
Presbyterian, the ioldi "CNA>N
have been $3.50 600 900. But few of them
did contribute as much by several Millions
the Presbyterian denomination is among
the most liberal in purse II mas tradi-
tional wealthy membership. The Congrega-
tional Church gave about eleven millions
the Protestant Episcopal, six millions. Now,
the income en- hundred billions. our ma
rionar wealth. at the low rate OF per
cent IS four billions. We fall lamentapiy
short of giving a tenth OF our income. even
when we take into consideration the mill
lions given for religious purposes by per-
sons not contributing through any demons
national body, and the other millions gwen
10 and spent annually by secular charities.
In 1904 the sums of money above five thou
sand dollars given by phianthroplsts for
religious work aggregated si.SO.o00. Sull
there is little satisfaction, negative
though IT be, to be derived from the $ tua-
ton This country is acknowledged the
most liberal in purse for religions sake,
and so we, among the nations. may be
said to have the largest material Invest
ment in heaven.