THE STATISTICAL REPORT FOR 1909
By H. E. Rogers
H. E. Rogers, Statistical Secretary The statistical report for 1909 is presented herewith, under three tables: Table No. 1 presents information regarding all the conferences and missions throughout the world, arranged by departments of conference work, and grouped under union conference organizations. Table No. 2 presents statistics of our various educational institutions, publishing houses, and sanitariums. Table No. 3 presents a summary showing the leading features of our statistical reports from the time the General Conference was organized in 1863 to the present time. The following summary (No. 1) shows the total contributions from all sources, as indicated in Table No. 1 under the following heads: Tithes, offerings to foreign missions, offerings to home missions, contributions for local church work, for the Sabbath-school, church-school, and Missionary Volunteer work. Column 2 gives the total amount of these contributions for 1908, and column 3 the total amount for 1909. The net gain for the latter year is stated in column 4, while column 5 states the per cent of gain. In column 6 is indicated the per cent of total contributions for 1909 for each union as related to the group of unions of which it is a part, while in column 7 is stated the per cent that each union total forms of the grand total. These two columns will indicate the relative importance of each union and group in the matter of these funds, and show the exact proportion each union has raised during the year, both as related to the group of which each union is a part, and as related to the grand total. In column 8 is shown the number of Sabbath-keepers by unions, groups, and grand total. Column 9 shows the percentage that each union membership is as related to the total of its group, and column 10 gives the percentage that each union membership is as related to the grand total. Column 11 indicates the contributions per capita according to the membership of each union and group. This shows the comparative efficiency of each member in the matter of finances, and will be useful for comparison. Summary No. 2 presents the value of church buildings and church-schools (primary schools) and their equipment for the years 1908 and 1909, the net gain and per cent of gain for each union, the per cent of each union total as related to the grand total, and also as related to the total of its group. In addition, it gives the number of Sabbath-keepers, and the valuation of these churches and schools and their equipment per capita. The variations in this valuation for different groups will be apparent at once. For instance, in the United States the valuation is $23.66 per capita; Canada, $22.68; Australasia, $18.14; Europe, $4.40; miscellaneous unions, $8.17. The valuation of the entire field, $18.19, indicates those groups that fall below, as well as those that rise above, the average amount. Columns 6 and 7, in which are shown the percentages of each union as related to its group and to the grand total, respectively, when compared with columns 9 and 10, in which are shown the percentages of membership of each union as related to its group and to the grand total, enable one readily to note the differences in these relations. For instance, if the value of church property were evenly divided according to membership in each union, the percentages in columns 6 and 9 would correspond; and there would be a similar correspondence between the percentages in columns 7 and 10, in which are shown the percentages of each union as related to the entire field. The differences in some cases are very marked. This is the case in the Pacific Union, whose percentage of valuation of church property is 17.81% of the United States total, while its membership is only 12.49%. Its percentages of the grand totals are, for valuation of church property, 14.06%, and for membership 8.06%, thus indicating the relation it sustains to the grand totals in these two items. These variations may be observed in other unions, as well as in the relations of different groups of unions.16 Summary No. 3 indicates the percentages of population, communicants, and contributions of all the union conferences, both as related to each group of unions and to the grand totals. This will be convenient for purposes of comparison, not alone with the various unions and groups, but also in determining the percentages of any union or group with respect to the items mentioned. A study of the percentage of the union conferences as related to the group of unions of which it forms a part (as shown in columns 2, 4, and 6) indicates some interesting comparisons. This shows, for instance, that the Columbia Union Conference has 23.02% of the population of the United States; the believers in that conference form 10.42% of the total believers in the United States; and the contributions raised by those believers during 1909 were but 9.76% of the total contributions raised in the United States during that year. Consequently they failed to raise as much in the way of funds as they should have done. Again: take the Pacific Union Conference, the population of which is 2.94% of the population of the United States. The membership forms 12.49% of the membership of the United States; and the contributions they raised during 1909 were 14.71%. This shows that they raised more than their pro rata. Hence, it will be observed that a union which raises in contributions a per cent greater than that of communicants, is raising more than its pro rata share of funds. Likewise, a union conference whose percentage17of population is greater than the percentage of communicants, stands in need of additional labor being put forth to equalize these relations. This is true of the following union conferences in the United States: Atlantic, Columbia, Southeastern, Southern, and Southwestern. In the following conferences the percentage of membership stands higher than that of population: Central, Lake, Northern, North Pacific, and Pacific. A study of the union conferences as related to the grand totals, as shown in columns 3, 5, and 7, shows the same results as indicated above, only the comparisons are made with the grand totals instead of with the union totals. In Summary No. 4 the ratio of communicants to population, the ratio of workers to population, and the ratio of workers to communicants are shown for each union and group. In column 2 is indicated the relative proportion of believers to population in the field. A comparison of these ratios for groups will serve to show what proportion of believers are located in each grand division. For instance, in the United States there are 1,296 persons for each Seventh-day Adventist; in Canada, 3,144; in Australasia, 11,831; in Europe, 26,959. The average for the world is 15,836. In column 3 the ratio of workers to the population will be useful in indicating how the workers are distributed according to the needs of the field. Column 4 gives the number of workers according to the membership, and of course shows to what extent the believers in each field are engaged in active service in the way indicated. The ratio is one evangelistic laborer for every 24 Sabbath-keepers. Sabbath-School Department
During 1909 the 2,469 Sabbath-schools (membership 60,487) in the United States gave as total contributions the sum of $86,708.19, a per capita of $1.43, of which amount there was contributed to missions the sum of $81,225.41, or 93.65% of the total contributions. The 1,498 Sabbath-schools outside the United States (membership 36,186) contributed a total of $33,974.61, a per capita of 94 cents, of which amount there was contributed to missions (that is, not retained by the local schools) $32,988.47, or 97.08% of the total contributions. The grand total Sabbath-school contributions during 1909 for the 3,967 schools (membership 96,673), were $120,682.80 (a per capita for the entire membership of $1.25), of which $114,213.88 was contributed to missions (94.64%), leaving the balance, $6,468.92 (5.36%), as the expenses of the local Sabbath-schools throughout the world. Since 1887 the total contributions have been $1,141,906.43, of which $796,692.70 (69.77%) was devoted to missions, and the remainder, $345,213.73 (30.23%) retained for local use. The Educational Department for 1909 shows a list of 579 church or primary schools, teaching principally the first eight grades, while the colleges, academies, and intermediate schools, as shown by Table No. 2, section 1, include studies to grade 16. These 579 church-schools employ 668 teachers, and had an enrolment of 11,835 pupils. Their equipment is valued at $144,318.84. The annual expenditure in maintaining these schools was $104,702.14, an average amount for each teacher employed, of $141.77. This again is hardly a correct statement, for the reason that many of these teachers are supported otherwise, and their salaries are not included in this list, as may be inferred from the amounts specified throughout the report, and the further reason that some secretaries are careless in endeavoring to secure and report the real facts in all instances. As the figures stand, however, they show an average wage of something over $20 per month for all the teachers employed. The gain in enrolment over that of the preceding year is 12.85%. Including the enrolment of 6,535 in 83 colleges and academies, the total enrolment of all educational institutions for 1909 was 18,370. Missionary Volunteer Department
The Missionary Volunteer Department now has 576 societies, an increase of 5.86% for 1909, and a membership of 10,858, an increase of 7.00% for the year. The total contributions for 1909 were $18,636.60, a per capita of $1.72 for the membership reported. Of this amount, $10,432.07 (55.98%) was for foreign missions, $5,218.82 (28.00%) for home missions, and $2,985.71 (16.02%) for local society work. The gain in total contributions for the year was 14.45%. Census Report for the United States
The United States Bureau of the Census has just issued (August, 1910) Part I of the Report on Religious Bodies for 1906. The report is without doubt the most complete and comprehensive of its kind ever issued by this government. A few items of a general character regarding the Seventh-day Adventist denomination are inserted here for the benefit of the reader. The census report shows that in 1906 there were 1,889 churches in the United States, with a membership of 62,211. Of this number 1,740 churches reported the date of their organization. By this it is shown that— | Churches Organized |
Per Cent of Whole |
|---|
| Prior to 1849 there were — 3 |
.20 |
| “ 1859 “ 6 |
.30 |
| “ 1869 “ 73 |
4.20 |
| “ 1879 “ 155 |
8.90 |
| “ 1889 “ 314 |
18.00 |
| “ 1899 “ 481 |
27.60 |
| “ 1906 “ 708 |
40.70 |
Of the 1,889 churches, 1,620 (membership 54,968) conducted services in English only; 187 (membership 6,089) conducted services in foreign languages alone or in addition to English; 82 (membership 1,154) did not report as to language. Of the 187 churches (membership 6,089), 118 (membership 3,672) conducted services in foreign languages alone; the remainder (69—membership 2,417) conducted services in foreign languages in addition to English. The report shows that in the United States there were 981 church buildings owned by Seventh-day Adventists; 968 of these reported as to seating capacity, indicating a total of 169,740, and a valuation of $1,454,087,—an average valuation of $1,482; 121 of these buildings (12.12% in number) reported an indebtedness of $77,984 (5.36% of valuation). This item of indebtedness on church buildings is not called for in our present reports, and is of interest as showing how nearly free they are of incumbrance. It is probable that about this same condition exists in respect to church property in other countries. The census report further shows that18the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is operating 126 stations in 45 foreign countries. The denomination reporting the next highest number of countries is the Methodist Episcopal Church, operating in 28 countries, with 172 stations. The highest number of stations operated in foreign countries by any denomination reported, is the Protestant Episcopal Church, with 387 stations, in seven countries. The next in point of stations is the Presbyterian Church, with 136 stations, in fifteen countries. The per capita contributions for home and foreign missions by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States for 1906 was $6.88,—an average higher than that of any other of the 92 denominations reporting contributions for conducting evangelistic, educational, or philanthropic work at home and abroad. On this point the report states:— “The highest averages for distinctively mission work, both home and foreign, are $6.88 for the Seventh-day Adventists, $5.30 for the United Presbyterian Church of North America, $2.88 for the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, $2.66 for the Congregationalists, $2.50 for the Northern Baptist Convention, and $2.22 for the Evangelical bodies.”—Part I, p. 135.
The average per capita for all denominations reporting was $1.08,—64 cents for home, and 44 cents for foreign, work per year per capita. The total amount of contributions for home and foreign missions reported by all denominations for 1906 was $21,506,898, of which $12,762,271 (59.30%) was for home missions, and $8,744,627 (40.70%) was for foreign missions. There are 217 denominations in the United States, 111 conduct evangelistic, educational, or philanthropic work outside the United States, and 92 made a specific report as to contributions. Of the 62,211 members of Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States in 1906, 12,653 (20.33%) were in cities having in 1900 a population of 25,000 and over, distributed as follows: | Population |
Members |
Per cent |
|---|
| 25,000 to 50,000 |
2,804 |
4.50% |
| 50,000 to 100,000 |
3,075 |
4.94% |
| 100,000 to 300,000 |
3,919 |
6.30% |
| 300,000 and over |
2,855 |
4.59% |
| Total |
12,653 |
20.33% |
The census returns for 1900 showed 31.10% of the population of the United States in cities; therefore our membership of 20.33% in cities is not in right relation to city population. The per cent of population in cities of the United States has ranged as follows: 1820, 4.90%; 1850, 12.50%; 1860, 16.10%; 1890, 29.10%; 1900, 31.10%. Colored organizations (Negroes or persons of Negro descent) reported 29 churches, 562 communicants, 12 church buildings, valued at $6,474, with a seating capacity of 1,248. From the preceding it will be noted that the census report shows that the average amount contributed for foreign missions by all the members of the religious bodies in the United States for 1906 was forty-four cents. The total amount contributed to mission fields during 1909 by the 65,122 communicants of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination was, as shown by the accompanying report, $381,147.38, a per capita of $5.85, an amount more than thirteen times greater than the average per capita of the members of all the other religious19bodies in this country in 1906. And yet this, so far from being anything like an amount commensurate with the pressing demands of a needy harvest-field, is only a fraction over eleven cents per capita per week for the members in this land of plenty and prosperity—surely a paltry sum with which to accomplish the work among perishing millions who know not the gospel. The previous census report, taken in 1890, showed a membership for the Seventh-day Adventist denomination of 28,991, while the 1906 report gave 62,211, a gain of 114.56% for the sixteen years. Of the 1906 reported membership (62,211), 94.70% were reported by sex (a total of 58,923) indicating male members 20,508 (34.80%), female members 38,415 (65.20%). The smallest percentage of males shown in the report is that for the Church of Christ, Scientist, 27.60%; the next higher percentage is for the Congregationalists, 34.10%, and that for the Seventh-day Adventists stands next. The average percentage of the entire membership of all denominations in the United States (reports of which indicate the sex of 29,616,971 members thereof, or 89.90% of the total membership—32,936,445) stands thus: Male, 43.10%; female, 56.90%. The membership of all the religious bodies in the United States for 1906 was 32,936,445. As related to the total estimated population for 1906 (84,246,252) the percentage was 39.10, while the non-church members constituted 60.90% of the estimated population. This membership was distributed as follows: Protestant bodies, 20,287,742 (24.10%); Roman Catholic, 12,079,142 (14.30%); all other bodies, 569,561 (.70%). For 1890 these figures stood thus: Total membership of the religious bodies in the United States, 20,597,954. As related to the total population for 1890 (62,947,714), the percentage was 32.70, while the non-church members constituted 67.30% of the total population. This membership was distributed as follows: Protestant bodies, 22.30%; Roman Catholic, 9.90%; all other bodies, .60%. This indicates an increase in church-members during the sixteen years of 6.40%, and of course a corresponding decrease in the percentage of non-church-members. The per cent of gain in population during the sixteen years was 33.87%. In order to form a correct idea as to the growth of the denomination, it is well to take a retrospective view as to membership, as well as institutions and related facilities, during the last three or four decades. By reference to Table No. 3 it is shown that the membership of the denomination ten years ago (1899) was 64,005, thus indicating a gain during the past decade of 57.66%. Going back another ten years, to 1889, the membership stood 28,324, thus indicating a gain in that decade of 125.92%. The preceding decade, 1879 to 1889, indicated a gain from 14,141 to 28,324, or 100.28%. In the preceding decade there was a gain from 4,900 in 1869, to 14,141 in 1879, or 188.46%. While the membership has thus increased, there has been steady progress in all other lines as well. For instance, in the organization of churches and conferences, the employment of evangelistic and institutional laborers, the raising of funds for all lines of work, and in the sale of literature containing an exposition of this truth, as well as other lines, there has been the same steady growth as that noted above. Until within the last decade this growth of membership has been largely in the United States, but in more recent years the gain outside the United States has been greater than that seen in this country. This is especially true as to membership, but not as to institutions. In this country the institutions have grown in numbers and assets at a much greater ratio than the membership. Relation of the United States to All Other Countries
At the present time there is 64.52% of the membership in the United States, while outside the United States there is 35.48%. The total funds contributed by the membership in the United States constituted 73.97%, and the remainder, 26.03%, was contributed by the membership outside the United States. The per capita of funds raised by the membership in the United States during 1909 was $22.54, and for the membership outside the United States, $14.43, the average being $19.66. The per cent of gain in the membership in the United States during 1909 was .07%, while the growth of membership outside the United States during 1909 was 20.12%, or for the entire field 3.45%. By reference to Summary No. 3 it will be seen that the population of the United States forms 5.32% of the total population of the world. In this territory there is 64.52% of the total membership. The distribution of membership is not, therefore, in right relation to population. If the membership were equally distributed throughout the world, it would require that of twelve members in the United States eleven should remove to some other country. In the United States, whose population forms 5.32% of the total population, the membership (constituting 64.52% of the total membership) contributes 73.97% of all the funds. In other words, the efficiency of a member outside the United States compared with that of a member in the United States, is that while the former pays $100 the latter pays $156. By reference to Summary No. 4 it will be observed that the ratio of Seventh-day Adventists to population in the several unions in the United States varies considerably in the different groups. For instance, in the Pacific Coast States there is one member for every 329 of the population, in the Central States there is one member for every 807 of the population, in the Atlantic States there is one member for every 2,717 of the population, and in the Southern States there is one member for every 3,136 of the population. The average for the United States is one member for every 1,296 of the population. The ratio of members to population outside the United States is 42,277,—both ratios related as 1 to 33; or, in proportion to population, one member outside the United States to 33 in the United States. The relation of workers in the United States to the population is one evangelistic laborer for every 37,147 of the population, while outside the United States the relation is one laborer for every 826,822 of the population,—both ratios related as 1 to 22; or, in proportion to population, one evangelistic laborer outside the United States to 22 in the United States. Of laborers connected with the denomination there are as follows: Evangelistic laborers, 4,104, or one for every 24 members; institutional laborers: teachers in church-schools, 668; in colleges and academies, 504; connected with publishing houses, 605; in conference sanitariums, 1,338; other sanitariums, 396; or a total of 3,611 institutional laborers; or a grand total of 7,715 evangelistic and institutional laborers. Considering the entire membership, 100,931, this constitutes one active laborer for20every thirteen members. This certainly speaks well for the success of this message, when one person out of every thirteen connected with the movement is an active laborer in some phase of the work that has been developed. The net gain in laborers during 1909 was 249, or 3.30%. The literature of the denomination is now issued in sixty-five languages, in the form of 536 books, 292 pamphlets, 1,108 tracts, and 124 periodicals. One copy of each would cost over $500. During 1909, through the work of the 27 publishing houses and their branches, supplemented by the efforts of 1,660 evangelistic canvassers, there was sold literature to the value of $1,402,444, or total sales, since 1863, of $12,662,179.27. As much literature is sold in one year now as was sold during the first 27 years since the organization of this work in 1863. A statement as to institutional assets indicates that of the total investment in denominational institutions, churches, and all other kinds of assets connected with the denomination, there was invested, in 1909— In educational institutions ......21.08%
In publishing houses ............14.71%
In sanitariums ..................30.50%
In churches, tract societies, etc. ..33.71% From 1905 to 1909 there was an improvement in the relation of liabilities to assets of all the denominational institutions throughout the world, of 10.09%. This is a splendid achievement, and indicates that many of the institutions that were once burdened with indebtedness so that they were cramped in their development, or hindered in their efforts to advance the interests they represent, are now becoming free, to devote greater attention to the special phases of this work for which they stand, and so are now prepared to render greater efficiency in the future of this cause. During the period from 1905 to 1909 there was a gain in the resources of denominational institutions of 103.36%; that is, the resources of institutions and church property are now just a little more than twice what they were in 1905. Hence it will be readily understood that during this period there has been unusual growth in the way of institutions and institutional valuations. It may be of interest to know that during 1909 the educational institutions sustained a loss in the relation of their liabilities to assets of 3.62%; the publishing houses made a gain of 8.57%; and the sanitariums sustained a loss of 1.17% in their operations during the year. The relation of liabilities to assets of all denominational institutions just named were improved during 1909 by 1.02%. The relation of liabilities to assets of all the conference associations, tract societies, etc., sustained a loss during 1909 of 3.70%. The assets of the last-named, as previously stated, constitute 33.71%. This is sufficient to cause a very slight loss for the year considering the entire valuation. As just noted, however, this occurs, not with the institutions (since their relation was improved by 1.02%), but with the conferences, associations, tract societies, cafés, etc. In collecting material for this report it has been necessary to secure information regarding 8,198 organizations and institutions scattered over the entire world. All these are supposed accurately to represent the work at the time taken, yet inaccuracy may result from the frequent changes which have taken place in a rapidly growing work of this nature. While collecting some reports it has been necessary to renew and carry on correspondence with two or even three different officials because of these frequent changes in administrative affairs. In other cases the inaccuracy may result from carelessness or indifference in furnishing data, for which no apology is offered. To all who have in any way contributed in furnishing accurate reports, promptly rendered, the compiler wishes here to tender sincere appreciation for their effort.