Sabbath School Contributions

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 27, 1916

Sabbath School Contributions

As already stated, the Sabbath-school contributions form the greatest single source of income to the fund for missions. During the past ten years nearly one and one-half million dollars have been contributed by members in the North American Division, the amount so contributed constituting 38.31 per cent of the total amount given to foreign missions. The gain in membership of Sabbath schools has been from 51,816 for 1906 to 84,909 for 1915, or an increase of 65.78 per cent. The per cent of increase in contributions has been 535.97 per cent; that is, taking the amount given during 1906 as the basis, the amount given during the past year has been an increase as stated. The per capita amounts in the following summary are based on the membership of Sabbath schools, which is of course different from the membership of churches year by year. Consequently there is a slight difference in the amount stated in the column as the per capita for 1915 from the amount noted in the summary of total contributions presented later as the per capita of Sabbath-school contributions. In this summary the per capita is based on the Sabbath-school membership, and in the one below it is based on the church membership, for the reason that the amount is used in adding for the grand total, and a correct total could not be secured otherwise.

Year	Membership	Contributions	Per capita
1906	51,816	$52,226.33	$1.01
1907	55,351	59,564.17	1.08
1908	58,383	75,224.51	1.29
1909	60,487	86,708.19	1.43
1910	60,923	97,498.00	1.60
1911	60,756	112,505.07	1.85
1912	65,014	172,756.86	2.66
1913	70,283	228,938.24	3.26
1914	76,751	274,942.12	3.58
1915	84,909	332,106.20	3.91
		$1,492,469.69

Total Contributions

The amount of total contributions and the per capita for each fund is indicated below for 1915:—

FUND	AMOUNT	PER CAP.
Tithe	$1,337,810.20	$17.21
Foreign Missions	374,187.30	4.81
S. S. (to For. Miss.)	332,106.20	4.27
Other Offerings	498,579.29	6.42
Totals	$2,542,682.99	$32.71

The amount of total contributions for the past ten years, with the membership of churches and per capita contributions indicated, is presented herewith for comparative study. Beginning with 1913, these figures include returns from Canadian territory. Thus there is indicated a steady gain in every item, and particularly in the amount of total contributions and per capita. The latter, it will be seen, have increased from $17.99 during 1906 to $32.71 for 1915.

Church Members, U. S. Only	Total Contributions	Per Capita
1906 — 58,381	$1,050,209.27	$17.99
1907 — 58,557	1,312,562.81	22.41
1908 — 59,138	1,325,752.80	22.42
1909 — 59,785	1,467,933.84	24.55
1910 — 59,060	1,620,440.79	27.44
1911 — 60,691	1,679,543.92	27.66
1912 — 61,722	1,897,792.52	30.75
1913 — 67,268	2,079,238.07	30.91
1914 — 72,015	2,328,751.88	32.33
1915 — 77,735	2,542,682.99	32.71
	$17,304,908.80

Truly, seventeen million dollars is no insignificant sum for a small people, poor in this world's goods, to raise in ten years! In considering the figures the question may be raised in the minds of some, Has the confidence and loyalty of this people kept pace with the increase in members, as exhibited in their gifts and offerings for the promotion of this message? Has their unbounded confidence in its ultimate triumph led them to devote their means to the extension of this cause to the same extent that there has been a gain in membership? Let the figures answer. The gain in members during the past ten years in the North American Division has been 33.15 per cent; the gain in total contributions for all lines of work has been 142.11 per cent. In other words, there has been a gain of about one third in membership in the ten years; the funds contributed annually are now nearly one and one-half times greater than they were ten years ago. And the amount per capita has almost doubled. One could hardly expect a finer example of, or more loyal devotion to any cause.

Book Sales

A very excellent showing is presented as to the sales of literature in this division during recent years. The amount of sales for the past five years is shown below:—

1911	$1,042,813.20
1912	1,172,192.69
1913	1,178,820.80
1914	1,370,903.00
1915	1,396,184.65
	$6,160,914.34

Thus the retail value of denominational literature sold in North America during 1915 reached the splendid sum of nearly $1,400,000. This represents the sales of literature published by the denomination, and not the sales of miscellaneous and general literature. Thus the light of this truth is extended in this manner throughout this country in a wonderful way. There are now 839 persons giving their time to this line of work, and the benefits are realized in many ways.

Church Buildings

The total number of church buildings in this division at the close of 1915 has been increased to 1,233, an increase of 60 buildings reported during the year. The total value of these buildings now stands at $1,939,702.10. This does not include the value of buildings devoted to the work of primary schools, which amounts to $266,587.50 additional, or a total value of buildings devoted to both lines of work amounting to $2,206,289.60. The approximate seating capacity of church buildings is listed at 204,393 persons, a gain during the year of 25,652. The seating capacity, it will be observed, is nearly three times the membership of churches.

Primary Schools

An interesting growth is clearly indicated by the figures pertaining to the work of primary schools. The reports show that the number of schools in this Division now stands at 602. This is a gain of 83 schools during the year, or about 16 per cent. The number of teachers has increased to 720, a gain of 134 during the year, or 22.87 per cent. The enrolment now stands at 11,444, the highest ever recorded during any year. The gain in enrolment during the past year has been 1,464, or 14.77 per cent. The expense of maintaining these schools during the past year has been $193,438.59. This is an increase over the amount expended for such purposes during 1914 of 31.86 per cent. The cost of maintaining these schools has been an average of $16.99 for every student enrolled. This represents the amount that is expended in maintaining the primary schools alone, and has nothing to do with the expenditure for colleges and other more advanced schools. These primary schools cover, generally, the work outlined under grades one to eight. If these schools are conducted an average of eight months, it would show an expenditure of $2.11 per pupil per month. In view of the support already rendered in behalf of state schools, this support of $2.11 per month per pupil as an average throughout this division can only be regarded as a splendid manifestation of devotion to the cause represented.

The figures presented below indicate the growth of this line of work for the past ten years, figures for the United States appearing up to 1912, and Canadian figures added from that time:—

Year	Schools	Teachers	Enrolment	Maintenance
1906	350	386	6,066	$....
1907	362	385	5,706	85,002.05
1908	432	485	7,492	87,685.90
1909	450	509	8,325	97,902.06
1910	457	559	9,514	107,241.83
1911	436	505	8,765	112,335.72
1912	441	508	8,250	121,144.11
1913	468	544	9,404	132,128.94
1914	519	586	9,980	146,702.01
1915	602	720	11,444	193,438.59
				$1,083,581.21

Young People's Work

The same indication of progress seen in other lines is clearly revealed by the figures pertaining to the Young People's Department. These show 820 societies having a membership of 15,644. The total contributions for all lines of work during the year were $35,965.79, a per capita of $2.29. This is a much higher per capita than has ever been reported prior to this year. Of the total amount given for all purposes by the Missionary Volunteer Societies in this country, $27,094.72, or over 78 per cent, was devoted to foreign missions, leaving $8,871.07 for lines of home mission work. The manifestation of this spirit of liberality on the part of the young people, in behalf of foreign missions, is certainly very commendable, and indicates the trend of thought given that branch of work. And the result of this increased attention and study as to the needs of foreign missions is seen in the larger number entering service in these lands from year to year.

Necessarily this transfer of laborers from the home base to foreign fields reduces the number somewhat in the home land, until the number is reinforced by other laborers joining the ranks. In the present report the reader will note that the number of total laborers engaged in service in this division is somewhat less than for the previous year. This decrease is partly from the cause stated, and also the fluctuation at different seasons of the year in the colporteurs engaged. But the first cause of decrease is no inconsiderable draft upon the force of laborers in this territory; for the total number of persons entering service in foreign lands during the past five years is 507, the most of whom have been drawn from the territory of the North American Division Conference.

During recent years the number of societies and membership in the division have run as follows:—

YEAR	SOCIETIES	MEMBERSHIP
1907	365	6,673
1908	408	7,745
1909	418	7,574
1910	438	8,039
1911	396	9,397
1912	460	9,197
1913	637	12,730
1914	734	13,809
1915	820	15,644

From the accompanying summaries and recapitulation it will be seen that there has been a gain in practically every item covered by the report. Complete returns are not yet in hand respecting institutional work, but when these are received it will be found that the per capita contribution of $32.71 will be considerably exceeded because of the assistance rendered in lines of institutional work.