Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-02-25
RELIGION AND 1914

more church members in 1914 than
in 1913. With these statistics be-
fore the public it seems strange that
the awful wall still voices itself that
the country and the whole world Is
on the broad, crooked. and creased
road TO ruination.
The medical world is still protest
ing that the people of this country
are in too many cases showing signs
of degeneracy, and that the good
old states are corrupt with disease
Eugenics in some cases has been
tried in an attempt to preserve and
save the coming race. but has in
most cases been an utter failure.
Possibly there are more inmates
in our asylums, penitentiaries and
hospitals than there were ten years
ago. However the increase in popu
lation greatly over balances this in
creased percentage. Prohibition is
rapidly gaining Roadway. Our dances
are perhaps somewhat different than
those of the 10Th century but time
produces surprising changes. There
is nothing immoral or sensual in the
tango, maxixse, hesitation, fox trot
or one step if properly danced. Let
we'll enough alone, and read the fol-
We are steadily gaining rather than
backsjiding.
The increase in church member
ship in the past year over 1913
amounts to 763,O7S which makes
good all of the losses, through
death. expulsion or withdrawal and
leaves this figure The grand total
this country today is 3S,70S,149. All
of the larger denominations share in
the increase.
Baptists gained 122.125; eastern
orthodox churches. $4,000, the
Roman Catholic church 1860; the
Lutherans, 56.24S; the German
evangelical synod. representing the
state church of Prussia. 29,315; the
Methodists, 231. 400; the Presbyteri-
ans, 56,O19, the Protestant Episco-
pal church 2S,641.
The Protestant Episcopal church
has crossed the million line, having
gained S6.46S since 1910. and over
300,C coo since 1900. The Roman
Catholic church has gained nearly a
million and quarter since 1910 and
more than five and a half millions
since 1900 The Methodist Episcopal
church, the second largest denomin-
alton. gained 1S7.4S7 in 1914 and
nearly 100000 since 1900. The
thirty churches. constituting the Fed
eral council of the ChVches Of
Christ in America. report approx
mately 175OO.000 members. some
what less than half of the aggregate
for all denominations. with 100000
ministers and nearly 10000
churches. These bodies have a net
increase Of over 100000 members,
or more than two-thirds of the en-
tire increase of all bodies.
There are nine denominations,
which have a million and upward,
the Roman Catholic 1$.794,637 the
Methodist Episcopal. 3,603.265. the
Southern Baptist 2.592,217, the Ma
tional Baptist (Colored) 2.01S,S6S.
he Methodist Episcopal. south. p
1.442.49S. the Disciples of Christ. /
O05.7O7. the Presbyterian northern,
363,163, the Northern Baptist con
vention, 1.23S,323. and the Protes-
tant Episcopal 1,015,23S. These
seven denominations aggregate over
10000. 000 members. or more than
three-fourths of the entire aggregate
of the 10 religious bodies The
effects on church membership of the
European war in narrowing the
stream of immigration were prob
ably quite small. as only the last five
months of the year were involved
The emigration of men 10 take part
in the great conflict would not be a
very large factor for the same rea-
son. The German bodies-Luther
an. reformed. and the representa-
tive of the Prussian state church. all
show unusual gains for 1914 The
total increase of ministers was 3,212,
which is unusually large while the
total increase of churches was AL,
which is unusually small