CHURCH ADHERENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26771, 14 May 1948, Page 6

CHURCH ADHERENTS

CENSUS FIGURES-COMPARED

INCREASES AND LOSSES p.A. WELLINGTON, May 13. .* The Anglican Church in New Zea* land remained practically stationary as regards adherents between 1936 and 1945, according to figures compiled by the Census and Statistics Department from the last census. The department does not analyse these figures, but a table shows, that Anglicans suffered a relative loss in strength because they numbered 600,786 of;the 1,491,484 persons checked in the 1936 census and only 601,726 of 1,603,554 persons (an increase of 112,070) in 1945. Never? theless, professed Anglicans still comprise 37 per cent, of the total population, and are stiff stronger than the next two denominations— Presbyterians and Roman Catholics —combined. Among the larger churches, a notable advance is that of the Roman Catholics. who increased their strength by more than 10 per cent. ; Though fifth in . congregational strength, the Baptist Church showed the highest Nonconformist rate of increase for th’e principal churches, slightly more than 10 per cent. ' The Methodist advance was more than 7 per cent. There are 7101 more Presbyterians, but this represents only about a 2 per cent, increase for the second strongest church in the Dominion. The Brethren and the' Salvation Army show moderate increases, and the Church of Christ a small one., The:. Congregational Church. has lost strength. • _ Among, very , sftjall’ ftepomipations. the- Hebrews have, gone UP by 30 per cent, and the Mormons by 67 per cent. ‘ Nearly three times as many people stated that they had no religions as did so nine years before. ■- Nearly twice the number —about one in every fourteen of the population—objected to sta'ting any religion. The small party of Freethinkers more than trebled itself. The thin ranks of Atheists multiplied almost as rapidly. Rationalists showed a slight growth, but Agnos? tics scarcely held their own.