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The Voice
Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska
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The Church of God in Christ experienced the largest membership increase of 946.5% from 1926 to 1950 among U.S. churches with over 50,000 members, per a National Council of Churches report. Other Negro churches followed with smaller gains.
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Leads in Membership Gain
NEW YORK-(ANP)-The Church of God in Christ experiences the largest increase in church membership of any church in the country, a statistical research report of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S. revealed this week.
During the period of 1926-50, the church had an increase of 946.5 per cent in comparison with other churches with a congregation of 50,000 or over. Its membership jumped from 7,850 in 1926 to 50,000 in 1950.
The report showed that other churches with Negro members had the following membership increases during the period studied: The National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., and the National Baptist Convention of America were second with an increase of 121.8 per cent: the African Methodist Episcopal church was third with an increase of 113.7 per cent; the Colored Methodist Episcopal church was fourth with an increase of 88 per cent; and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church was fifth with an increase of 16 per cent.
Chief reason for the Church of God in Christ leading all churches, the survey pointed out, was that "holiness sects" now are bringing into their memberships, "not only the socially disadvantaged, but also considerable numbers of the more fortunately situated persons in the population."
Other holiness groups which had increases were the Church of God, 652.6 per cent, and the Church of Nazarene, 256.7 per cent.
Membership in the two National Baptist Conventions (Negro groups) jumped from 2,196,123 in 1926 to 7,091,394 in 1950; in the A.M.E. church jumped from 545,814 in 1926 to 1,166,301 in 1950; in the C.M.E. church jumped from 202,713 in 1926 to 381,000 in 1950, and the A.M.E. Zion church jumped from 456,813 in 1926 to 530,116 in 1950.
Meanwhile, total church membership was about 57 per cent of the total population or 85,319,274, the largest number ever listed.
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Primary Location
New York
Event Date
This Week (Report On 1926 1950 Period)
Outcome
church of god in christ membership increased 946.5% from 7,850 in 1926 to 50,000 in 1950; other churches had lesser increases; total u.s. church membership reached 85,319,274.
Event Details
The Church of God in Christ had the largest membership gain among U.S. churches with over 50,000 members from 1926-1950, according to a National Council of Churches report. It outperformed other Negro churches like National Baptist Conventions (121.8%), African Methodist Episcopal (113.7%), Colored Methodist Episcopal (88%), and African Methodist Episcopal Zion (16%). Holiness sects attracted diverse members.