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New Zealand Mail, 15 February 1900, Page 53

The statistics of the British Congregational churches for the year ended “December Ist show, that on that date there were in England and Wales (including the Channel Islands) 4592 phur£x?r'\ a ’9 d stations (an increase of Jo), in whicii were provided 1,636,269 sit rings. In these churches, so fay as the returns show (417 churches or mis-. ■ sion stations-having failed-to tend information; as compared with, 516 last' ' year), there are 338,009 members, and in their , Sunday scnools 614,742 scholars : |an increase of 10,670) and 54,135-teach-"' ors p increase of 7389). If to these ” pe added the churches and mission staP<irts of Great Britain, the to ,al number of places of worship , (the returns of the mission stations in. bootland and Ireland being incomplete) is 4801, with .a membership of 415.664 (an increase of 37,900). Tho total sitting accommodation provided is 1,733065. There are 3132 ordained ministers in the British Isles and 221 recogb“ea ’ Evangelists and lay pastors; also' i ß4 .j i cal preachers. There are 290 qhurchss without pastoral oversight while there are 289 ministers described as “temporarily without pastoral charge.” in the British colonies there are now--781 churches and mission stations including 121 in Canada, 257 in Austral_asia,. and 288 in South' Africa. There are _ also 155 churches and preaching on -.the,...Continent of Europe.' Tliere are 459 resident ministers in the colonies, of, whom 383 are in . active service. In , the theological colleges and institutes there are 407 students for the Congregational ministry; there are also 10 institutions in heathen lands belonging to the London Missionai-y So- • eiety, training about 300 native ■ students. This year 16 new churches have . been formed, 41 chapels erected (including 12 in tho colonies), while 37 . foundation-stones of new buildings have been laid and 24 additional sites secured. .n