The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-09-16

OF any Body-FeWer Male than Fe
male Members interesting Fact:
and Figures Gathered by the Censu.
Bureau.
That the church members in thu
United States numbered nearl,
thirty-three millions in 1906; thai
there were billion and a quarter
dollars invested in church edifces
that every day eight new churches
sent their spires slyward; that males
formed considerably less than hall
the total church membership; that 6
larger percentage Of Catholic males
than Protestant males were mem.
bers; that in 16 States the majority
of the total church membership were
Roman Catholic; but that of the
grand total of church members re.
ported for the United States 61 C
per cent. were Protestants and So Z
per cent. Roman Catholics; these are
the saliant and CONSPICUOUS facts ap-
paaring in the proof sheets of a
United States census bureau bulle-
tin, prepared by Chief Statistician
William c. Hunt of the division of
population, Of the-United States cen
sus bureau.
The bulletin will be issued this
month. 1t is in the nature of an alb
5tract of the comprehensive report,
now in press, giving the results of
the fifth census of religious bodies
in the United States.
1t is stated that United States CEN
sus statistics of church membership
by sex were collected for the first
time in 1906. Of the total number
of members reported by the various
religious bodies and classified by sex,
43.1 per cent. were males and $50
per cent females. Among the Pro-
testants the difference was greater,
only 1913 per cent. being males. In
the Roman Catholic churches there
we're relatively more males, the num-
Der forming 1913 per cent. of the to-
tai membership.
Fewer males than females were
found among the Latter-day Saints,
the Lutherans, Disciples, Methodists,
8aptists, Presbyterians and Protes-
tant Episcopalians, the percentages
Of male members decreasing in the
order shown, and there being but
35.5 per cent. male among the Epis-
Among the Christian
Scientists, only 27.6 per cent. were
males; and Of the Shakers but Fl. 3
Der cent; in the Greek Orthodox
Church, ,93.9 per cent. were males, as
practically all Greek immigrants
have been males.
Of the total estimated population
Of continental United States in 1906,
the church members formed 80. per
lent, as against 32.7 per cent. for
1890, amounting to GA per cent.
more in 1906 than in 1890. Of this
5.4 per cent. increase. the Roman
Catholic Church is credited with IA
Ger cent, and the Protestants with
l.0 per cent; the remainder being
divided among all other denomina-
tions.
1t is stated in the bulletin that the
total number of members reported
by the various religious bodies for
1906 was 1876, ,445, of which num-
Der the Protestants were credited
With 20, ,287, ZAP, and the Roman
Catholics with 12,079. .142. Of the
Protestant bodies the Methodist
numbered 5,749, 1888; the Baptists,
1852, ,234; the Lutherans, Pip, ,494;
the Presbyterians, 1880, ,555; and the
Disciples of Christians, 1, 142, ,359.
Of the total of 1885, church
members, GIG per cent. were Pro-
testants; 36.7 per cent. Roman Cath
olics; and II per cent. members of
other religious organizations. The
rate of increase shown for the Ro-
man Catholic Church is 93.9 per cent,
which is more than twice that for
all the Protestant bodies combined.
The Methodists reported 17.5 per
cent. Of all Protestant church mem
bers; the Baptists, 17.2 per cent.
The total number of local religious
organizations in 1906 is given as 212,.
23O. an increase since 1890 of AZ, ,O79
or 28.5 per cent. The Protestants
are credited with an increase in this
particular amounting to 27.8 pei
cent: the Roman Catholic Church
21.9 per cent; the Jewish congrega
tions, 231.9 per cent; and the Lat
ter-day Saints, 1873 per cent.
The Methodists reported the lar
gest number of local organizations
64.7O1; the Baptists reported 54,88O
the Presbyterians, Is, 5,5O6; the Luth
Grams. 12, ,703, and the Roman Catho
lics 12 4S2.