The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-31
CHURCH STATISTICS
FOR UNITED STATES
Show That There Were l64,s2o Chris
tian Ministers in 1906, With an
Increase of About 1000
Year



Washington, D. C.. Aug. sl.-A bulle-
tir just issued BY the government shows
that there were i64,s2o Christian minis
ters in the United states in 1906, besides
1854 Jewish rabbis. and that they in.
crease at the rate Of nearly four thou.
sand year The average salary is
s063, and there was paid to them in 1905
total Of 60,G67 ,5s7 There are in
Manhattan and Brooklyn scores Of min
isters whose salaries exceed 5000 a
year. The highest salary ever offered a
minister 70 preIen ~ New York, and
given out in n pab'm call, was $1,000
year and house, offered last year by
the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church.
It was declined. Several ministers re-
ceiyc $4,000 a year, and there are a
dozen or more who get $4,000. These
salaries are the highest in the world,
London and Berlin averages being hard
" more than $1,000 a year
The government shows the average
salaries Of ministers in cities having
100000 population and over, for princi-
pal religious bodies. to bes Baptist,
81 .T03; Congregational $l,9Ss; Meth
odist, sl,s42; Presbyterian, S2,45Oi
Protestant Episcopal, Sl,S7s; Reformed,
81 .93s; Roman Catholic, S6s4, and Jew
ish rabbits. Sl,49l. The average salary
Of Church Of Christ, Scientist, readers
I il only S234 for the whole country,
with 1865 az the average in cities hay-
ing 100000 population or more. The
government explains this fact BY saying
that readers are practitioners as rule
ana are expected to earn their own sup
/ port.
/ In actual money received, Methodist
ministers get most Of all. the salaries
amounting annually to 100000. Bap-
fists receive the next largest sum, &c.
$4,000; Presbyterian, S7,6l0,00o; Ro-
man Catholics, $6,770O00; Episeopalians,
81 ,ss7 900; Congregationalists. s4I54,.
600; Reformed, sl,6s2OOo, and Jews,
Ss0l 600. Ii Is estimated on the basis
Of these reports that in 1910 the sum Of
sl0O000000 viii be paid to ministers
ot the United States il personal salaries,
and that congregational expenses, mis-
sions and extensions win involve an
outlay this year Of s2oooooOOo more.
These OUTLAWS are higher than ever be-
fore.
/ Values Of church properties in vari,
GUS cities ought to Be increased by a
fifth, and for the growth since the data
were obtained perhaps another fifth, or
nearly that much. The government finds
the value Of church property in New
York to Be $l5s,o5sT4O This does not
include parsonages or hospitals or asy-
lums simply buildings used for public
religious worship. 1t finds the debts
upon all Of them to be Sl9,032,4l9 or
about 1913 per cent Boston has invest
ed in churches $27 100000, with debts
on them amounting to per cent Of
their value. Chicago has the same sum
invested, with 15la per cent debts. Bal
timore has $l4.000.o00, with debts Of
I0M per cent. of the values Philadel-
phia, $4,000 O0o, with per cent. debts
Newark, Ss,000.000, with ~ per cent.
debts, and Washington Sio,ooo,ooo, with
1917 per cent, debts.
In New York City the proportion Of
debts to valuation Of properties on
which those mortgage debts rest il much
higher among Roman Catholics and Jews
than among Pedestrians. Tne govern.
ment puts Roman Catholic enurct prop
critics in New York at a valuation Of
S55,sll000, and finds the debts on these
properties to be twenty per cent Of their
value. Jewish places Of worship are
put down at ss,I00.0O0 in value, with
nineteen per cent. debts. IN the Prot
estant list, Baptists have the highest
debt percentage, 81 per cents Meth
odists, S, Congregationalists, g Pres
byterians, AZ. Reformed, 3, and Epis-
copalians, rs.
In New York Episcopai PAGES Of wor-
ship are held to be worth S25S300oo;
Presbyterian, $l6.400,0Oo; Methodist,