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Statistical Report of Seventh-day Adventist Conferences and Missions

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 23, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 58.

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Statistical Report of Seventh-day Adventist Conferences and Missions

SUMMARY BY UNIONS

No. Name of Conference or Mission Churches Membership Baptized Ordained Ministers Licensed Ministers Licensed Missionaries Canvassers Total Laborers Tithe Receipts Tithe per Capita Foreign Missions Home Mission Work Local Church Work Sabbath Schools Membership
1 Gen. Conf. & N. Amer. Div.* — — — 38 7 7 — 78 974.74 — 23,211.50 1,802.37 — — —
2 Atlantic Union Conference 174 6,583 742 41 13 86 98 249 125,808.15 19.11 31,916.27 10,665.53 21,112.32 203 6,161
3 Central Union Conference 264 8,878 965 62 30 51 116 270 152,184.96 17.14 42,783.95 9,172.04 15,326.65 365 10,327
4 Columbia Union Conference 221 8,174 1,141 69 14 68 102 254 158,541.67 19.78 35,680.44 4,302.68 30,698.92 275 8,587
5 Eastern Canadian Union Conf. 56 1,079 98 10 4 14 6 35 18,026.54 16.71 5,439.62 1,366.62 2,060.92 50 1,140
6 Lake Union Conference 385 12,139 1,554 69 24 80 124 308 223,738.87 18.43 60,819.01 14,727.68 32,473.95 472 13,227
7 Northern Union Conference 228 7,000 691 59 25 53 38 175 137,747.56 19.68 36,491.16 20,609.18 21,229.62 360 8,742
8 North Pacific Union Conference 203 9,600 1,026 58 12 49 49 176 130,909.06 13.64 33,590.11 2,799.00 22,236.18 303 10,146
9 Pacific Union Conference 175 11,153 1,401 80 19 75 59 238 190,834.22 17.11 35,440.09 8,071.39 21,503.20 226 10,335
10 Southeastern Union Conference 104 3,253 522 23 12 43 58 141 43,656.48 13.42 9,353.64 9,479.37 7,653.40 139 3,671
11 Southern Union Conference 102 3,054 519 26 13 43 71 148 38,533.66 12.61 6,069.68 1,253.65 9,507.78 128 3,535
12 Southwestern Union Conference 130 4,504 450 33 13 48 68 162 74,563.49 16.55 15,009.21 5,278.24 4,493.10 233 6,019
13 Western Canadian Union Conf. 71 2,318 515 14 11 26 50 105 47,295.80 20.40 11,287.90 5,148.10 3,388.49 113 3,019
Totals for 1915 2,113 77,735 9,624 582 197 640 839 2,339 1,337,810.20 17.21 347,092.58 94,675.15 201,594.48 2,867 84,909
Totals for 1914 2,054 72,015 7,337 555 214 644 885 2,386 1,269,962.09 17.63 320,730.57 100,553.59 188,523.75 2,767 76,751
European Division Conference — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
14 British Union Conference 75 2,798 278 20 10 32 148 217 38,674.32 13.82 7,362.45 2,508.01 — 107 2,616
15 Central European Union Conf. 156 4,414 687 18 8 25 93 147 53,212.76 11.83 8,326.86 1,034.47 — 150 4,408
16 Danube Union Conference 117 2,683 483 14 5 10 15 57 24,766.60 9.00 2,529.36 27.46 — 110 2,528
17 East German Union Conference 243 7,744 1,111 20 13 31 146 213 89,523.32 11.56 13,512.34 3,125.15 3,060.05 251 6,960
18 East Russian Union Conference 117 3,081 360 15 3 17 — 57 22,699.00 7.36 1,955.64 — — 117 2,909
19 Latin Union Conference 52 1,582 178 13 9 9 16 53 16,342.98 10.33 3,182.07 447.55 — 66 1,119
20 Levant Union Mission 35 393 20 3 2 5 2 13 1,401.61 3.57 291.15 — — 35 394
21 Scandinavian Union Conference 111 4,203 99 18 16 34 104 178 47,626.41 11.33 7,875.50 5,243.96 — 194 3,039
22 West German Union Conference 190 6,391 753 29 15 23 144 213 78,580.74 12.30 9,965.11 1,388.78 — 175 5,486
23 West Russian Union Conference 83 2,195 189 9 — 11 — 24 13,769.14 6.28 1,232.40 — — 82 2,300
24 European Division Missions 100 2,133 250 29 20 40 3 101 11,364.91 5.33 1,198.25 — — 106 2,683
Totals for 1915 1,279 37,617 4,378 188 101 237 671 1,253 397,361.79 10.56 57,331.13 13,775.38 3,060.05 1,393 34,442
Totals for 1914 1,189 35,146 4,964 210 130 307 831 1,523 345,597.30 9.83 60,918.65 15,919.99 — 1,305 33,164
Asiatic Division Conference — — — 2 2 7 — 11 622.78 — — — — — —
25 Australasian Union Conference 138 5,654 509 42 58 114 135 405 117,694.95 20.81 13,345.51 9,976.81 10,178.35 234 7,018
26 India Union Mission 14 491 93 12 18 69 36 135 9,176.25 18.69 720.08 — — 26 769
27 East Asian Missions 79 3,601 1,004 35 156 231 149 571 13,833.64 3.84 628.08 4,488.45 238.40 207 5,975
Totals for 1915 231 9,746 1,606 91 234 421 320 1,122 141,327.62 14.50 14,693.67 14,465.26 11,252.35 467 13,762
South American Division Conf. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
28 Austral Union Conference 47 2,159 264 17 4 34 26 81 22,802.46 10.10 2,493.05 558.44 — 105 2,484
29 Brazilian Union Conference 32 2,197 300 9 4 20 37 70 19,510.55 8.88 1,292.60 — — 90 1,900
30 Inca Union Mission 9 547 196 6 — 10 11 27 1,348.96 2.47 108.01 — 58.93 23 944
Totals for 1915 88 4,903 760 32 8 64 74 178 43,661.97 8.91 3,893.66 558.44 58.93 218 5,328
Miscellaneous Unions — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
31 South African Union 34 1,763 252 14 23 84 18 142 23,407.29 13.74 1,746.50 1,527.33 100.08 56 3,525
32 West Indian Union Conference 102 4,170 711 22 9 29 25 85 14,858.50 3.56 1,696.76 — 95.21 152 4,551
33 Northern Latin Amer. Missions 27 910 90 9 8 35 36 92 6,632.44 7.29 534.91 22.00 250.90 69 1,144
34 Miscellaneous Missions 2 95 17 2 1 9 3 15 3,108.45 32.72 371.67 132.92 409.48 3 123
Totals for 1915 165 6,878 1,070 47 41 157 82 334 48,006.68 6.98 4,349.84 1,682.25 855.67 280 9,343
1 North American Division 2,113 77,735 9,624 582 197 640 839 2,339 1,337,810.20 17.21 347,092.58 94,675.15 201,594.48 2,867 84,909
2 European Division 1,279 37,617 4,378 188 101 237 671 1,253 397,361.79 10.56 57,331.13 13,775.38 3,060.05 1,393 34,442
3 Asiatic Division 231 9,746 1,606 91 234 421 320 1,122 141,327.62 14.50 14,693.67 14,465.26 11,252.35 467 13,762
4 South American Division 88 4,903 760 32 8 64 74 178 43,661.97 8.91 3,893.66 558.44 58.93 218 5,328
5 Miscellaneous Unions 165 6,878 1,070 47 41 157 82 334 48,006.68 6.98 4,349.84 1,682.25 855.67 280 9,343
Grand Totals for 1915 3,876 136,879 17,838 940 581 1,519 1,986 5,226 1,968,158.26 14.38 427,360.38 125,156.48 216,821.48 5,225 147,784
Grand Totals for 1914 3,762 135,544 14,999 924 565 1,434 2,076 5,313 1,818,456.06 14.45 401,290.09 124,227.16 199,828.42 4,956 133,815
Gain for 1915 174 11,035 2,439 14 16 65 — — 149,732.18 — 23,980.79 — 16,995.06 289 13,969
No. Total Sabbath School Contributions (to Foreign Missions) Retail Value of Books and Periodicals Sold Amount of Tithe Appropriated to Fields Outside of Conference Number of Church Buildings Estimated Value Approximate Seating Capacity Number of Church Schools Number of Teachers Total Enrollment Estimated Value of Buildings and Equipment Expense of Annual Maintenance Number of Young People's Societies Membership Contributions for Foreign Work Contributions for Home Work Contributions for Local Society Work Total Contributions Y. P. Work
1 — 429,369.10 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2 43,311.89 105,219.07 32,806.06 71 200,599.00 9,713 27 28 456 4,950.00 8,306.14 73 1,174 4,256.53 755.74 215.06 5,227.33
3 34,881.40 94,680.77 39,783.65 180 220,909.00 23,053 61 69 1,191 18,337.75 19,162.00 87 1,588 4,785.42 388.32 111.41 5,286.13
4 36,104.61 131,936.05 39,052.81 117 272,657.00 19,383 38 42 611 12,305.00 7,829.47 67 1,530 1,787.98 449.45 327.05 2,564.48
5 4,740.90 20,663.99 — 19 29,100.00 2,970 4 4 87 43.00 1,932.00 12 153 652.56 143.54 43.86 840.36
6 47,095.45 156,303.15 43,629.29 214 334,030.00 38,370 132 143 1,778 26,356.50 33,507.76 177 2,946 6,563.10 1,394.46 481.94 8,439.50
7 32,591.59 102,888.02 29,357.56 140 162,362.00 17,315 58 61 740 9,220.00 10,994.50 70 1,337 2,703.17 482.94 169.00 3,355.11
8 34,141.62 71,706.04 18,724.13 123 170,300.00 17,903 69 86 1,493 45,399.60 29,585.20 114 1,899 462.20 1,185.59 212.83 1,860.62
9 47,419.97 78,093.70 59,701.63 132 291,899.00 22,176 75 100 1,055 56,558.00 36,218.00 41 799 1,046.75 243.57 84.26 1,374.58
10 11,076.07 48,705.76 1,768.89 78 82,125.00 9,815 57 61 71,028 779,365.00 722,828.00 32 517 965.64 326.72 21.07 1,313.43
11 9,317.55 55,063.97 1,916.86 54 79,700.00 9,468 30 39 621 1,297.85 5,012.00 45 517 965.64 326.72 21.07 1,313.43
12 18,112.54 61,124.40 13,752.29 81 58,670.00 13,550 52 64 1,197 10,700.00 14,262.96 57 863 1,007.90 181.11 246.43 1,435.44
13 12,746.51 40,430.65 — 24 38,270.00 2,685 19 21 287 2,150.00 3,800.00 21 343 730.32 42.00 50.00 822.32
332,106.20 1,396,184.65 280,498.17 1,233 1,939,702.10 204,393 602 720 11,444 266,687.50 193,438.59 820 15,644 27,094.72 6,492.05 2,379.02 35,965.79
274,942.12 1,370,903.00 257,885.72 1,173 1,924,365.14 178,741 519 586 9,980 183,016.55 146,702.01 734 13,869 19,893.26 4,627.91 2,816.58 27,337.75
— 86,970.06 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
14 4,262.52 69,428.18 — 11 12,635.25 1,770 — — — — — 16 325 110.83 8.24 7.23 126.30
15 4,794.66 39,555.72 — — — — — — — — — 29 346 144.55 228.93 139.09 512.50
16 1,954.66 5,078.44 — 5 1,750.00 425 — — — — — 4 81 — — 45.25 45.25
17 7,708.84 49,292.98 25,284.81 1 1,500.00 400 — — — — — 37 675 197.88 360.46 61.71 590.05
18 3,237.44 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
19 1,877.99 12,208.40 3,003.64 2 26,000.00 700 — — — — — — — — — — —
20 163.45 381.91 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
21 5,595.39 111,719.73 831.37 11 29,123.00 1,650 — — — — — 12 345 407.75 41.80 70.46 520.01
22 6,079.87 126,417.39 9,843.68 4 — 950 — — — — — 29 410 76.17 138.92 195.79 410.99
23 1,380.22 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
24 1,181.84 922.84 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
37,172.88 451,975.65 38,963.50 34 71,008.25 5,895 — — — — — 127 2,182 907.28 778.35 519.44 2,205.07
35,524.43 449,152.13 41,379.67 40 82,008.25 7,145 — — — — — 126 2,028 733.99 439.43 380.99 1,554.41
25 22,139.36 187,305.36 15,324.04 30 121,287.33 9,815 20 22 371 1,314.90 6,372.85 115 2,894 4,194.42 966.68 559.25 5,720.35
26 1,725.77 9,004.86 — — — — 3 4 28 736.00 500.00 2 80 — — 49.07 49.07
27 3,193.01 23,047.21 — 35 18,410.22 3,490 37 67 940 9,502.50 8,390.00 40 985 20.00 — 31.36 51.36
27,058.14 219,356.93 15,324.04 115 139,697.55 13,305 58 93 1,339 11,553.40 15,262.85 157 3,969 4,214.42 1,015.75 590.61 5,820.78
28 4,657.85 21,214.44 — 4 4,000.00 360 — — — — — — — — — — —
29 2,038.84 22,892.77 — 18 22,835.35 1,760 11 12 232 1,740.00 419.20 9 73 — — — —
30 460.31 5,200.00 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
7,097.01 49,307.21 — 22 26,835.35 2,120 11 12 232 1,740.00 419.20 9 73 — — — —
31 3,667.19 17,403.14 — 23 25,884.05 4,775 8 9 51 1,461.00 175.32 12 180 43.63 32.14 18.49 94.26
32 2,682.66 17,777.68 — 90 34,020.00 9,700 8 8 201 889.66 1,606.80 55 1,178 15.05 12.58 13.72 41.35
33 1,901.92 20,100.18 — 12 5,920.68 1,200 3 3 65 153.41 242.00 13 209 30.58 20.96 13.61 65.15
34 1,073.28 2,486.50 — 2 3,450.00 300 2 4 81 225.50 1,389.45 3 67 241.00 22.25 41.93 305.18
9,325.05 57,767.50 — 127 69,274.73 15,975 21 24 398 2,729.57 3,413.57 83 1,634 330.26 87.93 87.75 505.94
Thus the total number of laborers engaged in all lines of service in behalf of the work of the denomination is 9,476, a gain of 116 during the year. The total number constitutes one laborer in active service in the denomination for every fourteen members.
Summary A shows that the total amount contributed during 1915 was $3,407,298.17. This amount consisted of four funds, as follows: Tithe, $1,968,168.26, or 57.76 per cent; foreign mission funds, $872,666.84, or 25.61 per cent; home mission funds, $133,530.56, or 3.92 per cent; other lines of missionary work, $432,932.51, or 12.71 per cent.
Of the total amount there was contributed in North America $2,542,682.99, or 74.63 per cent. Outside this country the contributions amounted to $864,615.18, or 25.37 per cent. The amount contributed during 1915 constituted an increase over the amount for the previous year of $316,813.37, or 10.25 per cent. A further expenditure during the year of $854,158.71 was made in the support of the denominational schools; and for charitable work in connection with sanitariums and treatment-rooms there was expended $55,294.50.
Donations and investments during 1915 increased the net worth of denominational institutions by $729,622.67; so that the total contributions for evangelistic work, the increased valuation of church buildings, and the amount contributed for the support of, and investment in, denominational institutions during 1915 constitute a grand total of $5,066,330.15, an average of $37.01 for each member throughout the world. For 1914 this average was $35.45, thus indicating an increase of $1.56 per member during 1915. The total valuation of all church buildings and denominational institutions at the close of 1915 stood at $14,254,615.45, an average per member of $104.14.
During the fifty-three years since this work was organized there have been contributed for all purposes $35,083,192.93. Of this amount twenty-three and a half million has been tithes; nearly seven millions foreign mission offerings, and about four and a half millions for other lines. The percentages stand thus: Tithe, 67.02; foreign missions, 19.02; home missions, 13.06.

Publishing Department

At the close of 1915 there were forty publishing houses and branches, having assets amounting to $1,587,277.96, employing 698 persons in the production of denominational literature, the sales of which for the year amounted to $2,174,591.94. This literature is issued in ninety languages, in the form of approximately four hundred bound books, four hundred pamphlets, fourteen hundred tracts, and one hundred and twenty periodicals. Engaged in the distribution of this literature are 1,986 colporteurs, 839 of whom are employed in the North American Division.

Sabbath School Department

The number of Sabbath schools at the close of the year was 5,225. This number exceeded the number of organized churches by 1,349. This would indicate that this work is reaching out into new territory, and a more rapid growth of the work may be expected for the immediate future. The total membership of the Sabbath schools is 147,784, this number being 10,905 greater than the number of church members. The total contributions for the year amounted to $412,759.28, or $2.79 per member, this being an increase of 22 cents in the per capita amount. The entire amount was given to foreign missions. Since this branch of the work was started the total contributions received through the Sabbath schools has been $2,766,356.16, and the amount given to foreign missions has been $2,366,284.54, or 85.53 per cent of the total receipts.

Sanitarium Work

The number of sanitariums and treatment-rooms at the close of 1915 was 40, having a total investment of $2,774,058.94. Connected with these institutions and also engaged in various departments of denominational work are 131 physicians, and the total number of employees is 1,729.

Young People's Work

There are now 1,196 young people's Missionary Volunteer Societies, with a membership of 23,442. Of this number 15,644 are in the North American Division. The total contributions for the year for the entire membership were $44,497.58, of which $32,546.68 was given for foreign missions.

Foreign Missions

It will be observed that the total amount contributed for foreign missions during 1915 was $872,666.84. Of this amount $706,293.50, or 80.94 per cent, was from the North American Division. It may be of some interest to note the amounts contributed from this Division during the recent past. For this purpose there is given below the amount contributed and the per capita for each year. In this summary the figures include the returns from the United States only, up to 1912, after which the figures include returns fromCanadian territory. This is done to avoid confusion, since the figures pertaining to the amount of offerings have already been published thus in former reports:—
Year Amount Per Cap.
1906 $159,064.40 $2.72
1907 211,458.61 3.61
1908 246,314.52 4.16
1909 303,289.99 5.07
1910 352,025.27 5.96
1911 357,587.73 5.89
1912 444,428.23 7.20
1913 499,713.65 7.43
1914 615,565.95 8.55
1915 706,293.50 9.08
$3,895,741.85
Although only a brief sketch is here attempted, note the item of book sales for 1915, of over two million dollars. For the entire membership this constitutes an average of $16.10. The sales for the past six years constitute a total of $11,178,837.20, while the sales for all the preceding forty-seven years were a total of $12,662,179.27. These sales represent only denominational literature.
On another page will be found a graphic representation as to the total funds contributed, amounts for foreign missions, and the growth in membership, from 1863 to 1915. The gains, especially during the past twelve years, are very apparent from the accompanying diagram. Prior to 1903, the gains were only normal; but since that time, the per cent of increase has been as follows: Total funds, 304.45 per cent; foreign mission funds, 535.56 per cent; membership, 98.16 per cent. Thus it is shown that the membership of the denomination has practically doubled during the past twelve years, and the total funds for all purposes are now annually over three times what the total contributions were twelve years ago. Note also from other portions of the report, that the per capita of total contributions has been increased from $10.86 for 1903 to $24.89 for 1915. Thus while the membership has increased in the proportion noted above, the efficiency of each person in financial lines has increased more than twofold. The number of evangelistic laborers has increased during the past twelve years from 2,704 to 5,226, and the number of union and local conference and mission organizations has been changed from 139 to 265.
Summary 2 indicates that the increase in membership, by decades, has been as follows:—
Year Membership Per Cent of Gain
1865 4,000 —
1875 8,022 100.55
1885 20,547 156.15
1895 47,680 132.06
1905 77,443 62.39
1915 136,879 76.74
The per capita of tithes and of total funds, as shown by Summaries 1 and 2, have been, by decades, as follows:—
Year Per Capita of Tithe Per Capita of Total Funds
1865 $3.00 $3.00
1875 4.06 4.13
1885 5.97 7.36
1895 6.45 8.55
1905 9.83 13.52
1915 14.38 24.89
From the foregoing it appears that the membership is now over thirty-four times what it was fifty years ago, and the amount contributed annually by each member is more than eight times the average amount given for the prosecution of this work fifty years ago.