New Britain herald., 1918-05-09
CHURCH GROWTH IN
CONTINENTAL U.s.. A.
In Ten Years Organizations In
crease From 212,2S0 to 22S,007

Washington, May 9--The bureau OF
the Census has recently completed q
compilation Of the statistics of religi-
GUS bodies in continental United
States as of the close of the year 1915.
These statistics are collected decenni-'
ally under tho authority of an act of
Congress, the last previous collection
referring to the calendar year 1906.
The decennial census of religious bod
les for 1915 covers numerous items of
inquiry, and the full report, to be pub
lished in the near future, will afford
comprehensive Information regarding
more than 200 denominations and will
give, in addition, comparative Stats
ties for 1906 and 1890. The statis-
tics have been collected mainly by cor
respondence with the local church Or
CARNATIONS, for the most part directly
by the Bureau of the Census, but for
certain denominations through some
UNCONVENTIONAL officer or representa-
tive. The figures contained in this pre-
liminary statement, therefore, are
based upon actual returns for the in
dividual churches, and, although some
churches failed to make returns as re-
quested, the figures may be said to
represent a substantially complete re-
port for each and all of the denomina-
tons represented.
The statement issued by Director
Rogers, of the Bureau of the Census
gives preliminary figures, which arc
subject to later revision, for six items
only, namely, number of church or
CARNATIONS, members, ministers. Sun
day schools, Sunday school officers and
teachers, and Sunday school scholars
These preliminary statistics are pre-
families, and have been prepared un-
der the supervision of William G.
Hunt, chief statistician for population
in the Bureau of the Census.
Church Organizations.
The term Church organization" in
cludes any organization for religious
worship which has a separate mem
bership, whether called "A church
proper, congregation, meeting, society,
mission, station, or chapel. etc.
The total number of church >organi-
cations in 1916, as shown by Table l.
was 22S,007, as reported by POI de-
nominations, counting the three
branches of Baptists as separate and
distinct denominations and the indie
pendent miscellaneous congregations
as the equivalent of one denomination.
The report for 1906 showed a total of
21e,230 organizations, as reported by
ISIS denominations. and that for 1890
n total of 165, ISL, as reported by 14o
denominations.
The difference in the number of de-
nominations in 1916, as compared
with 1906, is the net result of the con-
solidation or dropping out of 16 small
denominations and the addition of %
small denominations, the latter includ-
ing those actually in existence in 1905,
but not then brought to light, those
resulting from tho consolidation of
churches, many of which were report
ed in 1906 as independent" and those
resulting from reorganization within
existing denominations.
The small increase in the number
of church organizations since 1906 is
due to a general tendency toward con-
solidation and conservation rather
than expansion and to shrinkagc and
disintegration consequent on migra-
ton among the poorer and immigrant
classes, especially in the South and
West The large increase from 1920
to 1905, on the other hand, was due
to more thorough investigation and
moro nearly complete returns in 1906,
to heavy immigration. and to a gen
eral effort toward UNCONVENTIONAL ex-
pansion.
Church Members.
The term members" has n variety
of uses. In most Protestant bodies it
is limited to communicates or con-
firmed members; in the Roman Cath
olic, Eastern and some other churches
it includes all baptized persons, while
in some bodies it covers enrolled per
sons.
The whole number of members re-
ported by all religious bodies for 1915,
as shown by Table |, was 42,044,3I4,
as compared with a total for 1906 of
32,936,445, and for 1890 of 90. 5e7,9 54
members These figures show an ap-
parent increase in church members
since 1906 of 9.1a7.ao9. but allowance
must be made for the difference in tho
mem bership of the Roman Catholic