J. S. Cheavens remembers the church in the country in a poem, of which
a part is here given:
In pillar’d aisles of vast cathedrals old,
Ablaze with splendor, garish gilt and gold,
Where clouds of incense ever seemed to dwell,
And rhythmic waves of music rose and fell--
I’ve heard the priest, in pomp of vain attire,
Prate ancient prayers that did no soul inspire,
Nor reach God’s ear. Religion’s whited tomb,
Appalling in its cold sepulchral gloom!
How far removed by all vain rules of art,
Yet deep enshrined within my loyal heart,
Is that plain building, simple, unadorned,
Loved by a few, altho by many scorned--
Unknown by those who seek wealth, power or place,
But very dear to those who seek His face--
The Country Church! O holy, holy ground,
For there the Lord Himself is sought and found!
(447)
TABLE NO. 2--DISTRIBUTION BY FAMILIES AND DENOMINATIONS. (See CHURCH
STATISTICS.)
--------------------+-------+----------------------------------------------
| | RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
| +------------------+------------+--------------
|Number | | Per cent |Increase from
DENOMINATION | of | Number |distribution| 1890 to 1906
|bodies:+-------+----------+-----+------+------+-------
| 1906 | 1906 | 1890 | 1906| 1890 |Number| Per
| | | | | | | cent
--------------------+-------+-------+----------+-----+------+------+-------
All denominations | 186 |212,230|[1]165,151|100.0|100.0 |47,079| 28.5
+=======+=======+==========+=====+======+======+=======
Protestant bodies | 164 |195,618| 153,054| 92.2| 92.7 |42,564| 27.8
+-------+-------+----------+-----+------+------+-------
Adventist | 7 | 2,551| 1,757| 1.2| 1.1 | 794| 45.2
Baptist | 14 | 54,880| 42,909| 25.9| 26.0 |11,971| 27.9
Christian (Christian| 1 | 1,379| 1,424| 0.6| 0.9 | [2]45| [2]3.2
Connection) | | | | | | |
Church of Christ, | 1 | 638| 221| 0.3| 0.1 | 417| 188.7
Scientist | | | | | | |
Congregationalist | 1 | 5,713| 4,868| 2.7| 2.9 | 845| 17.4
| | | | | | |
Disciples or | 2 | 10,942| 7,746| 5.2| 4.4 | 3,696| 51.0
Christians | | | | | | |
Dunkers or German | 4 | 1,097| 989| 0.5| 0.6 | 108| 10.9
Baptist Brethern | | | | | | |
Evangelical bodies | 2 | 2,738| 2,310| 1.3| 1.4 | 428| 18.5
Friends | 4 | 1,147| 1,056| 0.5| 0.6 | 91| 8.6
| | | | | | |
German Evangelical | 1 | 1,205| 870| 0.6| 0.5 | 335| 38.5
Synod of N. A. | | | | | | |
Independent churches| 1 | 1,079| 155| 0.5| 0.1 | 924| 596.1
Lutheran bodies | 24 | 12,703| 8,595| 6.0| 5.2 | 4,108| 47.8
Mennonite bodies | 14 | 604| 550| 0.3| 0.3 | 54| 9.8
| | | | | | |
Methodist bodies | 15 | 64,701| 51,489| 30.5| 31.2 |13,212| 25.7
Presbyterian bodies | 12 | 15,506| 13,471| 7.3| 8.2 | 2,035| 15.1
Protestant | 1 | 6,845| 5,018| 3.2| 3.0 | 1,827| 36.4
Episcopal Church | | | | | | |
Reformed bodies | 4 | 2,585| 2,181| 1.2| 1.3 | 404| 18.5
| | | | | | |
Unitarians | 1 | 461| 421| 0.2| 0.3 | 40| 9.5
United Brethren | 2 | 4,304| 4,526| 2.0| 2.7 |[2]222| [2]4.9
bodies | | | | | | |
Universalists | 1 | 846| 956| 0.4| 0.6 |[2]110|[2]11.5
Other Protestant | 52 | 3,694| 2,042| 1.7| 1.2 | 1,652| 80.9
bodies | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Roman Catholic | 1 | 12,482| 10,239| 5.9| 6.2 | 2,243| 21.9
Church | | | | | | |
Jewish | 1 | 1,769| 533| 0.8| 0.3 | 1,236| 231.9
congregations | | | | | | |
Latter-day Saints | 2 | 1,184| 856| 0.6| 0.5 | 328| 38.3
Eastern Orthodox | 4 | 411| 2| 0.2|[3] | 409| [4]
Churches | | | | | | |
All other bodies | 14 | 766| 467| 0.4| 0.3 | 299| 64.0
--------------------+-------+-------+----------+-----+------+------+-------
[1] Exclusive of 26 organizations in Alaska.
[2] Decrease.
[3] Less than one-tenth of 1 per cent.
[4] Per cent not shown where base is less than 100.