This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...its inability to retain a resident minister on full time, begins to decline both actually and relatively. This is now the situation in these counties. It can be visualized in the following table which gives the record for the year preceding the survey GAINS IN MEMBERSHIP BY SIZE OF CONGREGATIONS (One Year Period) Table ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...its inability to retain a resident minister on full time, begins to decline both actually and relatively. This is now the situation in these counties. It can be visualized in the following table which gives the record for the year preceding the survey GAINS IN MEMBERSHIP BY SIZE OF CONGREGATIONS (One Year Period) Table E. Per cent Gaming 29-4 33-3 68.4 69.2 80. When a church with less than fifty members fails to gain the future for that church begins to look dubious. Twenty of the thirty-two churches in this class are up against a real fight for life. A few of them could well be spared. Others ought by all means to be sustained. It should be stated, however, that with only thirty-two out of eighty-four churches or 38 per cent having less than fifty members these two counties are more fortunate than the average. Every region but one of those studied has shown 50 per cent or more of its churches in this class and the exception has 45 per cent. Among the rural Pacific Coast counties the average number of churches in this class is 55 per cent of the total. It must be admitted that an analysis on the basis of one year does not always do justice to every church. One of the largest churches, for instance, had but recently subjected its membership roll to a vigorous pruning. All but nine of the churches have membership records going back at least five years. A study of these but confirms the conclusions reached above. The table below gives a concrete view of the situation on the basis of a five-year membership record. GROWTH AND DECLINE OF CHURCHES (Five Year Period) Table F. The small church, often a divisive element in the community, is the least successful. It is to such churches in Stanislaus County and in the cities of Orange County that most of the home missi...
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