The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-09-04
ITTILlF II II ~ . - ; N 4
.RELGIouS CENSUS.

.ststGlu Gl = SMGiE III Liz lAAtGu ~1e-sss la
a1s06. the period OF the fifth United
States census of the religious bodies
in ftnis country, according to the CEN
& snss bull etln about to be Issued on tae
1 subject 1856 religious denominations.
1915 g6, 445 church members and ST.
4tt257 STE, 867 Invested in church edifices.
The bulletin Is IN the nature Of an
ahst1nct OF the comprehensive report.
now in press. prepared under the SUI
$pervision OF Chief statiytician William
/ @. Hunt. OF the population division of
3 the Census Bureau, and contains the
\ results of the last census. which was
preceded by those OF 1850. 1860. 1870
i and 1890.
As glance at the proof sheets shows
that males formed but 43.1 per cent OF
\ the total church membership; that s
new churches were erected every day
during the sixteen years from 1890 to
1906; that in 16 States the Roman
Catholics formed majority OF the
church membership: that the percent
age which church members formed of
a the population was larger by G.4 per
cent. In 1896 than in 1890; ana that
ssof the total number OF church members
reported, GIG per cent. were returned
i by the Protestant bodies and &c. per
cent. by the Roman Catholic Church.
M The bulletin enters upon an analysis
OF the 1856 denominations making up
the grand total for 1906. rs against
4 1456 in 1890. an increase of Al. Be-
tween 1890 and 1906. IL denominations
c ceased to exist, were consolidated
with others. and disappeared through
II changes in classification. leaving 1875
denominations reported both In 1890
md 1906. ~
The denominations added by dir:s ion
Eof denominations numbered IS. and As
other new denominations brought the
total new ones up to G1. making 1SG
the grand total Of all denominations
reported In 1906. or the 4s new de-
4 nominations II are the result of i'm
i migration and most OF the remainder.
4 the result OF the organization u en-
|, tIrely new cults. The 1SG denomina.
,suons are sub-diviled into families. 15i
( being grouped into 81 families and
B 80 being classed as unrelated. Aroth-
y Reconsideration OF the 1sG bodies en-
4 braces the dlstlnctively Protestant.
numbering 1C4: the Roman Catholic
Caurch. /: the Jewish congregations.
vi; K the Latter-day Saints. 9: The East
{ lernS Orthodox Churches. 4: and II 9TH
u ers, Including the Armenian Church
y the Bahnis. the Buddhists. the Shak-
&ers. the .Amana Society. the Pclis'; Ma.
y tlonal Church, the Society for Ethical
B Culture, the splrItualists. the 'rheo.
sophlcal Societies. and the vedanta
\ Society.
The general order or rank OF the
principal religious bodies In 1906. with
i respect to organizations. was: Metho-
u dists. 64,701 organizations; Bartists.
n $3.50; Presbyterians 1886: Luther
4 ans. IL. 703: Roman Catholics. II 4S2:
\ Disciples. or Christians. 1892; Prot
$estant EEpiscopalians, GS45; Cong:esa'
4 tionallsts, 5,T13; United Brethren. H.
900; Evangelical Association. 2,73S:
Z Reformed. 2.5s5: Adventists. ASH:
s Jewish congregations. 1.7C9: Chris
4 tians. tChristlan Connecticut. 1879:
4 German evangelical Synod, 1.2o5; Lat
f8ter-day Saints, 1884; Friends. LAT:
and Dunkers 1907. The Methodist
K bodies reported 3o.5 per cent. OF the
+ entire number OF organizations. and
the. baptist bodies. 25.9 per cent. THUS
these two families together embraced