BAPTIST STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 9

BAPTIST STATISTICS.

f ; FURTHER ;^d(^SS; ; ; The.; outstanding facf-'iii thesfatistics'of: the Baptist churches' of:'the'.United Kingdom; is given:, -the ' I,'tke' Baptist Handbook' for 1909,'.". is for,:the second year in succession,,'.there 1 - is; > -very large decrease in the membership.;',ln .1905,' as the. result of -the TVelsh. Revival,:, there-, was"-. a pheno--menal increase in the' total ■; membership of. upwards of 31,000. --For'theyfollowing year,', the .increase .was normal,;some.Booo.- Then the inevitable reaction set in,..and,fdr.il9o7, : there :was a decrease of 4804, followed /again by one of 5869 for the'year..justjended.- The total, membership, of ..;.the j '3046■ : Baptis t; churches in Great Britain 424,009. 'It is admitted;'that -statistics.are an,inadequate,method.of;tabulating spiritual: results;, but,.'taken'in.conjnnptidai.-.jrith.'itKß Liverpool census and the : reports of other the, figures..shpw that there is'unquestionably an "arrest'.'in the progress of the Church.: ; ;|"-■■■■:■.■...:'. ;-v ■ ; :. : ■-'.".■ r..-:.-, ;-;,j v ' ' The .greater ; part' of .the. decline' in; membership. .is due .;::■ to -the :; Welsh • Baptist Churches,. which report: 'a "decrease of 4220 members.:; Of the';'\y6lsh'-'cp'unty r associations,'. Flintshire ..is_ the' only, one -in which there has been an 'increase/; and then it is-, a very small;one-—0n1y,.54..;;v1n every other county there;' has-been ;'.a;..fajling .'off, -the largest being;in,.Glamorganshirej where Biptists'• are .strongest;: and which was the phief scene of;the Revival. \ Li. Glamorganshire 'the decline: has been' 1837.. .'England reports ; : a decrease"-of. , 1118 .members,:: the largest falling off being in; London,".:where, the: churches report a diminution of 785; :in the total membership.. •' Scotland, Ireland arid ..the Channel Islands v all report a decreased: membership. .' The.only esceptdbn to the: rule is^"the Isle of Man,'-.where' the solitary; little'.Baptist church; has added 8 to .its membership. , ;;;'■; .r ■■, \::; : ; <;.- .;\r.;;:;.;;,,:

- ; _More 'ominous; perhaps,''than even; the 7 derclino iri : the membership 'is ;the 'falling /off; .in the. numbers of .the J teachers and. scholars in the /Sunday-schoolsi:..--.These." number-re-spectively 58,637-. and 578,344; decreases -• of ■115-and :-v-■ :-':'--■ >',;■■;;'-•::■ A-.":.

J.What gives greater;'significance' to these. facts is the concurrent increase:in .the.number of -.'chapels.' arid; churches.''. .During -the year29.new chapels were ■.erected, giving, an; increased';seating accommodation.for,23,4sl persons.: While; therefore, money'and.ldboiir. are;being.' expended ■ freely.' in / providing' l for thei religious -needs ..of ;thf>;community.'aiid. while organisations are' increasing -on every hand, , ' there is .no apparent result' for the expenditure/ .':."' "";' , ■■•/.V'.; '.;• ' ; /.,:; ; - v '.-/-/:; : • .:"' ; - ■>/ Tho' chief - statistics' for /the' ; year: are': as follows; the corresponding figures being given for. 1907 to facilitate ■/comparison:— '■ ■:■'■).-'■ •■.':•': ■■

' ■■■\v •■.■;■.■-.?'.■•■.;■■'•■■:.: 1907.;-/-. 11908. ,■ ■■Ohnrches"■■■•:■■.■,-■■■-...■ .- , 3,017 ' • - 3.046 o Chapels ....> : .... ...24,069 ■■":•..-' >4,124: : Seats ..i.:*'... , " 1,426,901"-. • Member*..'.. ; ■....■: -,429,877,: ,.424,008. .Teachers' v '..v -\58,802 ; ..;■-. : 58,687/ Scholars V , : ;.: : 587,160 ■ ; ■ f 578,344? ; Local -Preachera "--v 5;685'. ■ : -5,615.■Pastprs;;;.;,; ,;.//; ; : 2;133,y: ":-0.- .2,079 A