The Washington herald., 1911-05-28
Great Growth of Chrf.ti,r Eoro..

Forces
lue rev. D. w. Waldron has seen
FORTY continuous years in the City Mis-
sohary society, of Boston. Observant
ana not overoptimistic in Protestant
mat1ers, he has made a record of the
growth Of organized Christian forces in
Boston in these forty years. He sets
down the growth of population to be
from 292.499 to 670,5S5. and finds that re-
hgious and charitable work has grown
in much larger ratio. AT the head of
the column he finds the Catholic Church.
In no small part because of immigra-
hon' but he records the fact that almost
al OF the organizations, Catholic and
Protestant. upon which SO much now
1ependS, We're formed during these last
forty years, while the social settlement
the fresh air, and kindred work, now
regarded as matters of course came
wholly into being in these decades
Forty years ago there were in Boston
twenty-eight Unitarian churches. Now
there are twenty-three This is the
records of the liberals. Turning to ortho-
dox. Baptists have increased from
twenty-five to forty, with membership
doubled COngregationalists have grown
from twenty-five to thirty-four, and
membership more than doubled Metho-
dists have gone from nineteen to thirty
three, and their membership nearly
doubled. Episcopalians went from six
teen to thirty-two, and their membership
trebled. Presbyterians increased from
three to nine, and Lutherans from two
to fourteen. Besides all these. there have
sprung up missions of dozen sorts and
kinds, and gifts to the support of re-
ligious work, to charities, and TO world
missions have grown in proportion.
Schools have multiplied, and Christian
10. ,al-n
more place and part in public attention
and public affairs than four decades ago.
Some Summer Conferences.
Large plans are making for summer
conferences this year. English speakers
Of prominence are to be heard at most
OF them. Chautauqua, the original one.
expects 100000 visitors on its lake this
year, to such extent has the summer
religious activity in America grown. Sill
yer Bay, on Lake George, will have
leaders from many cities during the last
half of July, 10 make plans for conven-
tions in connection with the men and
religion movement" campaign that opens
next September. NOrthtield, founded by
Mr. Moody, will have as chief speaker
Mr.. John R. Mott, fresh from a student
campaign in the near East and in
Mountain, and other points a series of
mission conferences will be held. Stu
dents go to Northficld and TO a new
conference arranged for them, because
the old one grew too large. at Pocono
Pines. The Carolinas have a new mis-
sion and Christian education conference
at Raleigh, and the new Episcopal
bishop-elect of Pennsylvania is at the
head of a new conference at Cambridge,
Mass. None of the older conferences
have failed, practically all OF them are
overCrowded, and from a dozen directions
come reports of new ones to be estab-
lished. Into most Of them social service
is being introduced into the courses of
study. and in all of them larger en-
phasis is being laid upon preparation
for actual service in the churches during
the rest of the year.
Many European Visitors Here.
More distinguished Clergymen of
Europe, and prominent men who lead
in lay work in the churches, are just
now in this country, or will be here
within the next month, than ever be-
fore at one time. They come to enlist
cooperation of American ministers in
plans for world peace. to attend con-
ventiOns of Baptists and others who hold
meetings of worldwide scope this year.
and to speak at summer conferences.
For years the Christian forces of Eng