The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-26
CHURCH FIGURES
SOME INTERESTING DATA FROM
THE LAST CENSUS.
There Are Nearly Thirty-three Mil
lion Church Members in the Unit

lion Church Members in the Unit
ed States.
That the church members in the
United States numbered nearly thir-
ty-three millions in 1906; that there
we're q billion and a quarter dollars
invested in church edifices; that ey-
cry day eight new churches sent their
spires skyward; that males formed
considerably less than half the total
church membership; that larger
percentage Of Catholic males than
Protestant males were members;
that in 16 States the majority of the
total church membership were Ro-
man Catholic, but that of the grand
sotal of church members reported for
the United States 61.6 per cent we're
Protestants and 37.6 per cent Ro-
man Catholic; these are the silent
and conspicuous facts appearing in
the proof sheets of United States
Census Bureau bulletin, prepared by
Chief Statistician William c. Hunt
of the division of population of the
United States Census Bureau.
The bulletin will be issued this
month. 1t is in the nature Of an
abstract of the comprehensive re-
port now in press, giving the re-
suits of the fifth census of Religious
Bodies in the United States.
It is stated that United States
Census statistics of church member
ship by sex, were collected for the
first time in 1906. Of the total num-
Der of members reported by the va
rious religious bodies and classified
by sex, 43.1 per cent were males
and 56.9 per cent females. Among
the Protestants tie difference was
greater, only 39.S per cent being
males. In the Roman Catholic
churches there were relatively more
lualcbJ luS lOI PSi
cent of the total membership.
Fewer males than females were
found among the Latter-day Saints,
the Luthernas, Disciples, Methodists,
Baptists, Presbyterians, and Protes-
tant Episocpalians, the percentage of
male members decreasing in the or
der shown, and there being but 35.5
per cent male among the Episcopa-
lians. Among the Christian Scien-
tistss only PTS per cent were males;
and of the Shakers but 21.3 per
cent; but, in the Greek Orthodox
church. 93.9 per cent were male, as
practically all Greek immigrants
have been males.
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; the remainder being
divided among all other denomina-
tions.
It is stated in the bulletin that
the total number of memb bers report
ed by the various religious bodies
for 1906 was 1896, ,445, of which
mum Der the Proteetants were credit
ed with 20,287,742, and the Roman
Catholics with 12,079,142. OF the
Protestant bodies the Methodists
numbered 5,749,S3S; the Baptiste
5,662,234; the Lutherns, 2,112,494;
the Presbyterians, 1,830,555; and
the Disciples or Christians. 1,142,-
1859.
OF the total Of 32,936,445 church
members, 616 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 Cath.
| olic church is 03.5 per cent, which
is more than twice that for all the
Protestant bodies combined. The
Methodists reported 17.6 per cent NJ
all Protestant church members; the
Baptists, 17.2 per cent.
The total number OF local religious
organizations of 1906 is given az
212,230, an increase since 1890 Of
47,o79. or 2S.5 per cent. The Pro-
testants are credited with an increase
in this particular amounting to 27.S
per cent; the Roman Catholic church
21.0 per cent; the Jewish congrega
tions, 231.9 per cent; and the Latter
day Saints, 3S.o per cent.
The Methodis:s reported the lars.
ae' humber of local organizations
64,701; the Baptists reported 54,
$50; the Presbyterians, 1b,5Oi; the
Lutherans, 12,708; and the Roman
Catholics, 12,4S2.
Other interesting features of the
bulletin are those showing that the
total seating capacity OF churches
was 5S,536,S30, an increase over the
1890 United States Census figures o:
34.4 per cent; that the rate of in
crease was practically the same for
both Protestant and Roman Cath
Ollie, and kept pace with the increase
in population; and that $1,257,576,-
1867 was invested In church edifices