The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-09-28
CHURCH CENSUS
TAKEN SUNDAY
FORTY-FOUR TEAMS MAKE
ROUNDS OF THE CITY
GETTING NAMES.
OF CHURCH GOERS
Columbus Divided Into Districts
And All Homes Are Visited
BY EnumeratOrs From
the Several Churches.

"The religious census taken by the
men of Columbus on Sunday after
noon is the most complete census of
the kind have ever seen," said Rev.
Jesse d. Franks, pastor of the First
Baptist Church, Monday morning, in
conversation with a representative of
the Dispatch. "The preachers of the
city," he continued, twill now have
something tangible and definite to
work FROM"
The meeting that was called for
las o'clock Sunday afternoon was
largely attended. 1t was presided
over BY the Rev. Jesse ID. Franks, who
stated the purpose of the meeting and
expressed his gratitude to the men
who gathered together to perform
tie work. DR.. Franks also express
cd his thanks to the Dispatch and the
Commercial for the generous and
hearty co-operation given in this
movement in their columns.
Inasmuch as a roll was to be call
cd Doctor Franks asked the hundred
men present to unite their voices in
singing "When the Roll is Called Up
Yonder III Be There" This was
done enthusiastically.
The matter of dividing the city
into districts was left with a COM
mittee composed of Messrs. lines, +
Hull and McClanahan. These gentle /
men performed their work in an able
manner and had everything in readi-
ness when the meeting was called to
order. The city was divided into
forty-four districts, and two emnuer-
ators were assigned to each district,
making total of lightweight census
takers at work simultaneously.
Six thousand cards had been print
ed to be used in taking the census,
and most of them were used. AS soon
as the meeting was declared adjourn
ed, the enumerators went forth on
their mission. Nearly every house in
Columbus received call. But very
few homes were visited where mem
bers of the families were not present
to give the census-takers the desired
information. The men were cordially
received in nearly every instance, and
the people seemed glad to see them
and pleased to give the names and
ecclesiastical connection of the people. ,
The writer travelled with Mr.. H. II.
McClanahan. Every home received
us with as much of a welcome as
would have been accorded the best
preacher in town. :
When filled out, the cards were
left in the study of the First Metho-
dist Church. When they have time,
the several ministers of the city will |
get together and divide them accord
Ing W bHe NuhiNH preference VI al
filiation expressed on the cards.
One remarkable thing brought out
by the taking of the census was that
a vast majority of our people are =
members of some church. Some said "
they were members of churches in
other localities, but attended services
here. The census showed that
great many of our people attend :
church and Sunday School, so many,
in fact, that Columbus may rightly be =
called a city Of culture, refinement,
hospitality, and a city Of !
church-going people.
For this We should all give thanks. "a
1t is well to dwell in the midst Of
Christian people. Nothing refines
and purifies like Christian religion.
II makes better husbands and wives,
better fathers and mothers, better
neighbors and citizens, better public .
and business men. Jesus, .
when upon earth, taught the great :,
principal Of the Fstherhood Of God :
and the Brotherhood Of Man. and the =
more religion a man has, the more =
brotherly he is toward his fellows "
Union services, an exchange of :
pulpits, ministers laboring together
IS real brothers, Methodist laymen
and Episcopal clergymen addressing \
he Baptist Baracas, these things =
Tend to establish a closer relation o
ship between al Of Gods people and G,
hasten the day when the knowledge Il