Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-09-04
MEMBERS IS
RECORD OF METHOD|sTs
Church M Il K cs Remarkable
Cain in Past Ten Years, De.
spite Losses During War.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS SHOW loss
wv" Years. 1918 and 1919. Have Net
Sccrensc, but Dcnominntiunni III
rertors Declare Shortage l. Fast
Being RcEnincd.
Icy Assoclntcdrrcss

CHICAGO, Sept. "a net gain OF
l.2S5.o?l members has been made by
All divisions OF the Methods, church
IN the United States in the past ten
years. despite great losses suffered
oS the denominations during the war.
according TO statistics compiled for
presentation to the decennial Ecu
mcnicai Methodist Conference which
opens in London ncNt week. Tho ir-
ures. compiled ny tho Rcv Or. H. X.
carroll, OF rlainiield. y. j.. former hi
rector OF the United States Census,
were made public here today
Methodist SUNDAY schools in tho
United States, however, the report
says. show net loss for the two
years. 1918 and 1919. OF oG3 ass. IAN
appalling figure" although 1920 rc-
turns indicate that the lost ground
is being recaincd" Notwithstanding
mat Sunday school pupils of the de
termination in this country were zoo
"oo less in number In 1920 than IN
1alS. the enrolment throughout the
world shows an inCrcaS. OF ioSa.O 2G
Methodist pupils FOR the tcn-ycar
period.
Declared Good Showing.
at is remarkably good showing
that American Mcthodism has 10
present to tn" cCUmcnical confer
encc." declared Dr. CarrolrS state
mcnt Delegates representing near
ly $1,000. o0o Methodist members and
adherents Will be in attendance. We
can never forget that the past de-
cadc includes the worst war IN his
tory and that, though our nation was
an actual participant in its battles
for only year and a half va suf-
Tered with our allies its terrible cf-
Iects
The year 1919 was tho hardest
the churches OF America have known.
At least since the Civil War Meth
odism in most OF It's branches suf-
fcrcd. with the other evangelical de-
nominations. actual losses The Meth
odiSt Episcopal Church suffered mos,
nf all. losing $500 in 19lS and 80
sSI in l9lo-1O3,2i9 in two years
and the conditions were even worse
II VIC leave out foreign mission nclds.
for the net loss in this country alone
In 1919 was nearly 10000 Tho Meth
odist Episcopal Church, south. lost
l6,io+ in that year. In 1929 tho tide
turned cor all evangelical! churches.
heavy gains succeeding the losses.
considering the heavy losses in
the previous two years. ii : rcmarl,
able tina; tho total net increase In
members and practitioners OF the
Methodist bodies OF the western sec
t!on Omitted States has been l.2j5.-
09l. exceeding the Increase of tho
previous decade. i9o0-l?Ic. by nearly
.S2 zoe. The percentage of increase
is also greater. For the decade end
ing in 1910 ii was II: for the past
ten years, nearly II"
More Ministers Arc Needed.
Dr. Carroll. in commenting on the
fact that the number Of tincrant
Methodist ministers. iS.io5. repre-
scented a loss OF 209 as compared with
a gain Of G,53l in 1910 for the pre-
vious ten years, said: "Ccrtain!y more
ministers are needed instead Of
fewer FOR a growing Methodism. What
is the trouble Is the Methodist
ministry less attractive than it used
to be-"
In conclusion. Or Carroll says:
THE net increase 81 sunday school
pupils for all Methodist bodies On
the WORLD for tho ten wears is L..
2Sa0 3G. az this handsome gain. the
Methodist Episcopal Church, the only
body Of any name. so far as ! recall
which has more scholars in sunday
school than members in church. gets
tho lions Sharc-S3i II also par
t!cipatcs In tho total increase. OF Ofi-
GERS and teachers OF 55.I0t When II
is remembered what a great recruit
ing agency for church members the
sunday school has become, the sig
nincancc Of the gains in the mum
Der, equipment and scholars of this
Institution is a happV augury-'