"Proportion of weak Churches at the West.
"But facts are at hand which show that the relative number of feeble churches is much larger at the West than at the East. Of the churches in Illinois and Iowa connected with three leading denominations, the proportion that must be accounted very weak—having not more than twenty-five communicants—is almost twice as great as in the same denomination taken entire, and amounts to nearly two fifths of the whole number reporting. These, again, taken with those whose membership ranges between twenty-five and fifty, make up nearly seventy per cent. of the whole!"
The author would ask attention to a few questions in view of these statistics.
The above table was formed from reporting churches. There are 934 churches not reporting. Giving to these last the average proportion of ministers and weak churches, and we find this result:
| Whole number of churches | 7187 |
| Ministers acting as pastors and supplies | 4336 |
| Churches without ministers | 2851 |
That is to say, in three of our largest and most wealthy and intelligent denominations, nearly one third of their churches are without ministers, and nearly one half of them have not over fifty members, and the majority of these members, no doubt, are women. Then the relative number of ministers is constantly decreasing.
In this state of things, to what is the Church and ministry coming?
When young men of talents and energy see not only independence, but wealth before them in other callings, where, in preparing, they will not need to spend nine years in dead languages and literature never to be used; where they can have an abundant field of usefulness, and where their minds can be free from creeds and the supervision of ecclesiastics and parishes, how long will any such seek the ministry?
Will not the ministry thus soon become the resort, first, of poor, ambitious young men, who find in its official standing the surest mode, with moderate talents and means, to gain the highest social position; and next, of ambitious young men of talents, who, among such inferior competitors, are sure of the best pulpits and highest salaries?