The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-24
NEARLY 100000
CHURCH MEMBERS
Percentage Increased Six
Per Cent in Six Years
Sis PER CT. PROTEsTANTs

Catholics Have 12,O79,142 Members;
Methodists 5,749,S38; Baptists 81
CO., 234: Lutherans 2,112,4S4; Pres
byterians 1,s3O,555; Disciples Or
Christians 1,142,359.
Washington. D. c., Aug. 21.-That
the church members in the United
States numbered nearly thirty-three
millions in 1906; that there were a bill
lion and a quarter dollars invested in
church edifces; that every day eight
new churches ser their spires sky
ward; that males formed considerably
less than half the fetal church mem
bership: that a larger percentage Of
Catholic males than Protestant males
were MEMBERS; that in 16 States the
majority of the total church member
ship were Roman Catholic; but that
of the Grand total of church members
reported for the United States 61.6
per cen were Protestants and 36.7
per cent Roman Catholics; these are
the salient and conspicuous facts ap-
pearing in the proof sheets Of a Uni
ted States Census Bureau bulletin,
prepared by Chief Statistician William
G. Hunt of the division of population,
of the United States Census Bureau.
The bulletin will be issued his
month. 1t is in the allure Of an alb
stract Of the comprehensive report,
now in press, giving the results Of the.
fifth census Of religious bodies in the
United States.
Fewer Male Than Female Members.
It is stated hat United States Cen
sus statistics of church membership by
sex were collected for the first time
in 1906. Of the total number of
~arnr%n1 Nv tho xo ri ro-
ligious bodies and classified by sex,
43.1 per cent were males and $50
per cent. females. Among the Protes-
tants the difference was greater, only
1913 per cent being males. In the
Roman Catholic churhches there were
relatively more males, the number
forming 1913 per cent Of the total
membership.
Fewer males than females were
found among the Latter-day Saints,
the Lutherans, Disciples, Methodists,
Baptists. Presbyterians, and Protes-
Iant Epi~scOpalians, the percentages
of MAKE members decreasing in the
order shown, and there being but
35.5 per ceEt male among the Episco-
pa1ians. Among the Christian SCENT
lists, only 27.6 per cent were males;
and of the Shakers but 21.3 per cent;
80 per cent. were male, as practically
all Greek immigrants have been males.
Proportion of Church Members in
Total Population.
Of the total estimated population
of continental United States in 1906.
the church members formed 39.1 per
cent, as against 32.7 per cent for 1890.
amounting to GA per cent more In
1906 than in 1890. Of this GA per
cent increase, the Roman Catholic
Church is credited with A per cent,
and the Protestants with 1.8 per cent:
h remainder being divided among
all other denominations.
It is stated in the bulletin that the
total numbe Of members reported
by the various religious bodies for
1906 was 32,936,445, of which num-
Der the Protestants were credited with
with 12,O79,142. OF the Protestant
bodies, the Methodists numbered s.
749,838; the Baptists 5,662,234; the
Iutherans 2,112,494; the Presbyte-
rians 1,83O,555; n the Disciples of
Christians, 1,142,359.
Of the total of 32,936,445 church
members, 61.6 per cent were Protes-
tants; 36.7 per cent, Roman Catholic;
and IL per cent, members Of other
religious organizations. The rate OF
increase shown for the Roman Catho-
lie Church is 93.5 per cent. which is
more than twice that for all the FRO
testant bodies combined. The Meth
odists reported 17.5 per cent Of ali
Protestant church members; the Bap-
lists, 17.2 per cent.
Increase in Number of Organizations.
The total Number Of local religious
organizations in 1906 is given as 212,-
$50, an increase since 1890 OF 4l,oIS,
Or 2S.5 per cent. The Protestants
are credited with an increase in this
particular amounting to 27.8 per cent;
the Roman Catholic Church, 21.9 per
cent; the Jewish congregations, 231.9
per cent; and the Latter-day Saints,
1873 Der cent
The Methodists reported the larg-
est number of local organizations,
64,701; the Baptists reported $3.50;
the Presbyterians. 1896; the Luther
ans, 1903; and the Roman Catho-
lies, 12.482.
Other interesting features OF the