RELIGIOUS CENSUS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16836, 27 December 1928, Page 5

RELIGIOUS CENSUS

N.Z. FAITHS ANALYSED FOUR LARGE DENOMINATIONS (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this .lay. As part 01 the iialioiial. census. New Zealanders have to give I bo Government Statistii■ ia ll pariieiilnrs of their religious beliefs. They can object, and 62,000 did so on the last occasion. However, that left. 93.85 per cent, who are definitely associated with some religious denomination, and Hat geucral figures! show that, four principal denominations 1 shave between them nearly 88 per cent. I of the total. Thirty-three definite religious sects are down in Ihe list, four of which are non-Christian, while there are also small bodies of people who wish to be described as “Rationalist. ' "Atheist these are 117 in number —“Agnostic." or “Freethinker," the last, numbering nearly 4000. THF. PRINCIPAL cur ROHES. Taking the churches in the order of their numerical importance, the official report shows that the Anglican communion heads the. list, as usual. It has 553,993 adherents, comprising 41.2 per cent, of the population. The report states that this denomination showed the largest intercensal increase, but in ratio of increase, over a longer term while tbe. Anglican Church has grown at a rate above Ihe general average, its numerical gain from 1921 till 1926 was the lowest for 25 years. The Church of England is relatively strongest in ! Marlborough, Hawke's Isay arid Auckland. and weakest in Southland, Otago, and Westland. Presbyterians, 330,731, are 24.6 per cent, of the population, and the census showed that the gain of this church since the previous count was, the second highest in its history, and the rate higher than tho general gain, though less markedly so than usual. Presbyterians, says the statistician, lirid their greatest strength in the provincial districts of Southland and Otago. In South land, indeed. Presbyterians' comprise more than half the total population, and this is the sole instance of any religi oils body having a majority of the .inhabitants of any district within the rank's of its adherents. .ROMAN CATHOLIC STRENGTH.

Next in strengt.li are the Roman Catholics, numbering 173,364, which equals 12.9 per cent, of New Zealand’s population. This church showed the third largest increase in five years, though in point of both numbers and rate it- was the lowest, says the report, experienced by this church for many years. The Roman Catholic Church finds its greatest strongholds, relatively, in Westland, and to a relatively lesser degree, in Marlborough. Methodists are. most strongly represented proportionately in Taranaki, and the amalgamation of two branches of this church raised their membership to 121,212, which is 9 per cent, of the population. This church showed the greatest proportional increase of any during the five years. Tiie Baptist strength is in Otago, and this church, which showed a decline in 1916-21, indicated a substantial recovery in 1921-26. The Brethren have 12,924 members in New Zealand, and another denomination with a good following is the Salvation Army with its 12.241 members. The Batumi Church is shown to possess 12,241 members, with 107 ministers, and there is the Eingatu denomination associated with the Maoris, and having a membership of 4540. The Hebrew persuasion numbers 2591, and the census figures disclose that Wellington is the strongest centre in membership. STONES AND FAITHS. The census has analysed' the relation of the sexes to religion. Starting with ithe observation that the male sex comprises 51.1 per cent, of the total, it is shown that the Anglican and Presbyterian 'Churches are the only ones with a male predominance in membership. The Roman Catholic Church had m 192.1 a following 50.1 per cent, male, but in the lust enumeration the males were shown a fraction below half-way mark. Female predominance is well marked among Christian Scientists (males 38.6 ol' total), Seventh Day Adventists (males 40.4',, Brethren, Church of Christ, Baptist.sj Congregational and Ohristadclpliian, where the male proportion is about. 46 per cent. Male predominance occurs, states the statistician, to a marked degree with Freethinkers. Ag-I nostics. Rationalists, Atheists. Orthodox Catholics (Eastern) and Hindus.