Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-26
Billion and a Quarter Dollars In
vested in Church Edifices
In America.
SOME SIGNIFICANT STATISTICS
United states Census bureau Finds
Tint Every Day Eight New
Churches Sent Their spires
Skywnrd-In Greek Faith
Alone, Males Lead.

Washington. Aug. 22.-That tho church
members IN the United States numbered
nearly thirty-three millions In 1905;
that there was a billion and n quarter
dollars invested in church edif1ces; that
every day eight new churches sent their
spires rkywnrd: that males formed con-
sderably less than half tn. total
church membership; that larger per
centage OF Catholic mnlcs than Protest
ant males were members; that In 1s
States the majority OF the total church
membership were Roman Catholic; but
that Of the grand total Of church mem
hers reported for the United States el.6
per cent were Professionals and 3s.1
per cent. Roman Catholics; these are
the salient and conspicuous facts ap-
pearing In the proof sheets OF United
Stntcs census burcar bulletin. prepared
by Chief Statistician william c. Hunt
Of tho division Of population. OF the
United States census bureau.
The bulletin will be issued this month.
It Is in the nature Of an abstract OF the
comprehensive report now in press, CIV
ing the results OF tho NTH census OF re-
ligous bodies In the United States.
FEMALE MEMBERS PREDOM1NATE
statistics OF church membership by sex
were collected for the first time In 1906
or the total number Of members report
ed by the various religious bodies and
classified By Sex, 43l per cent. were
males and $50 per cent. females. Among
the Professionals the difference was great
er, only 800 per cent. being males. In
the Roman Catholic Churches there
~ Af,, ,,atn hn n
forming 1913 per cent. OF the total mem
bersh,p.
Fewer males than females were found
among the Latter-day Saints. the
Lutherans. Disciples, Method'sts. Baptists,
Presbyterians and Protestant Episcopal
| inns. the percentages Of male members
decreasing IN :he order shown, and there
being but 1856 per cent. male among the
| Episcopalian.. Among the Christian
Scientists, only g7s per cent. were males
and OF the Shakers but 2l.3 per cent. but
in the Greek Orthodox Church. e3s per
cent were male. as practically all Greek
| Immigrants have been males.
! PROPORTION OF CHURCH MEMBERS
OF the total estimated population Of
continental United States in 1905. the
church members formed S1 per cent
as against 32.7 per cent. for 1890. amount
Ing to o. per cent. more In 1906 than ir
1890 OF this s4 per cent. increase. the
Roman Catholic Church Is credited Will
~ per cent. and the Protestants with H.
per cent; the remainder being divided
among all other denominations.
1t Is stated In the bulletin that the tota
number Of members reported by TIL
various religious bodies for 1906 was &C.
e3s, 445. Of which number the PROTESTANT
were credited with %. 2s7.742 and tn,
Roman Catholics with 12.07e.l42 OF tn
Protestant bodies the Methodist mum
bered 674a. SIS; the Baptists. 56S3, ga: III,
Yutherans. 2,lIc494 tho Presbyterians
!, sao. 5b5 and the Disciples or Christians
..l42s5a.
OF the total Of 30 93e. AS church members
SIG per cent. were Pcotestants; 49, pc
cent. Roman Catholic: and IL per cent
members OF other religious organizations
| The rate Of increase shown for ~,
| Roman Catholic Church Is o35 per cent
| which IL more thar twice that for all tn
Protestant bodies combined. The Meth
odists reported l7.5 per cent. " al
Protestant Church members; the hap
lists, II. per cent.
| INtRENSlI IN ORGANIZATIONS
The total number OF local religious or
ganizations In 1905 Is given at 2i3,23o. AZ
increase since 1890 Of 47.o79 or 2s.5 pei
cent. The Professionals are credited witt
an increase In this particular amounting
to rs per cent; the Roman Catholic
Church. 2l.9 per cent: the Jewish consre
cations. 1919 per cent: and the Latter
day Saints. $50 per cent.
The Methodists reported the largcs
number OF local organizations. 64.7Ol; tn,
Baptists reported $3.50; the Tresbyte
rians. 1906 the Lutherans. io.70S an,
the Roman Catholics. 124s2.
Other interesting features Of the bulie
tin are those showing that the total scat
ing capaciy OF churches was 6S536,ssO, n,
increase over the 1890 United States cen
sus figures Of 3&4 per cent: that the rat,
OF increase was practically the same 70
both Protestnnts and Roman Catholics
nnd kept pace with tho increase In popu
lation: and that 81 ~ .57b. se7 was invested
in church edifces In 1904. The tota
amount Of debt was 3los. 06o.s46. or g..
per cent. OF the total value: Of this tota
the Protestant bodies owed Sh3. 90! .3s4 ant
tho Roman Catholics. SO, or. In 4
States a majority Of the church members
were Roman Catholic; In . States. Pro
testant; and in I, Utah. Latter-da,