The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-06

COMMANDMENTS
Growth of Membership of the
Southern Church In Compare
son With the Growth
of Population
Ry MAMIE BAYS.

h |
Charlotte, Jan. 3,-Facts are far
more than usual III point of interest
regarding the growth Of the member
ship of the Southern Presbyterian
Church in comparison with the
growth of the population Of the
Southern States during the years from
1880 to 1911 have just become avail
able and the encouraging nature OF
these figures is such as to give to the
church renewed effort for the accom-
| plishment of yet larger things during
the coming year than has been true
of the accomplishment Of any single
year in its history.
The same note of encouragement
characterfzes the facts just now avail
able regarding the growth in contr1-
buttons of the membership of this
church to the benevolent causes of
the same.
The population of white people in
the Southern States at this time be-
ing rated at 20, 900, 900 and the present
number OF communicates Of the
Southern Presbyterian Church being
3O0,771, makes the ratio Of n n
, one-half Presbyterian communicates
to every one hundred OF the popula-
I ton, exclusive Of the communicates
OF the Presbyterian Church in the
e United States OF America Northern
= Presbyterianl, communicates Of the
/: Cumberland Presbyterian Church. If
+ these were included in the comparison.
:, the ratio would be much larger, and
if the children OF Presbyterian fam
I lilies should be included, the ratio
would be increased three times. The
growth Of the population Of the
Southern States since 1907 is esti-
mated at about so per cent, and dur
ing the same time the growth Of
Southern Presbyterianism has been 20
per cent, the. membership Of this
T. church having increased during these
- years at the rate OF 20 per cent more
{ rapidly than the rate Of increase Of
the population. During the nine years
from 1903 to 1912 the population o.
- the Southern States increased 20 pei
cent and the increase in the member
ship Of the Southern Presbyterian
Church during these nine years wa.
"a per cent.
,a Additional figures show thai durins
~ the thirty years from 1880 to 1910, tn.
30 population of Richmond increased 49,
9 per cent and the increase in church
"a membership was l40 per cent; tn,
a. population Of Atlanta increased 81.
Of per cent and the church membershi,
Y R1l CCiNy Ia population Oi ~ DIS III
90 Vile increased 155 per cent and tn
re church membership PA per cent: tn
20 population of Louisville increased 3
cd per cent and the church membershi
is 240 per cent; the population OF s.
Louis increased 90 per cent and tn
is church membership 1870 per cent: tn
a population of Norfolk increased 20
in per cent and the church membership
81 lS5 per cent: the population Of Hous
nv ton increased 371 per cent and tn
of church membership $40 per cent. In
NJ population Of Birmingham Increase
nv. 4,1S3 per cent and the church men
aX- berShip 1850 per cent; six OF the eief
he representative cities of the South her
pei designated show a much larger DC
sti- cent OF increase in church member
Der snip than IN population during III
thirty years from 1880 to 1910.
The southern branch of Presbyt,
the rlanIsm is far in advance Of the Nortl
,ali ern branch OF the same church
point Of contributions to b~eneyolel
pei causes-and the salaries of pastors a
oil not included in these contributions
5; as is shown by the following figure
ha- the Presbyterians OF the South sin
of the year 1882 have increased tn.
IA; contributions to home missions ?
per cent, per capita, while in L
rest North contributions to home missio
the have increased only ~ uer cent p
ond capita; during the same time the p
are capita contribution to foreign m
tia sionS has increased $50 per cent
With the South and in the North the