The Statistical Report for 1911 by H. E. ROGERS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 15, 1912

The Statistical Report for 1911

By H. E. ROGERS

H. E. ROGERS

Statistical Secretary

THERE is presented herewith the forty-ninth annual statistical report of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Many changes and great development have come to this cause since its organization in 1863. Beginning in weakness and obscurity, yet gradually increasing in strength, extent, and influence, this cause has steadily progressed from year to year, reaching out into new territory, and taking hold of many new ways and methods of working, until there now stands developed a thorough, united organization for the accomplishment of the great work committed to this people. And this progress is manifested not alone in the home land, but throughout the ends of the earth. The extension of this cause in the various nations of the world, and to some of the remote regions of earth, is in direct fulfilment of the commission entered upon in taking up this work, and the success attending these efforts thus far is a cause for deep gratitude and rejoicing, and gives promise of still greater success.

Table 1

By reference to Table 1 it will be seen that the total number of communicants at the close of 1911 was 108,975, an increase during the year of 4,449, or 4.26 per cent. Of this number, 65,284, or 59.90 per cent, were in the United States, and 43,691, or 40.10 per cent, were outside the United States. The net gain for the United States was 1,367 (2.14 per cent), and outside the United States the net gain was 3,082 (7.59 per cent). With the present standings and rate of increase in the respective fields, not many years will elapse until the total communicants outside this country will equal the membership of the home land. And this can only be expected from the fact that the laborers outside this country now exceed in number those in the United States by 51, as indicated in Summary 4.

According to census returns, 76.30 per cent of the population is above ten years of age, and 23.70 per cent below that age. On that computation, then, the total number of the denomination is 142,824.

There are 2,799 organized churches, and 767 companies, conducting regular services. The total number of church buildings is 1,318. The approximate value of these buildings is $1,892,824.92, having a seating capacity of 204,381. In addition the valuation of church-school buildings and equipment is $157,382.92, making a total valuation of $2,050,207.84, or a per capita of $18.81, a gain of 66 cents per capita during the year. Of this valuation 83.17 per cent is in the United States, and 16.83 per cent outside this country. The per capita valuation in the United States is $26.11, and outside this country $7.92.

Remarks covering various phases of the report as illustrated in tables, summaries, etc., will be found under appropriate headings below. Table 1 includes only the combined union summaries, and not the reports for each local division. The full report will be issued in separate form and supplied later to all who require it.

Summary 1

This summary presents information regarding the valuation of churches and primary schools, total contributions, and communicants, by union conferences, at the close of 1911. The totals for each union are given in columns 2, 6, and 10; the percentage which each union total sustains to the group of which it is a part, is shown in columns 3, 7, and 11; while the percentages of the grand totals for the respective unions is exhibited in columns 4, 8, and 12. This presentation will suggest many comparisons, which should be of value to those connected with the work in the various unions. For instance, the United States shows 83.17 per cent of the value of church buildings and schools, 71.08 per cent of the total contributions, and 59.90 per cent of communicants. Outside the United States the value of church buildings and schools was 16.83 per cent; total contributions, 28.92, and of communicants, 40.10. The significance of these figures will be readily understood.

This summary indicates that the Pacific Union gave the highest total contributions per capita; viz., $32.17, and that the per capita valuation of the church buildings and schools in that union was the highest of any union, namely, $34.59.

Summary 2

Specifications regarding various financial items may be found in Summary 2. The tithe fund reached during 1911 the total of $1,477,590.26, or 62.53 per cent of all the funds raised during that year. The per capita amount was the highest ever attained, being $13.56.

Offerings to missions amounted to $485,245.43, or 20.54 per cent of the total funds, and a per capita of $4.45, for 1911. Including that portion of the tithe which was appropriated for foreign mission work, the total funds for this purpose amounted to $683,149.95, an annual increase of $114,192.82, or 20.07 per cent over the amount contributed for this purpose in 1910.

To the various lines of home mission work there was contributed $141,857.64, 6 per cent of the total funds, or $1.30 per capita. For local church work the contributions amounted to $258,394.96, or 10.93 per cent of the total funds, and $2.37 per capita.

The contributions by churches, in tithes and offerings, amounted to $2,057,713.20, constituting 87.08 per cent of the total funds; by departments, $305,375.09, or 12.92 per cent.

Summary 3

This summary gives the total amount of funds raised for all evangelistic purposes from 1863 to the present time, classified under tithe, Sabbath-school offerings, foreign mission funds, and home mission funds, under each of which is indicated the amount contributed in the United States, and the amount contributed from all other countries. This is the first comprehensive report of this kind ever issued by this denomination. In fact, for many years, under certain funds, not even an annual compilation was made previous to this one. If consideration be had as to the results shown, as well as to the time spent in securing this data, this summary is of more than passing importance. No truer picture of the financial growth of this cause could probably be shown than the facts presented in this summary. Information prior to 1905 is not given under columns 11, 12, and 13, under home mission funds, for the reason that no records were ever kept respecting these funds prior to that year. The summary will present the facts better than any explanation regarding it; but, in passing, attention is directed to the percentages for totals. These show that the divisions named have contributed to the funds specified, the following proportion of the total of each fund enumerated:—

	UNITED STATES	ALL OTHER COUNTRIES
Tithe	78.61	21.39
Sabbath-school	78.67	21.33
Foreign missions	84.82	15.18
Home missions	79.65	20.35
Total funds	79.52	20.48

The following interesting comparison is also shown by the percentages for the grand totals: For every $100 contributed since 1863, $70.80 was tithe, $6.45 Sabbath-school contributions, $13.04 foreign mission funds, $9.71 home mission funds.

For the year 1911 the percentages for these funds run as follows: Tithe 62.53, Sabbath-school contributions 6.80, foreign mission funds 13.76, and home mission funds 16.91. This does not indicate, for instance, that less tithe was paid in 1911 than the average for all the years, for the per capita in 1911 is the highest of any year; but these percentages show that more funds are being contributed in other lines, so that the aggregate contributions are greatly increased. This summary shows (col. 16) that more money was received during 1911 for evangelistic work than was contributed for all purposes during the first twenty-eight years after the organization of the General Conference, or from 1863 to 1890.

By column 16 it is shown that for the first ten years the total contributions were $185,378.60, and for the last ten years, $15,130,359.94, or an amount eighty-one times greater than that contributed from 1863 to 1872. The decade

from 1892 to 1901 shows a total of $5,196,104.87, or only about one third of the amount from 1902 to 1911.

The grand total contribution of $23,016,483.54, represents the united interest, devotion, and consecration of this entire body of people since the beginning of this work. The rate of increase in total contributions indicates nothing but continued devotion to the work of spreading to the ends of the earth the knowledge of this message.

Summary 4

In Summary 4 the United States and other countries are compared with respect to communicants, funds, and laborers, annually, from 1863 to 1911. This shows the total for each specification in each division, and the percentage which that amount sustains to the grand total. This summary will be of special value in studying by grand divisions the features of the work specified, and in showing the percentage relation which each division sustains to the other. For instance, the entire work of the denomination was confined to the United States until 1870, when .92 per cent of the membership was outside the United States. The growth outside this country continued until for the year indicated the figures for membership show that there was the following proportion:—

YEAR	PER CENT IN U. S.	PER CENT OUTSIDE U. S.
1880	95.37	4.63
1890	90.40	9.60
1900	81.19	18.81
1911	59.90	40.10

For funds the relation was:—

YEAR	PER CENT IN U. S.	PER CENT OUTSIDE U. S.
1880	98.55	1.45
1890	91.69	8.31
1900	82.40	17.60
1911	71.08	28.92

For workers the relation was:—

YEAR	PER CENT IN U. S.	PER CENT OUTSIDE U. S.
1880	98.45	1.55
1890	85.40	14.60
1900	72.40	27.60
1911	49.48	50.52

Thus the workers outside the United States at the present time are greater in number than those in this country, and this increase is only in keeping with the needs of the field; for the population of the United States constitutes only 6.46 per cent of the world's total population.

Possibly the most interesting portion of Summary 4 is column 12, in which is presented the per capita amount of the total contributions for all purposes from year to year. Beginning with a per capita of $2.29 in 1863, the various years increase as follows: 1870, $4.66; 1880, $4.35; 1890, $9.66; 1900, $8.74; 1906, $15.23; 1911, $21.68.

Summary 5

There are now 613 primary schools, and 89 intermediate schools, academies, and colleges. All these schools had 1,430 teachers, with an enrolment of 23,541. This number is practically one half of the young people of school age in the denomination.

Summary 6

This indicates the standing of the Missionary Volunteer Department. The total membership now stands at 14,013, or about one fourth of the entire available membership. The per capita contributions amount to $1.28 per year, 59.98 per cent of which is for foreign work.

Summary 7

Summary 7 presents figures regarding the Sabbath-school work since its inception. Column 6 indicates the manner in which the per capita contributions have increased from year to year, while column 8 shows the increase in the amount of donations to missions.

Summary 8

The sale of literature is an important feature in connection with the work of Seventh-day Adventists, and the amount of denominational literature sold during 1911 was $1,627,657.83. This makes a total of literature sales since the organization of approximately sixteen million dollars. This literature is issued from thirty-seven publishing houses and their branches, in seventy-one languages, in the form of approximately 340 bound books, 290 pamphlets, 1,100 tracts, and 125 periodicals. A collection of one copy of each is valued at about $500. These publishing houses have an investment of $1,648,328.20, and employ 645 persons. The number of persons engaged in the distribution of this literature is 2,096, 984 of whom are in the United States, and 1,112 outside this country.

Summary 9

This shows a total of 102 sanitariums and treatment-rooms, having assets amounting to $3,792,421.35. This is an increase of 12.60 per cent over the assets for the preceding year. The total number of persons engaged in this line of work now stands at 2,404, an increase during the year of 20.86 per cent.

Summary 10

This shows the total investment of the denomination in all lines of work to be $12,399,004.71, 64.15 per cent of which was for institutional work, and 35.85 per cent for evangelistic work. The total number of persons employed in all lines was 9,656, practically one half of which was engaged in each of the lines named. The net gain in valuation during 1911 was $1,765,738, or 16.60 per cent. The per capita valuation now stands at $113.78, a gain during the year of $12.05 per capita. This fact taken with the per capita contribution of $21.68 for the entire membership, is certainly a significant showing. The net gain in workers during 1911 was 1,392, or 16.84 per cent.

The sum of the entire report, then, is this: Investment in conferences, institutions, etc., was made during 1911 at a rate that constituted an increase over the amount for the preceding year, of

16.60 per cent, and the number of additional workers engaged during the year constituted an increase of 16.84 per cent. This cause has certainly shown very substantial and encouraging growth during 1911. The number of evangelists and institutional laborers now constitutes one for every eleven members. Their labors, consecrated to the service of God in the finishing of his work in the earth, inspired by zeal for him, and blessed by his Spirit, give hope for the glorious consummation of this message.