Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-17
Friday, March IT, 1922.
CHURCHES GROW STEADILY
All Denominations Show Substantial
4 Gains.
GREAT INCREASE SINCE WORLD WAR
Statistics Show that for Five Years
New Membership Has Been Coming
in at the Rate of 2,173 Each Day.

according to a Washington letter, an
average of 2,17S persons Joined the
various churches Of America. During
the same time an average of three
congregations have been organized
daily and the average number joining
the ministry has been four and one
half persons per day.
These facts are brought to light by
religious statistics for the United
States compiled by DR.. E.. o. Watson,
Washington secretary of the Federal
Council of the. Churches of Christ in
America. The figures show that the
churches are steadily overcoming their
war losses. The total church mem
bership of the, country, according to
the latest available figures is 45,997,-
199. This is an increase of 4,o70,345
over the 1915. census figures and in
dicates a gain of more than a million
members for the preceding II months.
The various religious bodies report
233, ,104 congregations headed by 20G,-
900 ministers. This is a gain of 5,617
congregations and 1924 clergy over
the government figures for 1916. While
there has been much talk of a shortage
of ministers. the increase in clergy,
has been approximately 80. per cent
more than the increase in the congre-
cation. The 1904 difference between
ministers and congregations does not
indicate a corresponding, shortage Of
pastors, as many ministers, especially
in the rural districts, have charge of
two or more churches.
OF the ,45,997,19s persons listed as
church members, the Roman Catholics
have 17.SS5,646. Roman, Catholic fig
ures represent estimated population
including all baptized persons. Pro-
testant bodies count only communi-
cants. =. go r
The thirty bodies related to the
Federal Council of. churches have 49,
9$S,115 members. They have total
of 142,472 congregations manned by
113,761 clergy. Their gain in member
ship over the preceding five years is
1s245,935. Their total constituency is
55,S12,722 gain of 8,44S,619 over the
1916 census figures.
The total religious constituency of
the country Qncluding all members
and adherents) is placed at s5,S5S,0s6
persons. Owing to different statisti-
cal methods of the various churches
these figures are estimated in accor-
dance with studies made 5byE statisti-
clans. On this comparable basis the
constituency of the various great
bodies is as follows:
Protestants. 74,795,226: Roman Cath
olics 17,SS5,646; Jews 100000; East
ern Orthodox Greek and Russian)
411,O64; Latter Day Saints (Mormcns)
1,646,l7O.
OF the Jewish fgures-4OO,00O are
estimated. The Jewish bodies have
different methods Of reporting some
counting only heads Of families and
others only heads of families who are
pew holders. Vol % Of the American
Jewish Year Book estimates the Jew
ish population of the United States at
100000.
AS the churches report their statis-
tics as whole it is practically impos-
sible to tell in what part of the coun-
try the greatest gains have been made
Indications are that the advance is all
along the line. A specially significant
growth has been reported by the
Southern Baptists and Southern Meth
odists. .s...
For the first time the Baptists have
passed the Methodists in total mem
bershiD, now having 1885, ,250 members,
against a Methodist membership Of
7,797,991. The Lutheran bodies stand
third with a, membership of 2,466,645
persons and the Presbyteriaus are
fourth with 2,3S4,6S3 members.
Practically all of the major religious
faiths have made a gain except the
Unitarians, who show loss CT 3O,SS0
members as compared with 1915 fig
ures, their total membership of last
year being 51,635; and the Methodist
Pi otestant church which shows ap-
parcntly a loss of S,625 members for
the five-year period. The Churches of
God in North America, General Elder
ship for a membership of 25,92O also
show decrease of 2,456 members. The
Roman Catholics show a membership
and adherents gain 2,163,S31 during
the last five years. They have 1850
churches manned by 21,643 priests.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
CNorth) reports an increase in men,
bership of 22O,S7O over the 1916 figures
and 1886 members over last year,
its present membership being $685.
655. 1t is the largest single Protes
tant Communion. The Methodist Epis-
copal church, South, shows n great
gain of 91,315 members for the pre-
cedlnS year with an addition of 231, ,5SS
over the 1916 figures, its total now be-
lrg 2,S46,076. The Protestant Episco-
pal church has recovered it's war loss
and now shows a gain of II POS over
tho 1916 figures, of which 7,134 were
reported last year. Its total men,
bership is 1,1O4,O29 persons. An inter-