RELIGION IN BRITAIN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1456, 3 June 1912, Page 5

RELIGION IN BRITAIN.

INTERESTING STATISTICS. ONE PERSON IN EVERY THREE A CHURCHGOER. A NONCONFORMIST DECREASE. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright. (Rec. Juno 2, 5.5 p.m.) London, 'im© 1. The church statistics for England and Wales for 1911 have been published. The Anglican figures are:—Communicants, 2,312,153; Sunday School scholars and teachers, 3,155,GG0; confirmations, 25,183; and baptisms, 006,01)9. Those figures are all increases over those of the preceding year. The confirmations increased by 25 per cent. The returns for other churches aie as under:— Wesleyan.—Members, 473,091; Sunday School scholars, 907,081. Congregationalists—Members, 451,429 • Sunday School scholars, 655,018. Baptists.—Members, 391,0*7; Sunday School scholars, 553,329. The aggregate decrease for all the Nonconformist .churches is:—Members, G9SO, and scholars, 29,623. Tho statistics reveal that tho communicant members of all the Protestant churches total about fivo millions, and the Sunday School scholars number roughly, seven millions. The churches are thus.in actual touch with one person out of every three. SCOTTISH CHURCH UNION. HOPEFUL OUTLOOK. (Eec, June 2, 5.5 p.m.) London, June 2. "The Times" says the discussions of the Scottish churches on the proposals for union will be memorable, and are likely to result in unanimity in one Assembly and in practical unanimity in the other. This would have been inconceivable a generation ago. Everyone concerned desires to preserve the historic continuity of both churches, sacrificing nothing essential and without any admission that past generations laboured purposelessly. It is also desired to create a really national church, tolerant to everyone. The discussions, adds "The Times, have mado clear the danger of mixing the question of union with the question of disestablishment. Many who in the. abstract have favoured disestablishment have realised that its. obtrusion will embarrass any measure of union later. WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT. SCOTTISH VIEWS OF THE BILL. London, May 31. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has decided to petition Parliament against the Welsh Disestablishment Bill. Lord Balfour of Burleigh declared that the Bill was outrageous. It dismembered a united Church, while its disendowment proposals revolted the very principle of justice. . The United Free Church has rejected a proposal favouring the Bill.