The copper era., 1909-09-09
The Churches.


 Proof sheets of a United States Census Bureau bulletin, prepared by William c. Hunt, chief statitician of the division of population, informs us that the church members in the United States in 1908 Qast count) numbered nearly thirty three million (32, ,936, ,4l3l; that the sum of S1 ,25O,- 900, 900 was invested in church edifices; that every day eight new churches sent their spires skyward; that males formed considerable less than half the total church membership: that larger percentage of Catholic males than Protestant males were mem- bers; that in sixteen states the ma iority of the total church member ship were Romaa Catholic, but that of the grand total of church members reported for the country 61.6 per cent were Protestants and 376 per cent were Roman Catholics.
 This is the first time that the United States census statistics of church membership by sex were col lected-resulting in a showing of 431 per cent males and 56.9 per cent fe- males. The Protestant record is 393 per cent males, and the Roman Cath olic 49.3 per cent of the total mem bership.
 Of-the 32,936, ,445 church members, 20, ,287, ,942 are Protestants and 12,O79,- l42 are Roman Catholics. Of the Protestant bodies the Methodists numbered 5,749,838; the Baprists, B. 662, ,234; the Lutherans, 2,ll2, ,494; the Presbyterians, 1,S3O, ,555, and the Dis ciples or Christians, 1,142,359.
 The rate of increase since 1S9O- sixteen years-is 93.5 per cent for the Roman Catholic church Gall catholic | children being church members from or more than twice that for all the Protestant bodies combined. | The Methodists have 17.5 per cent of | all Protestant church members, and | the Baptists TIP per cent.
 Fewer males than females were | found among the Latter Day Saints .Mormons), the Lutherans, Disciples, Baptists, Presbyterians and Protestant Episcopalians. Among the Christian Scientests only 27.6 | per cent of the members were males; md 1ft tI
 Church members in 1906 formed 39.1 i per cent of our total population, as against 32.7 per cent of our total population in 1890-an increase of GA per cent in sixteen years.
 Local religious organizations in 9O6 numbered 212,23O, a gain since S9O of 47,O79 or 2S.5 per cent. Metho- lists lead in local church organiza- ions with 64,701: the Baptists re ported 54, ,SSO; the Presbyterians, 15,- O6; the Lutherans, 2,7O3, and the Roman Catholics, 12, ,4S2. The sixteen ears increases in organizations were chiefly Protestants, PTS per ,ent; Roman Catholics. 2l9 per cent; ne JewlSn congregations, Z5l.9 per ent, and the Latter Day Saints, 38.3 ,er cent.
 The total seating capacity in 1906 Eas 5S, ,536, $50 an increase in sixteen ears of 34.4 per cent-practically he same for both Protestants and Roman Catholics, and in pace with he increase in population.
 In 1906 the church edifces of the ountry had a value of s1, ,257 ,575, ,S67, while the total debt was S10S, ,050, ,946, r only S.6 per cent of the total value. )f this debt the Protestant bodies wed S53, 1901, 254 and the Roman Cath lies S49, ,4SS,O55
 Twenty-nine states are, by major- ty of members, Protestant, sixteen ,, Roman Catholic, and one (Utah) latter Day Saints.