Evening journal., 1914-02-07
CHURCH GAINS
MANY MEMBERS
Net Increase in Actual En-
rOIIment l.8 Per Cent
During 1913
METHODISTS. MADE
THE LARGEST GROWTH

NEW YORK, Feb THE net increase
in number OF persons who are actually
enrolled as membc OF Christian
churches within the Untcd states in
creased by $4,000 during the year 1918.
This is ls per cent. Some quite small
bodies lost members II there be con
sidercd only the active bodies their total
increase last year was 655OO0 or only
% traction under per cent. This is at
the rate 'of 20 per cent. decade or
quite equal TO the Phenomenal popula-
tion growth Of the country. The figures
do not include foreign mission fields
but continental United States.
on this growth Mcthodists gained
most of ALL or 100000 The large Meth
odist North body alone increased by
l22Oo0. It's largest growth in some
yenrs. The next largest increase was
made by Roman Catholics. with 2l25OO
The Baptist growth was % 500. the
Presbyterian 45.6O0 the Lutheran 30 100.
the Disciples 2l.S0O and the Episcopal
lG,500. The Roman Catholic figures
follow the government censu. plan OF
man Catholic population figures for rhil-
drcn not yet confirmed. Such plan
makes these figures correspond with
others, and represent actual member
ship oi COMMITMENTS.
Within the past year tremendous
progress has bccn made in both protes-
tant and Catholic communions in the
way OF more reliable statistics. This
Is true of church membership. and also
Of reports regarding money. rhc home
and foreign mis- on boards took in
hand during 1913 the compiling of sta
tistics covering gifts to missions, and
the Federal Council of Churches. repre-
scntng more than lGOOOOOO actual
Protestant COMMITMENTS issue for the
first time the membership statistics
compiled by DR.. H. X. Carroll who was
in charge of the government census of
churches in 1870. The figures herewith
are those OF DR.. Carroll. and arc issued
over the authority of the Federal Coun-
ell. Roman Catholic statistics. formerly
given ont in even figures. arc now more
carefully compiled than ever. and given
out by many Catholic diocescs in exact
iigures.
Following are the largest religious
bodies in the United States. grouped
under family names. and they are all
that have actual members exceeding
10000:
Roman Catholic. i3,O99.534; Metho-
dist, 7,125.069: Baptist. 5.924,662;
Lutheran 2,33S.722; Presbyterians,
2027,503; Disciples of Christ, 1,5l9.-
$50; Protestant Episcopal. 997, ,407,
and Congregational, 74S,34O.
These eight bodies contain $4,000
/ 600 of the 81 .2SO0OO of actual mem
! bers OF churches within the United
1 States. II is shown by the statistics
I just made public that all Of the large
bodies grow with fair steadiness.
/ Dr. Carroll explains that he was
unable to secure statistics for
Christian Science Churches for 1918.
and so he gives those for 1912 as
S5,096. Latter Day Saints or what
are known as Mormons, for the
region covered by them. viz. Utah
and some adjoining states. he gives
a. 296,000. He estimates the Jews
in the country 2.00O,00O. Of which
{ New York contains about 100000.
making this city the greatest centre
OF jewish population In the world
A surprising feature Of 1913 was
/ the extraordinary number OF new
/ churches II came near bearing the
! greatest advance of any year. II is
I due. it IS said. to the enterprise of
many bodies in going after and or
l ganizing scattered communicruts. and
also 10 the realization of the econ
omic fact that small churches, save
in particular. cases i'm ccnters Of
/ large cities. are TO be preferred to
/ large. in that relatively they reach
and interest larger numbers OF poo
pie at less cost for maintenance In
Vienna and Paris Roman Catholic
leaders arc recognizing this fact. and
within the last year have much in
creased the number OF places Of wor-
ship. In New York a similar econ
omic law is being followed by Ro-
man Catholics and Episcopalians.
A final interesting fact shown by
the statistics is the one that few
fads or isms arc making headway.
/ Twenty years ago the number Of new
religious platforms put forth was
some twelve or fifteen a season. Most
were local 10 given cities. and had
one man or one woman behind them.
q few gained national heRdway each
year. The statistics show this over
whelming proponderance of the
large bodies that have assured stand
ing. The total number of bodies
having 100000 communicates or more
is thirty-six, and the number of COM
municanU in bodies actually con-
stituent TO the Federal Council of
Churches is 1888. 200. The Rev DR..
Carroll. compiler Of the 1913 figures
regards the year as a very good one
for churches of all names.