Denominations.—The varieties of denominational divisions are wide and interesting. A classification on the basis of information collected by the Commission is given in Table VII.
| Denomination | Regular | "Store-Front" | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist: | |||
| Missionary Baptist | 19 | 61 | |
| Free Will Baptist | 2 | ||
| Primitive Baptist | 4 | ||
| Methodist: | |||
| Methodist Episcopal | 6 | ||
| African Methodist Episcopal | 9 | 6 | |
| African Methodist Episcopal Zion | 3 | 1 | |
| Colored Methodist Episcopal | 3 | ||
| Independent Methodist Episcopal | 6 | ||
| Presbyterian | 2 | 2 | |
| Episcopal | 1 | ||
| Congregational | 1 | ||
| Disciples of Christ | 1 | ||
| Saints, Holiness, and Healing Churches | 20 | ||
| Total | 45 | 102 | |
The steady growth in the number of churches is shown in the dates of organization of sixty-five of them as given in Table VIII.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1825-50 | 2 |
| 1850-80 | 2 |
| 1880-90 | 5 |
| 1890-1900 | 5 |
| 1900-1910 | 5 |
| 1910-15 | 12 |
| 1915-16 | 4 |
| 1917 | 3 |
| 1918 | 15 |
| 1919 | 6 |
| 1920 | 6 |
| Total | 65 |
Church property.—It was not easy to determine the amount of money raised and handled by the Negro churches for any specific period, because only the better-organized churches keep accurate accounts.
The total value of the property holdings of twenty-six of the larger and better-organized churches is $1,677,183.02, with a total indebtedness on nineteen of them of $318,595.91. In twenty of the twenty-six annual collections aggregate $226,216.25.
Out of 100 "store-front" churches visited only seven own or are buying the property they use. The total value of the property of these seven churches is $44,300. Four of the seven have an indebtedness of $7,300; and the four that kept records showed a total annual collection of $5,170.
The pastors.—A sharp division both as to education and experience is found between the pastors of the regular churches and those of the "store-front" churches. Generally the larger churches have the better-trained, more experienced, and more highly salaried ministers. Exceptions are found in the case of one or two "holiness" churches.
The ministers in these various churches represent a range of training from that of such seminaries as Newton Theological and institutions like Yale University, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University, down to that of the sixth grade in grammar school. Some have had no schooling at all. The number of specially trained ministers totals twenty-one. Six of these are graduates of recognized northern institutions, while fourteen are graduates of recognized Negro institutions such as Lincoln University, Howard University, Virginia Union University, and Livingston College. Four are graduates of standard high schools and four of other high schools below the standard rating. The remainder fall below the sixth grade. Among this last group it is not unusual to hear that "God prepares a man to preach; he does not have to go to school for that. All he must do is to open his mouth and God will fill it. The universities train men away from the Bible."
The range of active service in the ministry is from two months to forty-four years. Here again the larger established churches have the ministers of longer service. Typical examples are found in churches like Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, whose pastor has had forty-four years of service; Shiloh, thirty-seven years; Bethesda Baptist Church, thirty-seven years; Grace Presbyterian Church, thirty-two years (all at this one church); Original Providence, thirty-five years; Berean Baptist Church, thirty years.