New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-08-01
835,l97 MEMBERS
IN conn. CHURCHES
Census includes Catholic, Pro-
testant and Jewish EnrOllments
;65 PER CENT CATHOLICS
Lutheran Churches In State Increase
From l4,347 in 1916 to I3.S.7 in
1928-Episcopalian OF Both
Branches Gain In Decade,
Bv GEORGE II, MANNING

BY GEORGE II. MANNING
, (Washington Correspondent. n. B. HeraiD
Washington, D. c.. Aug. 1.-The
majority of church members in Con-
necticut are Roman Catholics, statis-
tics of the last religious census re-
veal.
There are 557,747 members OF the
Catholic church in Connecticut, So
9S5 members of Jewish congrega-
tions, and 2o5,465 members of the
five leading Protestant denomina-
tions, according to the 1926 religious
census. which is now practically
complete except for d few small or
local denominations.
Protestant Church Membership
The Protestant church member
ship is distributed as follows: Pro-
testant Episcopal, S9,4S4; Lutherans,
42,S27; Methodist Episcopal. 4o,-
III; and Presbyterians, 4,642. These
denominations have the largest
membership OF the Protestant
churches in the United States.
Thus some 65 per cent of Con-
necticut church members are Catho-
lie.
Despite their smallness in total
numbers the Presbytcrians showed
the greatest proportional increase in
their membership. The increase
from S,143 to 4,642 between the 1916
and the 1926 religious censuses gave
the Connecticut Pfesbyterians rate
of increase of A. per cent.
In making this comparison of pro-
portional growth, the Jewish con-
gregations are not considered, be-
cause they were not enumerated in
1916. the Lutherans are not con-
sidered because various sects which
did not report in 1916 are included
in the 1926 enumeration, and the
Episcopalians are not considered
because most of the churches report
ed only confirmed members in 1916.
while in 1926 they reported all per-
sons baptized into the church. in
Guiding infants christened.
Increase Of Worshippcrs
The Catholic church in Connecti-
cut showed an increase OF Is per
cent in membership in the 1o-year
period, rising from 4S3.S34 members
in the state to 557,I41.
The Methodists increased from
3S,0o6 in 1916 to 4o.171 in 1926. a
growth of 5 per cent in church
membership.
The Baptists increased from
e6,443 in 1916 to 2S,391 in 1926, an
increase of S per cent. This entire
increase, however, is accounted for
by the advent of Negro Baptist
churches into Connecticut in this
period, as the membership of the
churches in the Northern Baptist
convention (white) declined from
26.e43 in 1916 to e2,S73 in 1926. No
Negro Baptist churches We're re-
ported from Connecticut in 1916, but
5,51S members of Negro Baptist
churches were reported in 1926.
Lutheran Churches
The reported membership Of the
Lutheran churches or various SeCtS
in Connecticut in 1926 was 42,S27 in
1926, as against 14,347 in 1916, but
three sects with memberships OF
11.47.. of S.965, and of 664 We're re-
ported in 1926 from which there
were no reports in 1916. The report
ed figures for 1925 are 19S per cent
higher for 1926 than for 1916.
OF the Lutheran sects reporting in
both years, however, one, the
Evangelical Lutheran Synodical
Conference of North America. in
creased in Connecticut from 5,5SS
members in 1916 to ?,6o9 in 1926,
and another. the United Lutheran
Church OF North America. increased
from 1896 members in 1916 to H.
S93 members in 1926.
Thus these two largest branches
of the Lutheran church, which were
enumerated in both censuses showed
an increase of "a per cent.