The north Mississippi herald., 1921-09-16
METHODISTS MAKE
BIG INCREASE In
THEIR MEMBERSHIP
During the Past Ten Years Net Gain
of 1,255,O9 Has Been Recorded,

Chicago.-A net gain of 1926
091 members has been made by all
divisions of the Methodist church in
the United States in the past ten
years, despite great losses suffered
by the denominations during the
war, according to statistics compiled
for presentation to the decennial
Ecumenical Methodist Conference
which opens in London next week,
The figures, compiled by the Rev.
DR.. H. X. Carroll of Plainfield, N.
j., former director Of the United
States Census, were made public
here today
Methodist Sunday schools in the
United States, however, the report
says, show a net loss for the two
years, 1918 and 1919, of 1868,
1920 returns indicate that "the lost
ground is being rgaained." Not
withstanding that Sunday school pu-
pills of the denomination in this
country were 100000 less in num-
ber in 1920 than in 1918, the enroll
ment throughout the world shows
an increase of 1,289,036 Methodist
pupils for the ten-year period.
"It is remarkably good showing
that American Methodism has to
present to the Ecumeniial confer
ence," declared DIR. Carroll's state
ment.
Delegates representing nearly
81 900, 900 Methodist members and
adherents will be in attendance. We
can never forget that the past dec
ade includes the worst war in history
and that, though our nation was an
actual participant in its battles for
only a year and a half, we suffered
with our Allies its terrible effects.
"The year 1919 was the hardest
the churches of America have known
at least since the Civil War. Meth
odism in most of its branches suf
fered, with the other evangelical de-
nominations, actual losses The
Methodist Episcopal Church suffer-
ed most of all, losing 43,262 in 1918
and 59,987 in 1919-103,249 in two
years-and the conditions were even
worse if we leave out foreign mis-
SONS fields, for the net loss in this
country alone in 1919 was nearly TO-
600. The Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, lost 16,404 in that
year. In 1920 the tide turned tor
all evangelical churches, heavy gains
succeeding the losses.
Considering the heavy losses in the
previous two years, it is remarkable
tina. the total net increase in members
and probationers of the Methodist
bodies of the Western section Omitted
States) has been 1,255,091, ex-
ceeding the increase of the previous
decade, 1900-1910, by nearly $4,000.
The percentage of increase is also
greater. For the decade ending in
1910 it was Is; for the past ten years,
nearly IT,"
DIR. Carroll, in commenting on the
fact that the number of itinerant
Methodist ministers, 43,405, repre-
sented a gain of 6,531 in 1910 for the
previous ten years, said: Certain
ly, more ministers are needed instead
of fewer for a growing Methodism.
What the trouble? Is the Meth
odist ministry less attractive than it
used to be?
In conclusion, DIR. Carroll saws:
1.-The net increase of Sunday school
pupils for all Methodist bodies Tin the
world, for the ten years is) 129,036.
OF this handsome gain, the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, the only body
of any name, so far as recall, which
has more scholars in Sunday school
than members in church, gets the
lions share-834,473. It also par
ticipates in the total increase of Off
GERS and teachers Of 55,705. When
it is remembered what a great re-
cruitng agency for church members
the Sunday school has become, the
significance of the gains in the num-
Der, equipment and scholars of the
institution is happy augury."