The Detroit times., 1912-02-03
CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS
SHBE REMARKABLE GROWTH
|OVER OTHER DENOMINATIONS
Cult Gains More Than Eight
Hundred Per Cent in Period
W of Sixteen Years
METHODISTS ALSO GAIN
u. S. Gets Nearly Fifty Thou
sand Additional Churches in
Less Than Two Decades

\ estiuk and Informative character have
Just been issued by the Christian Her
aid Almanac. The census covers a
siinos& compreAensiHe- + field DEALING
withkall creeds anu their paiTicula.
strength. Fhe MethodislS IRE shown
TO hive the most ORGANIZATIONS amt
largest membership Dat reports tor J."
yearSaindica4e thHt the Christian S'ien.
lists have Increased more lapld4y iAau
any other religious body.
FOLLOWING axe excerpts from Ia" re.
port"
In $50. there were 40 separs'r re-
likiotfx bodies IN the Cnitcd S ates
between 1900 and 1905 - denominU.
lions Gseased 10 exist, I were consoll-
dated with others, and disappear I'd
through changes in classification OF
the As new denominations II ar" the
result OF immigration, and most or
the rem ainder the result OF UrganiZa-
q Ton of eHtirel! new cults.
The 1856 denOminat ions are suOdl-
Fided into groups or families. l"4 he
ing grouped into - families and 50
y being classed as unrelated. Al
other classification Of the 1856 bodies
Embraces the NdfstinCHVely Protestant
Numbering "a, the Roman tath0Nc
Church. J. the Jewish Congregations,
Il: the LatteTsDay Saints. ,. the East.
ern Orthodox Churches. and II
others. including the Armenian church
the Bahais, the Buddhists. the ShaA-
ers. the Anaana Society. the Polish Ma
fionaI church, the Society for Ethical
Culture. the Spiritualists, the Theo-
sophicaI Societies, and the Nedanta
Society.
Since 1890. there has been an in
crease OF 1909 churches or units OF
denominations. The Protestant
nodes increased AZ 5G4 or 27.8 per
cent, the. Roman Catholic Church, p
B 243. or 2l.9 per cent; the Jewish con
gregations, 1886 or .231.0 per cent:
and the ,Latter-Day Saints, or Nor
mons s328, or 1873 per cent.
Strength Of Religious Bodies.
The general order or strength OF
the principal religious bodies. accord
fffesv te-tAe- laSt-census- report.-&as
Methodists, ,64,701 organizations; Bap-
lists 54,S $50: Presbyterians. sos;
Lutherans s12,7O3; Roman Catholics
i2,4S2: Disciples or Christians. 1882;
Protestant Episcopaiians, 6,S45; Con
gregatfonalists, 5,713: United Breth-
rem, 1904; Evangelical Association,
2,73S; Reformed 2,5S5; Adventlsts' =
551; Jewish congregations l,Io9'
Cnristiafi Connection 1870; German
Evangelical Synod 1905; Latter-Day
Saints, LISA; Friends. l145; DunKers'
.O97. The Methodist and Baptist
bodies represent considerably more
han ohe-haIf OF the church organiZa-
tions in the United states In all me me
Protestant churches the membership
q practicalIy adult while in the Ro-
man Catholic church all persons Oap,
tized Including infants, are returned
as members.
Betveen 1890 and 1906 the church
membership Increased 1866 $50. or
&c. 4 psr cent. The increase in distinct
ly Protestant bodies was $3.50, 800. or
44.S per cent The Baptist bodies In
creased 1,949,766, or 52.5 per GEM.
The 0ongregatiOnalists Increased ny
:. 1877 799, or 36.6 per cent. The DIS
cipies added sol 1868, or 3l.6 per CEN.
The lutheran bodies Increased ny
SSl.422, or 71.6 per cent. The Metho-
dist bodies rank first in organizations
End membership, with an increase OF
EST per cent, giving them the iars
est additions Of any OF the denomlh9'
tons.
Regarded in the light OF percen-
-+Hxee-whfeh are apt To deceive the
Iinwary. the Christian SCientisis nave
Increased more rapidly than any Other
religious body. In 1890, they number
ed S,724 and S5,7t7 in ZOOS. showtnr
an Increase OF 8S2 5 per cent
Methodists To Fore.
ESQ There are IS Methodist bodies IN
the United States Together, they
have 64.255 organizations, 5,749,A3s
communicates. the church property
is valued at 1929 $50 .996. Number or
ministers, 39,737; Sunday Schools,
57,46f, with 500 1876 officers and
teachers, and 3,44o,472 scholars
There is nc Christian body that
ranks higher in domestic and foreign
Z missionary work, or in It's puohca'
tions and educational and charitable
organiZaliohs than does he Metho-
dist Episcopal The last reported dis-
oursements OF the Home Mission de-
fsartnent were $3.50 1896. more thah
5000 COO have been loaned by the
hoard ~ church extension for build
ing churches and Chape's In the
United States are sustained IA
trhools and colleges, with o2,o07
teachers and scholars, and property
valued at $4l,67S,756. The orphan
ages hospitals, and homes for the
aged number l26, with 30,l27 patients
or Inmates.
There are 14,l19 organizations dis
tributed. In every state and territory.
Total number of communicates, 2
gssl54. Number OF ministers, 1919;
church property, &163.357 500. Sunday
schools, 2S'lO2; teachers and officers
!. s;;;ssf 3sI2 scholars LOO. AZ
Baptists Also Flourish.
In the year 1911 the Baprsts in tho
limited States raised &25,97S@fl for
church work
They own and control ten theoiogi.
cal seminaries, valued at $l,6oGl0O,
-. itA--an- endowment Of S4,479.4S3.
rhey own and control 90 universities
ara COLLEGES, valued al SSl,694,q7G,
With m send6wment OF $2S,697.6l".
They have a4O99 students in their
------,lteS =. nHd ktntxnrsittea eg-oUn
nbouf one eighth OF all the college and
aniYersity prepefty in" the United
States and control one-ninth Of The
endowment funds. The Baptists own
md control. eight secondary -schools
valued a. ah1SI ,4Qs. With an endow
h,eaf fund OF 1883, 4S1.. They have
IN thesa schools H,ef4 students The
eaptists IN tho gplted States have
~ 1. ~ y. -