New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-08
CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS NEWS NOTES
Protestant Theological Summaries Show Decided Falling on IN
Number Of Graduates.

All Protestant theological seminaries nave
now held their commandments Reports
from them dash the hopes OF those ""o
looked for Improvement in numbers Oh n'e"
studying 3or the Protestant fhln''"''
There is a slight falling of. heaVy one
i'm some OF the largest seminaries' anu ie
ports from two hundred colleges, GOVERNS
ALL principal ones, are to the effect tna'
there arc Is per cent fewer men at conf
mencement this year than last VINO an
nounce decision TO enter seminaries anu
study to be Protestant ministers SPEAK
ing of conditions in general. the rev ao'
Martin. registrar at Princeton says
There mas been an Improvement IN INC
last five years Princeton had tWelVe iiloio
students in 1911 than In the preceding yeai'
But I am disappointed TO learn that there
are forty-nine fewer students IN Presoyte-
rian seminaries reporting 10 the genera
Assembly Just held, which is discouragihs'
There are in the United States lO2 semi
naries where young men are educated loi
the Protestant ministry Many OF these
are quite small. Lutherans alone nave -,
A few principal institutions graduate "
ner cent. These institutions number ABOUT
2 Reports from 20 Of them show per
cent fewer men than last year. Some SEM
Inaries explain that this years classes
were exceptionally small Drew "hei7
Methodist ministers are trained so sho"S'
while claiming more students III othei
classes than ever. Prncetons class tllS
year was IS. as against IS last year uuo
N beginning small and meeting disaster
from deaths in its ranks.
Seven OF the most famous serniharlee
graduated this year Sc more men tran idS'
year. but against them seven other famous
eor,inaries graduated al fewer men. NC
Cormick. at Chicago. Presbyterian, grdou-
a,ed % more men than last year; the Sotuu-
orn Baptist Seminary, at Louisville, ~
more Auburn. Presbyterian, II more chi
cago University. which is Baptist. more
OberIin. CONGREGATIONAL, l more; Garrett
Biblical Institute. at Evanston. Metnodis''
2 more. and Chicago, which Is Congrega-
tional more.
The General. New York. and the Cam
bridge. at Cambridge. Mass, both Eplsco-
ral. graduated this year 20 fewer men,
Hartford and Yale, Congregational III
fewer; Princeton, PRESBYTERIAN, ~ te"er'
= nd Drew and Boston University, Method
ist. 81 fewer.
Fewer graduates from seminaries ana
fewer men in two hundred colleges intehd-
ing TO enter Summaries is held to De as
couraging by Protestant leaders, especial
" since indications were up to last lail
thar there was some improvement IN num-
Lers. on the whole there are p per cent
fewer men graduated this year, or avai-
able from other sources, than the churches
demand for service at once
What may be the cause, or causes loi
this state Of things is variously guessed at
Some give theological disputes and loss Oh
faith. To these charges replies are gwen
that the liberal bodies alone Of all Prot
cstants are losing in numbers or CROWNS
but slowly. while bodies that recite the
historic creeds, that proclaim Christ ana
engage in foreign mission efforts are stead
fv increasing in numbers, which claims
seem TO be we'll founded. Other causes
are small salaries, the competition OF busi-
ness and the increasing opportunities Tor
! L. ymen.