RELIGIOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 813, 30 September 1887, Page 7

RELIGIOUS.

Marshal Bolling Booth, a son of Gen. Booth, who has charge of the American forces, has a new scheme on foot, and will erect a number of largs tents throughout the Southern States. These will take the places of barracks and be sufficiently large to accommodate upward of 500 people. He has also purchased a large church building in New York for 24,000d015., in which 100 cadets will be trained. Mr Booth states that the doctrines and teachings of the Salvation Army are rapidly spreading and that to-day in the United States they have upward of 300 ministers who are proclaiming their truths to thousands. There is to be a Scotch Presbyterian Church in Boston in which the services will be conducted in Gaelic. The largest parishes in the Lutheran Church are to be found in Central Russia. One of these numbers 300 villages and comprises 35,000 souls. Negotiations oontinue with a view of

bringing about a union between the English Presbyterian Church and the Welsh Presbyterians. Exchanges of pulpits are now of frequent occurrence and a fraternal feeling prevails on both sides. The debt of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions has been paid The total receipts of the year are about 780,000 dols., or an advance of 35,000d015. over last year. The woman’s boards have contributed 248,000 dole., or an increase of 24,000 dols. above last year. There are said to be about sixty Protestants communities in Spain with 14,000 openly professed Protestants, and hardly a large town without a regularly o-ganised church. It is just eighteen years since the first Protestant chapel was opened in Madrid.

The Baptists of the United States, Northern aud Southern, gave last year 1,677,706 dol. for home and foreign missions. For education and other purposes the contributions amounted to 1,914.442d015., and for church support 4,924,553d015., making a grand total of 8,510,701 dols., by over 2,700,000 members. The faith of the Greek Church in the hands of Russian missionaries is fast gaining a prominent hold in Japan. In his last report Monsignor Nicolas, the chief RussoJapanese missionary, states that in 1885 three new communities were added, having a total membership of 1,294. This, he says, made the total number of Greek Church worshippers in Japan 11,275.

The statistics of the United Presbyterian Church for the year ending April 1, 1887, show that there are ten synods, an increase of one ; 60 Presbyteries, 736 ministers (no change), 885 congregations, an increase of four; 94,641 members, a gain of 3555. The financial exhibits show a decrease in the amount raised for ministers’ salaries and for congregational purposes, and a gain in amounts contributed for missions and general purposes. The average ministerial salary is 935 dols. against 945 dols. last year.