CHURCH-GOING POPULATION.

Shannon News, 12 April 1927, Page 4

CHURCH-GOING POPULATION.

DOMINION'S HIGH AVERAGE . WELLINGTON, April 2. 1 What is the church-attending population of New Zealand 1 ? The Government Statistician endeavoured to ascertain this interesting figure at. the last census, ar.d. secured a sufficieo:. number of replies from responsible officials in the congregations to be state with fair confidence that the,aggregate of the church-going, population is from 35 to 40 per cent, of £ thc total non-native population .cf the Dominion. Another important .fact "is that laking the Sunday school age at fpur to 13 years 55 per cent, of"our. juveniles receive Sunday school education. "The premier position in. Sunday schools." states the census report on this subject, "appears to be.held : by the Presibyterian, * Church, with 430 G teachers and 40,700 scholars. The Church of England shows 3400 teac})6f* said 40,100 scholars. Methodist Sunday schools had-a' roll'.of 28,7.00 with a staff of 2900, and Roman Catholic institutions some 11,000 scholars and 500 teachers." THE POPULAE SERVICE. Due to the overwhelmingly predominant morning attendances at Roman Catholic churches, theJ national for church-going show that "this is "the service attracting the' larger attendances. The v aggregate of averages representing the numbers usually present at the largest attended serve of 'the clay is 254,000, which is equivalent to J 9 per cent, of the non-native population. Figures for some of the larger denominations are: Chuu-h of England 59,000, Presbyterian 60,000, : Roman Catholic 55,000 and Methodist "■ 34,000. CIIURCHES AND WORSHIPPERS. The religious bodies have kepi:' pace effectively with the groAvth of population in providing facilities for public worship. In 1874 the colony had- ; 704 churches, eqa-il to one church for every 547 adherents. Thi9 proportion "has been closely maintained for the 1920' position is: Churches 4283.. population per church 544. Though the data of religious professions has not been completed from -last census, sufficient information )ias been taken out to enable the following comparison between the number or :cl.urch-<-s and adherents to be shown: — Adher- Per ents. Church.. Church of England .. 567,000 '752 Presbyterian 330,300 554 Roman Catholic 181,100 498; Methodist 124,000 :B7» Baptist 21,900 39L Salvation Army 12,500 ■ 171 Brethren ... 12,200, 311 Church of Christ .... 9,5C0 212.Congregational, 8.700 350 The two largest churches in the Dominion, the Anglican and, Presbyterian, provide about equal accommodatilon, viz., for some 135,000 in each instance.