The evening herald., 1917-03-01
cBrRcH MEMBERSHIP
INCREASES.

The Forthcoming Year Book of ths
Federal Council OF Churches viii
show that memherships In christiar
bodies increase FAR faster than tbs
population and that In isie their com.
binsd msmbershsps passed 30 million
IN a population Of ieo million. In the
last quarter century Christian church
membcrshlp grew "a per cent. accord.
ing 20 the fedora. .suncil. an official
body. while the population 81 the
United states grew 81 per cent
The growth In 1915 was s47.0oo. or
a nttls more than aeo.oe0 greater
than IN 1915. and OF which the Roman
Catholic growth was 2is.eee and the
Protestant y million. Roman Cath
oiic ststisticians. it should be stated.
put their church's growth at some-
what iarEer figure. but one counts
POPULATION. the other makes rednc-
tion Tor small children. In its course
the federal counoa follows the govern
ments rule.
Sunday school membership grew
last year by more than eco. 200 so that
the United states leads all the world
in Bible student numbers and Bihle
circulation.
All tho large Christian bodies are
shown to be increasing In numbers
steadily. and practically all make pro.
portionate gains on the population
The standing OF the American bodies
the seven with memberships exceeding
1 million are:
Roman Catholic. lt,3so.Oo0.
Methodist. 7.sos. 900.
Baptist. G.5ss.0o0.
Lutheran, 2.454.000
Presbyterian. s.17l.00e
Disciples, i,ss7.00c.
Episcopal. i.07s.000.
The Church News Association. New
York. adds financial data OF church
60 for 1915 TO membership data sup
piled by the federal council. II shows
the total gifts OF American people in
1915 10 maintain Christian work in
America and throughout the world to
have been as million dollars. This
Is exclusive of a. million dollars given
TO European war relief. Of which sum
more than 30 million dollars. so tho
association asserts after careful study
Of donors. was given by members Of
rf a..a To- y. n
association states. in it's report. that
American henovelence 10 war suffer-
ers depends. in far the largest measure
upon the 40 million within the church
es, rather than the so million outside
OF them.
The only church cause that fell Off
In 1915 was the building of new
churches. Usually 90 million dollars
a year is pu, into new churches IN
tho United States, of.h as much as
60 million dollars. but in 1918 and for
the building season OF 1917. no very
large projects arc in hand. Money IL
being expended In other directions. 30
hardly half a. much as the usual sum
was spent on new American churches
In 1915. and indications are the sum
will be low In 1si7.
Tho Christian money feature OF
isis In the United States. and running
into isi7. In the clergy pension sys-
tenn. For these not less than 60 mil
lion dollars In sousht. and ~ million
dollars secured. Tho systems being
inaugurated are scientific for the first
time. That is. they are based on NOR
taiity tables complied by the grea. in.
surance companies. The successfln
operation Of these systems will, be. 30
the association states. its statements
based on assertions OF Christian lead
ers In all bodies. one OF the big factors
in making In the near future the 81
57s. 900. 300 invested In church prop
critics accomplish twice as much as
at present
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