Show Tho Methodists of 1901 The Methodist Year Book for 1002 reports the membership of the Method 1st Episcopal church In the United States at 2918137 an Increase of IS163 In the year 1001 The number of ministers minis-ters has Increased from 17587 In 1900 to 17879 In 1001 while tho number of local l preachers has decreased from 11126 to 1029 There arc now under the direction oC the church 32126 Sunday schools with 3 9377 olllcers and teachers and 2708 169 scholars There are now 27 674 churches against 27230 a year ago and JJ471 parsonages against 11189 3 year ago The value of church buildings Is 120G1G85S an Increase in one year of 25071G1 and the value of parsonages is 19592025 un Increase in value during dur-ing the year of 736762 The growth In membership of tho Methodist Episcopal church is 1 satisfactory satisfac-tory except to those who make comparisons com-parisons with the past II the first century cen-tury of the organization of the church the membership Increased from 16000 In 1781 to 1835000 in 1881 In the 130 years dating from 1766 when there were only n handful of Methodists la were country the church Increased to 2900 members in 1900 The averagti annual gain in the nineteenth century was 28 350000 as against 18163 In the first year In the twentieth century Thd Methodists Method-ists of all denominations in the United States Increased from 5000 in 1776 to 5900000 In 1901 There are now twentyone theological seminaries under the direction of the Methodist Episcopal church 52 col sand s-and universities 69 classical seminaries 9 Institutions for women 19 foreign mission schools and o 1 missionary Institutes Insti-tutes and Bible training schools Theso have a total of 16461 student and jj professors and teachers an cndowinen of 101056 I and property valued at 517050175 There has been an increase during the year of 51377106 in produc live endowment the several college Chicago Inter Ocean |