Boston's Churches

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 18, 1909

Boston's Churches

THE situation among the orthodox churches of Boston is attracting attention and causing comment. Some statistics concerning membership and contributions are thus given:—

Fourteen of their strongest churches [Congregational] dropped last year from 7,134 to 6,991. The young people seem especially to be drifting into other churches and Christian Science. The Methodists have about thirty churches, mostly small, only seven numbering over three hundred. Five leading churches are in a “moribund” condition. The blood and fire of Methodism have disappeared. The Baptists have neither lost nor gained numerically. In ten years there has been only about three hundred advance. Dr. A. J. Gordon’s church, that gave over twenty thousand dollars in one year to missions, last year fell to one hundred fifty dollars! Ruggles Street and Dudley Street are likely to unite. Tremont Temple, now pastorless, is a great preaching-center rather than a strong church. Protestant Episcopal churches have made the most progress in ten years, nineteen parishes increasing over thirty-two per cent.