Evening journal., 1920-01-03
3,652,OIO ARE
NOW LUTHERANS
Year Book Shows 1868
Congregations in the
United States
MAINTAIN 4S
HOMES FOR AGED

The Lutheran Church Year Book for
1920 has just been published II has
been compiled by the Rev. G l.. Kieffer
financial secretary OF the National
Lutheran Council and Reference Libra
rian for the Lutheran Bureau. The hook
gives statistics OF the Lutheran Church
In America In general, as well as FOR
the various departments Of activity
carried on by that church body. Ac-
cording to the Rev. Kieffer. the Luth-
eran Church in America at present has
a baptised membership OF 3,6520i0; II
has a confirmed membership Of east, =
997; its increase In the past year was
2iiO0O, an Increase OF nearly 10 per
cent.
There are 9.73i pastors and 1868 con-
gregatlons. The total value Of prop
erty Is Siii,ii6,06i: the total ind bted-
ness on this property is S7.i5i.s99. Dur
ing 1919 the Lutheran Church raised
s2i5S7629. OF this S6,3s0i53 were eX-
pended for benevolences.
A separate table gives the growth OF
the Lutheran Church by decades since
1898. In 1898 there was one Lutheran
pastor, one congregation and 80 mem
bers In America. By 1913 that had in
creased TO nine pastors, 45 congress-
tions and 5000 members. BY 1873 there
were 53S pastors, 1907 congregations
and d35629 members. BY 1900 there
were G.7i0 pastors, ii.i23 congregations
and i,G65 sos members. Since 1900 the
Lutheran Church In America has grown
more than 80 per cent.
Separate tables cover the various
activities Of the church In America.
The foreign mission work Is carried
on by 39i missionaries aided by 2,G4S
native helpers. The native membership
Of the foreign missions Of he Lutheran
Church In America IS i23,927. There
are AZ as people In the mission schools
and the Lutheran Church In 1919 ex-
pended s696,362 for foreign mission
work.
The Lutheran mission societies OF
countries other than Amerlcl maintain
1855 white missionaries, aided by 1904
native helpers. and serve a group OF
native christian peopls OF 964.5sO. The
total amount expended by these So
cieties was s3.3Os 500 In the Lutheran
Church In America, there are % semi
narles, 30 colleges, 50 ac denies and
girls schools. Their total property
value is sil,ss5 sos.
According TO the Year Book. the
Lutheran Church In America maintains
62 orphans homes with a property
value of s3,s67,i33 with an endowment
OF SlO2,42. Il maintains IS homes for
the aged with a property value OF So
03i 03i. Il maintains : homes for de-
fectlves. Il maintains 9 deacOness'
homes. valued at S2i1,7S6.35. 10 main
tains az hospitals Il maintains 20 hos
plces and immigrant and seamen's mis-
sion and % miscellaneous institutions
and charitable societies.
The total annual expenditures OF
these charitable Institutions maintained
by the church during 1919 were SSH
1929; a corps OF 25s7 workers is en-
ployed to maintain them. During 1919
ii0,si0 people availed themselves OF
the help offered.
A special report OF the Year Book
indicates that the Lutheran Church pro-
v'ded si.35s.69i for welfare work for
the soldiers and sailors and that In 1919
$3.50 T32 were provided for recOnstruc-
ton work In Europe.
AENUA AAtN ~ NiAN ANNNAN AtAN rANNANNA
portion Of the Lutheran Church in
America Is today working together. The
problem Of uniting the Lutheran Church
In America has in a large degree been
solved by the orzanization Of the Ma.
tional Lutheran Council There are T.
G93 9i7 Lutherans cooperating through
The agency OF the National Lutheran
Council. The Synodical Council is the
only group so far which has not JON
ed the other Lutherans in America in
the National Lutheran Council. Tbs
Is a great advarce in view Of the fact
that a little over year ago instead
OF two bodies there were twelve sepa-
rate and distinct bodies within the
Lutheran Church in America. each one
working independent OF the other.