Magyar Egyház, 1956 (35. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)

1956-11-01 / 11. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

1"

HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE

from

The Yearbook of American Churches for 1957

published by

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES 297 Fourth Avenue — New York 10, N. Y. (Figures apply to Continental U.S.A. only)

Church Membership

For the first time, church membership in the United States has passed the 100,000,000 mark.

The new total, as compiled from official statistics of the churches by the National Council of Churches, is 100,162,529 in all faiths.

In percentages, exactly 60.9 per cent of all American are church members — a gain of 2.8 over the previous year. The population rise in the same period was 1.8.

With the exception of the Depression Mid-Thirties, church membership gains have been steadily outstripping population gains since the turn of the century. One hundred years ago less than 20 per cent of Americans belonged to churches. In 1800 the figure was 36 per cent; in 1910, 43 per cent; in 1930, 47 per cent; in 1950, 57 per cent.

Gains in The Major Faiths

Protestáns gained 1,324,425 (2.3%) during the past year. Roman Catholics increased by 993,315 (3.1%). Jewish membership remained the same, while Eastern Orthodox Churches gained 362,726 (17.9%).

In proportion to population, Protestants number 35.5 per cent; Roman Catholics, 20.3 per cent — virtually the same ratio as has existed for many generations. In the mid-20’s, for example, 27 per cent of Americans were Protestant, 16 per cent were Roman Catholic.

Local Churches

The new total is now 305,449 — an increase of 5,393, or 1.8 per cent. The average number of members per local church again rose — 328, as compared to 304 in 1950, 265 in 1940 and 235 in 1926. New church construction last year was valued at $736,000,000, compared to $588,000,000 the year before.

Sunday and Sabbath Schools

The new total enrollment figure is 38,921,033 — up 3.4 per cent from the previous year’s high of 37,623,530. Of the total slightly more than 3,000,000 enrollees are voluntary officers and teachers. Sunday Schools are 93 per cent Protestant. There are about 2,000 more Sunday Schools now than the year before 264,726.

Number of Clergy

There are 222,018 pastors in all faiths with active charges — an increase of 8,051.

The total number of ordained persons, with or without charges, is now 353,695 — up 11,000 from the year before.

Contributions

Per capita giving averaged $48.81 annually, up seven per cent from the previeus year’s $45.83.

Informed estimates place total contributions for all faiths well above $2,000,000,000 per annum.

CHRISTIANS IN GERMANY

The Seventh German Evangelical Kirchentag was held in Frankfurt-am-Main, 500,000 Christians from all over Germany and all parts of the world participated. The greeting, which was pronounced by Dr. Oscar Lee of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. on behalf of Christians all over the world, went on to say that the Kirchentag transcended all barriers of nation and race, politics and culture, and brought people together to bear witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ.

This Kirchentag in Frankfurt was more ecumenical in character than any of the previous ones, as many reports confirm. Over 3,000 members of foreign churches attended — Lutherans, Reformed, Orthodox, Free Churchmen, Baptists, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and the United Brethren (Moravians) were there, not only from Europe but also from Asia, Africa, Australia and America. Ecumenical leaders addressed the Kirchentag at a large number of meetings.

The message of the Kirchentag urges Christians in Germany “not to let the present division of Germany blind us to the plight of other nations,” and this draws the attention of Christians all over the world to another main concern of the Kirchentag — the division of the German people. About 25,000 people from the German Democratic Republic had travelled to Frankfurt on their own initiative, one one of the ten special express trains, in order to show the world what Dr. Visser’t Hooft described as one of the Church’s direct contributions to the solution of international problems: “It must be made clear that within the Church there are “no frontiers, no curtains, no racial differences, which might divide those who are united in Christ.”

The people from Western and Eastern Germany were accompanied by nearly all the German bishops and presidents and by outstanding representatives of the Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic. The opening service was attended by Professor Heuss (president of the Federal Republic), Otto Nuschke (vice-president of the German Democratic Republic), Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier (president of the Bundestag) and Dr. Dieckmann (president of the People’s Chamber of the German Democratic Republic). E.P.S.

Do you know that the American poet, James Russell Lowell wrote thus on Kossuth’s visit;

Land of the Magyars! though it be The tyrants may relink his chain,

Already thine is victory,

De Yeu Knew that the meet generally used tejctheek in veterinary colleges, is the werk ef the Hungarian doctors Hutyra and Marek?