The Alaska daily empire., 1921-09-28
METHOD|STS IN
 UNITED STATES
 SHOWING GAINS
More Than One Million and a Quarter Members Added
 in the Past Decade.

| Ntlla aGO, sept. Zo.-A Iel SdlH Ol 1.25509 members has been made by all divisions of the Methodist Church in the United States in the past it years, despite great losses suffered i by the denominations during the war according to statistics compiled for presentation to ire decennial Ecumenical Methodist Conference. which has opened in London. | The fiyures. compiled by the Rev. l Dr. II K. Carroll of Pla'niield, N J., i former director of the United States census. were made public here.
 Methodist Sunday schools in the United States. however, the report says, show net Joss for the two years, 1918 and 1919 of 293,96S, "an appalling figure" although 1920 re turns indicate that "the lost ground is being regained." Notwithstanding that Sunday school pupils of the de- nomination in this country were 220. 000 less in number in 1920 than in 1918, the enrollment throughout the world shows an increase of 1,2S9, ,03G Methodist pupils for the 1o-year period
 Remarkable Showing
 "It is a remarkably good showing ! that Ameyiean Methodism has to pre- sent to the Ecumenical conference declared Dr. Carroll's statement t"Delegates representing nearly 37, GOO 900 Methodist members and ad- I> tv, ,tt can never forget that the past de cade includes the worst war in his tory and that, though our nation was an actual participant in it's battles for only year and half, we suf' fared with our Allies it's terrible eff fleets.
 "The year 1919 was the hardest the churches of America have known. at least since the Civil War, Metho dism in most of it's branches suf i fared, with the other evangelical de- nominations. actual losses. The 1 Methodist Episcopal Church suffered most of all. losing 43,262 in 1918 and 59.9S7 in 1919-103.249 in two years and the conditions were even worse if we leave our foreign mis | sions fields. for the net loss in this : country alone in 1919 was nearly i 10000. The Methodist Episcopal ! Church, South. lost 16,4o4 in that year. Tn 1920 the tide turned for all evangelical churches, heavy gains succeeding the losses
 Large Gain Made
 "Considering the heavy losses in 1 the previous two years, it is remark l a ble that the total net increase in members and probationers of the Methodist bodies of the Western Sec ton United States) has been 1,255, 09l, exceeding the increase of the previous decade, 1900-19lO, by nearly ! aS2OO0. The percentage of increase l is also greater. For the decade end ing in 1910 it was 15; for the past 10 years, nearly IT,"
 Dr. Carroll, in commenting on the fact that the number of itinerant Methodist ministers, 48,405, repre- sented loss of 209 as compared with gain of 6,531 in 1910 for the previous 10 years. said: Certainly. more ministers are needed instead of fewer for a growing Methodism. What is the trouble? Is the Metho- dist ministry less attractive than # used to be?'
 In conclusion, Dr. Carroll says: "Tha net increase of Sunday school pupils for all Methodist bodies Gin the world) for the 10 years. is l 1,2S9,03s, Of this. handsome gain, the Methodist Episcopal Church, the only body of any name. so far as I recall. which has more scholars in i Sunday school than members, i'll church, gets the lions share S34,473. IL also participates in the total in crease of officers and teachers of 55,7O5. When it is remembered what great recruiting agency for church members the Sunday school has be- come. the significance of the gains in the number. equipment and schol- ars of this institution is a happy augury.