The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-06-01
Federal Council Reports Increase
of 1,220,428 Members in
U. S. in Year.

Observation-Disclosures apparently is
growing more religious. Figures now
made public by DIR. e. o. Watson,
statistician of the Federal Council of
Churches, show that the religious
bodies in the United States made their
greatest growth during last year. The
increase Is 1,220,42S members over the
previous year.
The present membership of all re-
liglous bodies according to the latest
available figures is 4T,461, ,55S. This
increase is approximately 80 per cent
greater than the average for the pre-
ceding five years. There was gain
OF 9,591 congregations and 1922 min
listers. The total number of congrega-
tions is now 243,590. They are led by
214,5S3 ministers.
According to these figures. church
representatives point out that each
day In 1922 an average of 3,345 per-
sons Joined the Various religious bod
les; AZ ministers were ordained or
licensed; and 26 congregations were
organized
The shortage In clergy is not as
great as the fact that there are 29,O07
more congregations than ministers
would indicate. Many pastors, espe-
cially In rural districts, have charge
of two or more congregations. Be
sides, a number of missions and rural
churches are served by laymen. This
activity on the part of laymen Is one
Of the significant features of the year.
Roman Catholic Memberohip.
Owing to different methods adopted
by the various bodies in computing
their membership 1t is hard to make
comparisons. The Roman Catholic
church shows membership OF 49,
104,S04 persons. It's figures represent
estimated church population and in.
clude all baptized persons. Evangel-
ical Protestant churches show a men,
bershlp of 27,454,0S0. They count
communicates only.
The thirty bodies related TO the Fed
eral Council of Churches report total
membership of 20,722,14 persons.
They have 149,436 congregations,
served by 1907 ministers. Their
gain in membership over last year Is
S69,261. Their total constituency is
now 59021,71S persons.
The total religious constituency of
the country is placed ut 9S,S7S,367 per-
sons. Church officials define constitu-
ency to mean all baptized persons, all
adherents, and all those who In the
supreme test Of life or death. turn to
communion. ~
Church Bodies Compared.
When the figures of the various
churces are placed on comparable
basis through methods agreed upon by
church and government officials, Il
constituency of the great bodies Is re-
ported as follows:
Protestant rs. IL, ,4s1
Roman Catholic ....................1S.10 Is. .104. .s04
Jews ............ '.....s-..'......... l.6O,Vu
Latter Day Saints CMormons).. 49,. 604, ,os2
Eastern Orthodox Greek and
Russian) ...................a...... 456.o54
The Jewish figures are the same as
used last year. They are computed on
different basis from the various
Christian bodies because of their great
variation in methods of counting mem
bership The Jewish authorities esti-
mate the Jewish population of the
United States at more than 100000.
Though some of the larger bodies
have not reported on their expendi-
tures. the figures already In hand show
that the churches raised s16.62s, ,s94
more than last year. The total re-
ported to date is $505.052,e7s.
The great increase In membership Is
due largely to the gains Of the Roman
Catholic church, which shows an fn-
rrease Of 219,I5s; the Methodist Epis-