CONGREGATIONALISMS. 



123 



ministers in the United States was 2,919, against 

 2,701 in 1865. ID Canada and the provinces 

 there were 90, and 86 in 1865, so that, the \\ h..],- 

 iiiiniKer was 8,009 in 1866, and 2,888 in 1865. 

 Of these only 8<i'J \\eiv reported as settled pas- 

 \\liilo JU2 wciv retiinird as acting pa.-tors 



ted supplies, and 236 were so returned 

 that it could not be told whether they were 

 pa-tors or stated supplies. Of the rest 879 



reported as not engaged in the pastoral 

 work. Very many of those were professors in 

 colleges and theological schools, or teachers in 

 academies and private schools. There was also 

 a large force connected with the several benevo- 

 -"ciutics and general Christian enterprises 

 in various parts of the land. The total mem- 

 bership of the churches within the bounds of 

 the United States was 267,453 against 263,296 

 in 1865, a gain of 4,157. Adding the member- 

 ship in Canada and the provinces, it stood 272,- 

 975 in 1866, and 269,062 in 1865. From seven- 

 teen States reports of benevolent contributions 

 were received, while thirteen States and Terri- 

 tories made no report. The whole sum re- 

 turned Was $1,024,720.87. Of this sum Massa- 

 chusetts gave $392,244.09 ; Connecticut, $257,- 

 164.60; New York, $93,130; Maine, $49,409; 

 New Hampshire, $44,905; Ohio, $41,896 ; Ver- 

 mont, $38,583.62, and from other States smaller 

 sums varying from $25,000 downward. If the 

 whole sura given in charity in all the States 

 and Territories were reported, it would not 

 probably fall far short of $1,500,000. 



The American Home Missionary Society sus- 

 tains a number of missionaries in the Southern 

 States, where Congregationalism before the war 

 was almost entirely unrepresented. From the 

 report made by the agent of the Society, the 

 Rev. J. E. Roy, on the Southern Missions of the 

 Society in 1866, we glean the following facts: 



The church organized in Memphis one year and a 

 half ago by your missionary, Rev. E. T. Bliss, I 

 found in a prosperous condition. It had already as- 

 sumed the pastor's salary of $2,000; it had a mem- 

 bership _of forty-four, a growing congregation, and a 

 flourishing Sabbath-school. Having promise of aid 

 from the Congregational Union, it was raising the 

 generous sum of $8,000 for a house of worship, which 

 is now in process of erection. 



The church at Washington, under Rev. Dr. C. B. 

 Boynton, Chaplain of the llouse, with its one hun- 

 dred and twenty members several of whom have 

 recently been added on profession of faith I found 

 in a hopeful condition. 



At Xnoxyille I found Rev. T. D. P. Stone, who has 

 been commissioned to labor for a season at that place. 

 At Chattanooga, a place of classic interest, with its 

 Lookout Mountain, its Chickamauga, its Missionary 

 Ridge, its National Cemetery, I fouud the field opeii 

 and readv for a missionary. 



At Helena, Ark., where the old churches had all 

 become disintegrated, I found a few Congregational 

 friends from the North desiring a minister. 



At New Orleans I assisted in organizing a corpo- 

 rate religious saciety of twenty-seven male members, 

 which elected as its president Mr. S. 1). Moody, a 

 young merchant from Boston, who seals his earnest- 

 ness in the work by a subscription of five hundred 

 dollars. Five of these members are old and influen- 

 tial loyal citizens. The remainder are persons from 

 the North, settled in business. I am glad to learn 



that the Congregational Union hag purchased for this 

 society the Second Presbyterian Church, which is in 

 a fine, central, and easily accessible location. 



At Savannah I took the initiative for organizing a 

 religious society and securing a minister. Thirty 

 business men attached their names to a paper, pledg- 

 ing themselves to become members of such a society, 

 :n.'l to contribute, through it, for the support of the 

 gospel ; while twenty other persons gave assurance 

 of sympathy and cooperation. Of the thirty gentle- 

 men referred to, two-thirds are ex-officers of the 

 army, settled there in business, while nearly the 

 same proportion of the other adherents are men who 

 have borne the same honor. 



At Newbern, N. C., I found the enterprise which 

 had been initiated by the Rev. Horace James in a 

 flourishing condition. A corporate religious society 

 of forty members had been organized. Rev. A. A. 

 Ellsworth bad assumed the ministerial care of the 

 society, and was proving himself admirably adapted 

 to the situation. The society had assumed the entire 

 salary, only the expense of his removal having been 

 taken from your treasury. 



Richmond, with its forty thousand inhabitants, its 

 superb water-power, its inland navigation, and its 

 oceanic commerce, is destined to become a city of 

 much importance. I was permitted to prepare the 

 way there for a religious society. Twenty-five gen- 

 tlemen signed a paper approving such a movement, 

 and pledging to it the support of their personal influ- 

 ence and substance. 



The English Congregational Year-Boole for 

 1867 contains the statistics of Congregational- 

 ism in England as far as they could be ascer- 

 tained up to December, 1866. The following 

 are the most important points as presented by 

 the Year- Book: 



County Associations and Unions. England, 

 43; Wales, 16; Scotland, 8; Ireland, 1; Colo- 

 nies, 8. Total 76. 



Congregational Churches. England, 1,923; 

 Wales, 788; Scotland, 105; Ireland 27; Chan- 

 nel Islands, 13; Colonies, 278. Total, 8,134. 

 Out-stations of the Congregational churches, 

 1,065. Mission churches in foreign lands, 249. 

 The number of out-stations and preaching places 

 connected with these mission churches is not 

 known. Stations of the Homo Missionary So- 

 ciety, 119; Evangelistic stations of the Homo 

 Missionary Society, 60; rooms, cottages, farm- 

 houses, in which the agents preach, 840 ; lay 

 preachers in home missionary stations, 233 ; 

 lay preachers in Welsh churches, 293 ; Evange- 

 listic agents in Home Missionary Society, 59 ; 

 native teachers in foreign missions, 700. 



Vacant Churches. England, 192 ; Wales, 87; 

 Scotland, 9 ; Ireland, 7. Total, 295. 



Theological Colleges. England, 8 ; Wales, 3 ; 

 Scotland, 1 ; Colonies, 4. Total, 16. Prepara- 

 tory or missionary institutions, 5, viz. : Cotton 

 End, Nottingham, Bristol, Bedford, Uighgate. 

 Private seminaries for theological preparation, 

 4. Total number of students in theological col- 

 leges: England, 196; Wales, 90; Scotland, 6. 

 Total, 293. 



Students in preparatory institutions : Cotton 

 End, 6; Bedford, 11 ; Nottingham, 53; Bristol, 

 18; llighgate, 10. Total, 98. 



Ministers in England, 1,826 ; Wales, 407 ; 

 Scotland, 105 ; Ireland, 25 ; in the Colonies, 

 217 ; foreign lands, 202. Total. 2,782. 



