The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-11
METHOD|STS GAIN
 IN TEN YEARS HAS BEENOVER MILLION
Sunday Schools, However, Show a Net Loss for Two Years With Lost Ground
 Being Regained
By Associated Press


 Chicago, September l0.--A net gam of 1,255,O91 members has been made by all divisions of the Methodist church in the United States in the past 10 years, despite great losses suffered by the denomination during the war. according to statistics co:a- piled for presentation to the decen- nlal ecumenical Methodist conferene which opens in London next week. The figures. compiled by the Rev, Dr. H K Carroll of Plainfield, N, J former director of the United States census, have been made public
 Methodist Sunday schools in the United States, however, the repoi says, show a net loss 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." Notwithstandins that Sunday school pupils of the ie- nomination in this country were 200 900 less in number in 1920 than IF 1918, the enrolment throughout the world shows an increase of 1,2S9,0|G Methodist pupils for the 10-year pc riod.
 Good Showing
 Tt Is a remarkably good showing that American Methodism has to pre- sent to the ecumenical conference, declared Dr. Carroil's statement, "Deleeates representing nearly S'. o0o, 900 Methodist members and ad- herents will be in attendance. We can never forget that the past de- cade includes the worst war in ais-
 4tzo lon I-al c an actual participant in its battles s, for only year and a half. we sui fsxed with our allies its terrible ef- fects.
 ..fhe year 1919 was the hardest the churches of America have known at least since the Civil war. Meth odism in most of it's branches suf- fered, with the other evangellcal de nominations, actual losses. The Meth odist Episcopal church suffered most of all, losing 43.262 in 1918 and 59,- ss7 in 1919-103,249 In two years and the conditions were even worse If we leave out foreign mission fields, for the net loss in this couh- try alone in 1919 was nearly 7o,ooV The Methodist Episcopal church south, lost 16,404 in that year. lA 1920 the tide turned for all evangen cal churches, heavy gains succeeding the losses.
 Considering the heavy losses Tn the nreyious two years, it is remarkaole that the total net increase in mem hers and probationers of the Metho- dist bodies of the western section Limited States) has been l,2o5tosl' eyceedinr the increase of the prev ious decade, 1900-1910 by nearly oS2.ooO. The percentage of increase is also greater. For the decade end- inr in 1910 it was 15; for the past lo years, nearly IT.
 Itinerant Ministers
 pr. Carroll in commenting on the fact that the number of itinerant Methodist ministers, 4S,405 represent ed a loss of 9o9 as compared with a gain of s.5S1 in 1919 for the pervious 10 years, said: Certainly. more min isters are needed instead of fewer for a growing Methodism. What is the trouble? Is the Methodist ministry less attractive than 1t used to be?"
 In conclusion, Dr. Carroll says "The net increase of Sunday school rupils for all Methodist bodies Gin the world) for the 10 years is 1,2S9,- | 0S6 Of this handsome gain, the | Methodist Episcopal church, the only | body of any name. so far as l re call, which has more scholars in Sun day school than members in church gets the lions share--SS4,473. It | also participates in the total increase i of officers and teachers of 55,705. When It Is remembered what a great recruiting agency for church mem bers the Sunday school has become. the significance of the gains in the number, equipment and scholars of this institution is a happy augury."