New-York tribune., 1910-09-03
Church AND RELIGIOUS NEWS NOTES
Ecclesiastical Census Shows Favorable Growth in New York
CITY During Decade

Such Christian leaders "a are back from
vacation spent a good part Of yesterday
comparing population figures Just given
out by the Census Bureau. with growth OF
the churches during the decade Their
nopes went up when they discovered that'
great as has been population growth since
1900 in New York, church membership
growth has been a little greater In all
five boroushs of the city in 1900 there were
1233.677 members OF Christian churches
This was $50 per cent OF the populalioil. u.
Church mernb bership figures for 1910 are, OF
course not yet complete, but taking those
for the year 1909, and assuming that the
increase in the last year of the decade mas
been the same as it averaged ror the en-
tire decade, the number OF churcn mem
hers in the five beroughs this year Is
1910 4Sf This is S7.2 per cent OF the new
population figures just announced or 4-7
per cent ahead of population growth
This growth is evenly distributed between
Protestants and Roman Catholics for
example. IN 1900 there We're SoSa2 Prot
estants, actual members. and sos'szo Roman
Catholics, it being understood lhat the
method of counting in the two DIVISIONS OF
Christianity IL quite different, the nsures
first given not including many VINO can
themselves Protestants and are regular at
tendants and contributors In 1870 arrlV-
ing at the figures for the year as already
explained, there are 44O,7s3 Protestants and
1510, 4S1 Roman Catholics
In 1900 the ratio OF Protestants was ex-
actly 10 per cent; in 1910 it is 90 per cent
In 1900 the Roman Catholic ratio was 2ba
and in 1910 it is 26.9. One Of the leaders
who helped TO do the figures said last night
after he had consulted such leaders as he
could find IN town and together they had
gone over the statements;
IF the government is careful about its
work OF anumerating the churches are not
less so in counting membership. Never
before this last decade We're church lists
scrutinized with greater care. Less stress
IS laid on mere attendance upon services
and far greater stress upon work and gifts
These figures are for the Christian
churches, all names. OF course, a great in
crease in the population figures has been
caused by Jews To hold their own, in the
figures, with this Hebrew growth is indeed
remarkable and surprises even the Chris
tian leaders.
The Protestant showing, while very
small fraction poorer than ten years ago,
is encouraging when Manhattan conditions
are taken into account. The Roman Cath
olic Church has been helped by irmigra-
tion, which is now almost wholly from
Italy and Southern Europe, the Catholic
states. Protestant growth actually has
been from 900 10 10000, in even figures,
and this growth is well distributed over
the boroughs, Manhattan holding it's own" ="
A religious census for the whole country
was taken in 1906, but. of course, there was
in that year no official population census
TO compare it with. The government made
out, however, according TO reports that are
just now being issued. that approximately
33 per cent of the population in continental
United States belongs to some Christian
church. From this it would seem that New
York, with its S7.2 per cent, is considerably
above the average.