West Jersey Pioneer

From a circular just issued in the interests of the Peddie Institute, Hightstown, N. J., we glean some interesting facts in regard to the progress of the Baptist denomination during the century now lapsing. One hundred years ago there were 77 churches and 35,000 communicants in this country. At present there are 22,000 churches with a membership of 1,761,171. Then the seating capacity of the churches was 35,000, now it is 4,000,000. There are now 30 colleges and six theological seminaries, and it is a singular fact that during the last fifty years there has been on an average one church built for every day in the year. In New Jersey the increase has been in fair proportion. There are 170 churches, 213 preachers, 29,000 members. In imitation of other sects the Baptists are making strenuous efforts to raise a centennial fund to be devoted to worthy purposes, and considerable progress has already been made towards a subscription of $200,000 as an endowment fund for the Peddie Institute.