Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-04
The Latest Church Figures.

The Latest Church Figures.
In the latest issue of the Christian
Advocate there are given some inter-
esting figures regarding the numerical
strength OF the various religious de-
nominations in this country. They are
compiled by DR.. Henry King Carroii
who is an expert in the business, nav
ing collected the religious statistics lot
the 18th census He explains that the
figures he gives out this time are not
complete in every instance, for IN the
case Of some denominations there are
no figures later than 1900 In the cases
of some denominations the figures are
based on estimates, not on actuai
count, this. being true of the Roman
Catholic figures The Catholic figures
also include children, as IS not done in
other denominations. According to DR..
CARROTS figures there We're in the
United States proper, not including the
outlving dependencies and possessions.
32.sS315S church members. gain of
627 ,5is over the year before. There are
ls1.731 ministers, Il gain Of .301, and
aOI. 1a9 houses of worship, a gain OF
t2l4 during the year.
Besides the Roman Catholics, eight
other varieties CT Catholics are rep
resented in The United States, DR.. Car
roll reports-AIaronite, Polish, Russian.
eighth year of the twentieth century
finds II kinds of Methodists in the
United States, II kinds of Baptists, q
kinds Of Lutherans. II kinds Of Presby-
terians, SIN kinds of Adventists; and
so on. There are more than $50 de
nominations" in the United States.
Arranging them as far as possible III
family groups and counting the church
members ("cOn1municants') only, Dr..
Carroll tells us that the reported num-
Der OF Catholics in the country at tho
close OF 1907 was l1,Gi5, 495, Methodists
e.6C0,1Si. Baptists 5,224,3 05, Lutherans
2,O22. COS, PreSbyterians 1921 SOL. Epis-
cOpalians, 330,659. Reformed 1904
Latter Day Saints 3eS.O0o. United
Brethren 289.s52. Evangelicals 1851,
Jews $4,000 (surcly there must re more
OF them than that in New York city
alone). Friends or Quakers 1o2,0S!.
Dunkards 12l, 7G5, Adventists 3a29S and
Menmonites 81 $50.
The largest single religious body in
the United States in the United States
is the Roman Catholic. with its report
ed communicate membership of n,311.-
970-a gain, as compared with 1906, of
246, 900. Next comes the Methodist
Episcopal church, with its 3,G36, 637
communicates gain of 5o.4o6. DR.
Carroll thinks it worth noting that
there are 1851 Methodist Episcopal
ministers to 1888 Roman Catholic
Priests and 1856 Methodist Episcopal
(locaD churches to about 12.4s2 Roman
Catholic ones. The Baptists Gall kinds)
gained 103,35S members last year, the
Lutherans 55.172. the Presbyterians
4s.eo7, the Disciples of Christ 1856,
DR. Carroll credits Congregationahs!n
with 699.3o7 church members. 5,N1
churches, and 5,J23 ministers: Uni
yersalisln with 52,621 church men,
bers, $40 churches, and 72S ministers;
Unitarianism with 1900 church niem-
bers. 473 churches, and $40 ministers.
DIR. Carroll learns from an "authora-
tive source" at Boston that there are
now s5.096 Christian Scientists. gather
ed into tsS local churches; the gain
for the year $500 was 1899 members,
five churches. and ten readers.