Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-02-14
BIG INCREASE IN
 CHURCH MEMBERS Membership of American Churches Grows 763,O78
 During Last Year. TOTAL NOW 38,70S,l49 Catholics Make Largest Gains, with Baptists Next-EpiscopaIians Now Number 1,,015,o233S-Al Churches
 Make Additions.
TOTAL NOW 33,708,l49

New York, Feb. 13.-The religious bodies of the United States have no cause to be discouraged over the re- suits of the year 1914. The new com municants or members added made good all the losses by death, expuls- ion OF withdrawal, And left a surplus of nearly three-quarters of million. That is, the total membership Is !63,- 07S greater than it was in 1913. This is an average increase of two per cent, for all bodies great and small, Christian and non-Christian. Elabor- ate statistical tables prepared by Dr. H. K. Carroll, and issued by the Fed- eral Council of the Churches of Christ in America, show in detail the gains and losses of the year.
 The grand total of members IS now 3S,70S, ,149. All the larger denom- nations share in the increase. Bap- lists gained 122,125; Eastern Ortho- dox churches, 36,50o; the Roman Catholic church 136,S50; the Luth- erans 56,24S; the German evange- listical synod, representing the State Church of Prussia, zJ,315; the Metho- dists, 231,460: the Presbyterians, 56,- 019; the Protestant Episcopal church 2S,641.
 The Protestant Episcopal church has crossed the million line, having gained S6,46S since 1910, and over 300 GOO since 19GS.
 The Roman Catholic church has gained nearly a million and quar- ter since 1910 and more than five and a half millions since 1900.
 The Methodist Episcopal church, the second largest denominatloil, gained 1S7,4S7 in 1914 and neariy 100000 since 1900.
 The thirty churches, constituting the Federal Council Of the Churches of Christ in America, report, as will be seen, nearly 17,50o,0 members, somewhat less than half of the az gregate of all denominations, With 103,000 ministers and nearly 139,0 ,000 churches. These bodies have a net increase Of. over 5o0,ooo members, or more than two thirds of the entire increase of all bodies.
 There are nine denominations, which have million and upward, the Roman Catholic, l3,794 ,637, the Methodist Episcopal, 3,6o3,265, the Southern Baptist, 2,592, ,217, the Ma tional Baptist tcolored) 2,01S ,S6S fne Methodist Episcopal. South, z,0o5,707, the Presbyterian, Northern. ,442,49S, the Disciples of Christ, 1868 163, the Northern Baptist Convention, 1,23S,- 323, and the Protestant Episcopal, 1,- 015, 5,23S. These seven denominations aggregate over 29,000, ,0000 members, CT mere than three-fourtlls of the en- tire aggregate of the TO religious bodies.
 The effects on church membership of the European war in narrowin 8 the stream of immigration were prob ably quite small, as only the last r.vc months of the year were involved. The emigration 2: men to take part in, the great conflict would not be d very large factor for the same req son. The German bodies-Lutheran Reformed, and the representative of the Prussian State church, al show unusual gains for 1914.
 The total increase of ministers was 3,212, which is usually large, while the total increase of churches was 1,44l, which is unusually small.