RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 11

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CHURCH AND PEOPLE. POSITION OF NONCONFORMITY. Concluding his statistical survey of the churches of England and Wales in the "Westminster Gazette," "C.T.8." gives a brief analysis of the more important Nonconformist churches for tho past year. Wesleyan Methodists, An N improvement has been made in the membersuip of the Mother Church of Methodism. During the past six years t'he total decreases have amounted to over 15,000, ajid lost year the decline amounted to 2(i24 in tlio previous twelve months. There is, unfortunately, etill a decrease, but the number is less than one-fourth of the figure just quoted. A slight improvement is also to be noted in tho Sunday scholars. Though still declining to the extent of 2772, these,have not decreased so much as in tho previous year. On the whole, Methodism appears more hopeful and more confident of the future. Like other churches, it has been passing through a time of controversy, and the particular subject that seemed to avoid a settlement was tho relation of tho member to the Church. It is not quite finished yet, and there are one or two points still to be cleared up, but Methods ism has decided tho main, points of the controversy. Unless the unsettled matters assume greater proportions than anticipated, Wesleyan Methodists are in a position to proceed with their forward work in home evangelisation, modelled more or less on the lines of their great founder. ■ Congregationalists.

No substantial improvement can be recorded in tho membership of Congregationalism. A bettor state of things luis been created in the Sunday schools, which in tho previous year declined in scholars to the extent of over 12,500. This tiuio the decrease- is 2787. But on tho other eide Church membership is down by 1910. as t com pared to 381 in tho previous year. In six years Congregationalists have lost over 45,000 Sunday scholars, and apparently the shrinkage has not yet ceased. A gro«iing movement is at work amongst Congregational schools ■ i'or more modern methods of teaching and equipment, and for better school buildings. Time is required, however, for the full fruition of all such schemes, and the denomination as a whole requires to be more fully educated and enthused, on .this matter. After four years' organisation Congregationalists havo completed their Sustentation Fund of. .£250,000, and removed a great difficulty from their order. At the beginning of next year every accredited Congregational minister will receive, an income of .£l2O per year, and the poorer districts, which cannot help themselves, will be placed in a more favourable position. By strengthening thoir financial resources in relation to the ministry, Congregationalists have made it 'easier for their work, which has often languished in rural districts and "down-town" churches, because of the lack of central resources such as have been held for niany yeare by Methodists and Presbyterians.

Baptists, Once again the Baptists have been disappointed. They hoped last year that they were out of the wood and that they might see the end of the path along which they have been travelling for tho past six years. This time tho figures are even worse than those of tho previous period. There appears, liowever, a revival of zeal and enthusiasm and an important indication is the organised co-operation of tho women, in the Baptist Churches who are rendering substantial help in several directions and not least in the Siiistentation Fund of a;quarter of a million which the Baptists hope to clear off in two years. Conditions in tho denomination are similar in respect to ministers' stipends to thoso of thp Congregationalisls and to a corresponding extent tlic fund will prove as advantageous. Baptists and Congregationalists suffer from ovor-lappinjj, especially in country districts, and it is difficult to avoid this weakness if men and women refuse to 'accommodate themselves- to the situation as it exists, and insist on erecting their own special Bethel. A voicing a|*eemcnt between the two denominations would frequently obviate duplication of men and machinery. I am glad to say. that matters are moving in this direction.

Other Methodist Churches, Tho Calyinisti'c Methodist Church., which is mainly Welsh, has just escaped from the slough of depression, and is to be congratulated on the upward tendency in the numbers of nrembers. Unfortunately, decline still continues in the Sunday schools. The Primitive Methodists are down again, and for several hundreds more than last .year. "For some years," says th'e "Primitive Methodist Leader," "many'of our churches have suffered exceptionally heavy losses through the strong tids of emigration. This alono would account for all tho losses on eonie stations, and for the lack of an increased membership in many others. . . . Tho disintegrating tendencies of our modern social and industrial life also account for losses which cannot bs numbered." Probably similar conditions affect the United Methodists, who report a decrease of IG3I members. On tho other hand, the Independent Jfclhodists show an increase of 557. Every Methodist church—except the Wesleyan Reform Union—has reported n shrinkage in the number of Sunday scholars, and the figuns of tho United Methodists' in this respect are especially discouraging. In two years they have declined to the extent of over 9700 Sunday scholars. The Presbyterians. Though showing a small increase last year in membership, the English Presbyterian Church has to report a loss of Co. Their Sunday scholars have again deolined to tho extent of 2252, bciiijj 38 more than the previous period. Two Notable Increases. Distinct signs of revival arc to be observed in the Society of Friends, both in their adherents and Sunday scholars. This is encouraging for tho reason that I Quakers havo for many generations maintained a. fine spirit in our religious and social life. An equally distinguished— though equally email—body, tho Moravians, long recogniswl as the most missionary church in Protestant Christendom, has mado similar increases in membership and Sunday scholars aud V a coincidence almost the eame in actual figures. ■ Men's Movements,