The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-26
Count Of Religious Bodies AS Made by
the Government Shows some
Figures Which viii Prove to
Be Quite Interesting.
THIRTY THREE MILLION
Jewish Congregations Show the Lara.
est Per Cent of Increase With
Latter Day Saints Ahead of
Protestants and Catholics.

mat the church members In the
uhited States numbered nearly thirty
lhIee millions in 1906; that there were
Dillon and quarter ..ollars invest
ca IN church edifices; that every day
i eight new churches sent their snires
skyWard; that males formed consid-
erapiy less than half the total church
membership; that larger per cent
age OF Catholic males than Protestant
males were members; that in 16
states the majority of the total church
membership were Roman Catholic:
put that OF the grand total of church
members reported for the United
states GIG per cent were Protestants
ana sc per cent Roman Catholics.
these are the salient and conspicuons
facts appearing in the proof sheets of
United States Census Bureau ls,lle.
TN, prepared by Chic. Statistician
William c. Hunt of the division of
population, of the United States Cen,
sus Bureau.
Inc bulletin will be issued this
month 1t Is in the nature OF an alb
straot of the comprehensive report.
now In press, giving the results OF
the fifth census of religious bodies in
the United States.
Fcwsr Male than Female Members,
1t Is stated that United States cen
sus statistics OF church membership
hy sex were collected for the first
time in 1906. OF the total number of
members reported by the various re-
ligious bodies and classified by sex.
43.1 per cent were males and 500
per cent females. Among the Pro-
testants the difference was greater.
only 1913 per cent being males. In
the Roman Catholic churches there
were relatively more males, the num-
Der forming 1913 per cent of the
total membership.
Fewer males than females were
found among the Latter-day Saints.
the Lutherans, Disciples, Methodists,
Baptists. Preshyterians, and Protes.
tant Episcopalians, the percentages OF
male members decreasing in the or.
der shown, and there being but a5.s
per cent male among the Episcopal
ians, Among the Christian Scientists
only 27.G per cent We're males; and
of the Shakers but 2l.3 per cent; but,
In the Greek Orthodox church, $50
per cent were male. as practically all
Greek immigrants have been males.
Proportion Of Church Members In
Total Population.
or the total estimated population of
continental United States in 1906,
the church members formed 391 per
cent as against 32.7 Per cent for 1890, |
to ca per cent more In
1906 than in 1890 or this GA per
cent increase, the Roman Catholic
church is credited with "A per cent,
and the Protestants with is per cent;
the remainder being divided an <lg
all other denominations.
1t is stated in the bulletin that the
total number of members reported BY
the various religious bodies for 1906
was 32,93c,445, Of which number the
frotestants We're credited with 90
2SI742, anf the Roman Catholics with
l2,0T9,142. OF the Protestant bodies
The dethodisSs numbered 5,749,S3s,
he Baptists, 56G2,234; the Luther
ms, 2.112,494; the Presbyterians, l..
S30,555; and the Disciples or Chris
.fans. 1,142,359.
OF the total of 32,93G,445 church
GIG per cent were Protes.
ants; S6.7 per cent Roman Catholic;
Ind IL per cent members of other re-
igious organizations. The rate of in.
rease shown for the Roman Catholic
'hurch is 93.5 per cent, which is more
han twice that for all the Protestant
'odies combined. The Methodists re-
'orted 175 per cent of all Protestant
hurch members; the Baptists. 17.2
'er cent
Increase in Number OF Organizations.
The total number of local religious
organizations in 1906 is given as 212-
80, an increase since 1890 of 47,o79.
r 2S.5 per cent. The Protestants are
redited with an increase in this par
ocular amounting to 27S per cent;
he Roman Catholic church, 21.9 per
ent; the J.wish congregations. 231.9
er cent; and the Latter-day Saints,
S.S per cent. II
The Methodists reported the larg-
st number of local organizations,
4,701; the Baptists reported 54,SSo;
he Presbyterians, 1896; the Luth-
rams, 1903; and the Roman Cath |
lies, 12,4S2. $
Other interesting features of the |
ulletsn are those showing that the
otal seating capacity of churches |
,as 5s,53G.SS0, an increase over the |
init +,