Religion: Sad Statistics

"Faced by an increasingly secular world, the Episcopal Church does not seem on the basis of its statistics to be actually moving forward." So last week editorialized the Living Church Annual, unofficial Episcopal yearbook, in presenting Episcopal facts and figures for 1937. The Church numbered 27,672 more baptized persons than in 1936 (total 2,095412) and gained 15,805 communicants (total 1,424,137). Episcopalians gave $31,938,489.04 for all purposes, the highest figure since 1933. The Episcopal clergy numbered 6,390, an increase of five men. But there were 21 fewer ordinations to the diaconate, seven fewer to the priesthood, 49 fewer candidates preparing for holy orders, 694 fewer baptisms, 854 fewer scholars, 2,575 fewer church-school teachers, 3,173 fewer confirmations.