The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-01-10
UNUSUAL PROGRESS
MADE BY ADVENTISTS.
Net Gain in Membership For 1914
Exceeded Membership of Denomi-
naion Throughout The World 80
Years After Movement Began.

Great enthusiasm was manifested
among local Seventh Day Adventists
when they learned of the unusual
progress made by their denomination
during the past year, as given in
report that has just been received
from the worlds headquarters of the
church in Washington, d. c. Ex-
tracts of this report, which was COM
piled by H. E. Rogers, statistical sec
retary of the denomination, have
been sent broadcast throughout
North America, in order that the be-
levers might learn of the way their
church has advanced.
One of the remarkable statements
in the report is, that THE actual net
gain in membership for the year
1914 was greater than the entire
membership of the denomination
throughout the world, as it stood 80
years after this movement had begun
its work.
The report says further:
"At the close of 1914, the total
membership was 125, ,S44, a gain dur
ing the year of 11,2S7, or 9.S5 per
cent. The gain for 1913 was $3.50,
or 7.16 per cent, and that was the
largest gain ever recorded up to that
time. The gain for 1914 was great
er than that reported for the preced-
ing year by 3,107. The number of
baptisms during the year was A.
.999. The net difference between the
gain Of members and the number of
baptized is 3,712.
The amount of money raised as
offerings to foreign missions in the
North American Division was S615,-
$685.; the membership in this di-
vision is 72,015. This amount is
therefore an average Of $S.55 for
each member. The significance of
this last amount will be better under
stood when it is explained that the
latest available reports indicate that
for 1913 the average per capita con-
tributions on the part of the men,
bers of all the Protestant bodies in
the United States was 63 cents. The
figures ranged from $1.93, the high
est, for the Moravian bodies, to 21c.
per member for the lowest.
For years the number of COM
panies and their membership as well
as the number of baptized scattered
believers have been shown in the re-
port, but in harmony with the vote
taken at the last session of the Gen
eral Conference, this information has
been discontinued. The aggregate
commandments thus dropped out of
the report would be approximately
$4,000. That is to say, the plan of
emitting the membership of COM
panies and scattered believers ac-
counts for the elimination of ap-
proximately $4,000 communicates
from all reference in this report.
THE number of organized chur-
ches at the close of 1914 was 1902,
gain during the year of 113, or
3.15 per cent.
This work is now carried forward
in 81 diaarent ea,sntsiesr bg 2 forqn
of laborers comprised as fo1lows,:
Ordained ministers, 926; licensed
ministers, SOS; licensed missionaries,
1,454; colporteurs, 2,076; secretar-
les, 292; total evangelistic laborers,
5,313.
"Other laborers are engaged in
lines of work as follows: Teachers
in mission schools, primary schools,
and colleges, 1,616; employed in
publishing houses, 1886; in sanitari-
ums and treatment rooms, 1896;
total of 4 ,047 institutional laborers.
If to this be added the 5,313 evange-
listic laborers, there is secured
grand total of $3.50 laborers engag-
ed in all lines of UNCONVENTIONAL
work, or one laborer for every thir-
teen members.
''The total funds contributed for
evangelistic work by members of the
denomination during 1914 were $3,-
090, 0,484.S0, per capita of $24.56.
This amount contributed is greater
than the preceding year by $685.
757.4O, the per cent. of increase be-
ing 7.S0. Of the total amount con-
tributed, S2,32S,751.SS was from
North America, or 1886 per cent,
and all other countries, $761, 1,732.92,
or 24.65 per cent.
During the fifty-two years since
this work has been organized, there
has been contributed for evangelistic
work alone, s31,675,S94.76.
''At the close of 1914 the total
valuation of the 1,449 church build
ings was s2,226,561.SS, an increase
of $177,750.37 for the year. Dona-
tions and investments during 1914
increased the net worth of the de-
nominational institutions approx
mately $50O,000. A further expen-
diture of S484,6S2.55 was made in
the support of denominational edu-
cational institutions, so that the
grand total contributions for evan
gelistic work, the increased valua-
tion of church buildings, and the
support of, and investments in, de-
nominational institutions during
1914 constitute a grand total of S4,-
461 ,202.86, an average of S35.45 for
each church member throughout the
world. For 1913 this average was
S32.70, thus showing an increase of
$275 per member for 1914.