Religious Progress

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Mar 8, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 10.

Religious Progress

The Christian Advocate of January 27, 1910, contains a table giving the statistics of the churches in 1909 in the United States, compiled by Dr. H. K. Carroll. The gains of 1909 amount to 4,023 ministers, 4,726 churches, and 791,713 communicants. One of the causes of increase is the bringing in of new bodies discovered by the census. In some bodies there has been notable decrease. The Catholic figures are based on the official estimate of Catholic population; 15 per cent being deducted for children not yet admitted to their first communion. Estimates are not considered accurate.

The aggregate value of church property of all denominations is $1,257,575,867. The increase in 16 years is 85 per cent. In sixteen years the Utah branch of Mormons has increased 281 ministers, 258 organizations, 71,444 members. The total number of Roman Catholics is given as 12,354,596; of Methodists, 3,159,913; Baptists, South, 2,139,080; of Baptists colored, 1,874,261. In denominational rank, counting simply the various families of churches, Catholics stand first with twelve million (we give round numbers only); Methodists, with six million; Baptists, five million; Lutherans, two million; Presbyterians, nearly two million; Episcopalians, 900,000; Reformed, 400,000; Latter-day Saints, 400,000; United Brethren, 300,000; Jews, 143,000; Dunkard Brethren, 122,000; Friends, 119,000; Adventists, 91,000. More than two thirds of the Adventist body as counted are Seventh-day Adventists.