Chapter I: Geographical Distribution of the Denominations

It appears that of the 6,060 churches in the 1,170 strictly rural townships of Ohio no less than 1,793, or nearly 30 per cent, are of the Methodist Episcopal denomination (see Table D and Maps 14-25); 521 are of the United Brethren in Christ; 396 are Presbyterian; 379 are Baptist, including Free Will, Free, and Missionary; 367 Disciples; 362 Lutheran; 248 Roman Catholic; 228 Christian; 211 Methodist Protestant; 175 Reformed; 135 Congregational; 129 Evangelical Association; 113 Brethren or German Baptists; 95 Radical United Brethren; 92 Christian Union; 84 Societies of Friends; and 77 United Presbyterian. None of the other denominations has more than 1 per cent of the total number.

The denominations are represented in about the same proportion in the suburban rural districts.

TABLE D

NUMBER OF CHURCHES IN EACH DENOMINATION

Key:
1 _Strictly rural townships_
2 _Per cent_
3 _Other rural sections_
4 _Per cent_
5 _All rural churches_
6 _Per cent_

Denomination 1 2 3 4 5 6

Total 6060 100 582 100 6642 100
Methodist Episcopal 1793 29.6 171 29.4 1964 29.6
United Brethren in Christ 521 8.6 81 13.9 602 9.1
Presbyterian 396 6.5 29 5. 425 6.4
Baptist (Including Free, Free
Will and Missionary) 379 6.2 26 4.4 405 6.1
Disciples of Christ 367 6. 20 3.4 387 5.9
Lutheran 362 6. 49 8.4 411 6.2
Catholic (Roman) 248 4.1 17 2.9 265 4.
Christian 228 3.8 20 3.4 248 3.7
Methodist Protestant 211 3.5 19 3.3 230 3.5
Reformed (Including
German Reformed) 175 2.9 26 4.4 201 3.
Congregational 135 2.2 12 2.1 147 2.2
Evangelical Association 129 2.6 14 2.4 143 2.2
Brethren (German Baptist) 113 1.9 14 2.4 127 1.9
Radical United Brethren 95 1.6 9 1.5 104 1.6
Christian Union 92 1.5 4 Less 96 1.4
than 1
Friends 84 1.4 8 1.4 92 1.4
United Presbyterian 77 1.3 9 1.5 86 1.3
Mennonite 56 Less 9 1.5 65 Less
than 1 than 1
Church of God 54 " 8 1.4 62 "
German Evangelical 48 " 1 Less 49 "
than 1
African and all Colored
Methodist Episcopal 40 " 2 " 42 "
Union 40 " 10 1.7 50 "
Protestant Episcopal 39 " 2 Less 41 "
than 1
Universalist 39 " 0 " 39 "
Colored Baptist 38 " 3 " 41 "
Disciples Non-Progressive 32 " 1 " 33 "
Free Methodist 27 " 5 " 32 "
German Methodist Episcopal 27 " 0 " 27 "
United Evangelical 27 " 2 " 29 "
Holiness 25 " 6 1 31 "
{ Old Order
Brethren { Progressive 21 " 3 " 24 "
{ River
Primitive Baptist 21 " 0 " 21 "
Wesleyan Methodist 18 " 0 " 18 "
Seventh Day Advent 13 " 0 " 13 "
Advent-Christian 12 " 0 " 12 "
Calvinist Methodist 12 " 1 " 13 "
Reformed Presbyterian 8 " 0 " 8 "
Latter Day Saints 6 " 0 " 6 "
Nazarene 5 " 0 " 5 "
Saints 5 " 0 " 5 "
United Baptist 5 " 0 " 5 "
Christian Missionary Alliance 4 " 0 " 4 "
Greek Catholic 4 " 0 " 4 "
Moravian 4 " 0 " 4 "
Christian Science 3 " 0 " 3 "
International Bible
Students, Association 3 " 0 " 3 "
Federated 3 " 0 " 3 "
Missionary Church Association 2 " 0 " 2 "
Pietist 1 " 0 " 1 "
Primitive Methodist 1 " 0 " 1 "
Russian Catholic 1 " 0 " 1 "
Seven Sleepers 1 " 0 " 1 "
Seventh Day Baptist 1 " 0 " 1 "
Slavic Lutheran 1 " 0 " 1 "
Wengerite 1 " 0 " 1 "
Brothers Society of America 0 " 1 " 1 "
Denomination not reported 7 " 0 " 7 "

In Table E the Protestant churches are grouped according to their polity. It will be seen that about 1,600 have a Congregational form of government, in which authority rests in the local church; that in nearly 1,200 churches the polity is Presbyterian, in which authority is largely in the local church, but partly in a representative body of several churches grouped in districts. Under the title of "Episcopal Bodies" are grouped denominations comprising 2,721 churches, or more than the total number of the Presbyterian and Congregational combined.

The Methodist Protestant Churches are not placed in either of these groups because their polity resembles, in some respects, that of the Congregational and in others that of the Episcopal churches. Authority with them rests largely in the local church, which owns its property and has authority to receive and dismiss its own members, but in other respects resembles closely the churches of the Episcopal order. In the fourth group are 82 other churches or religious organizations which we have failed to classify. The Catholic bodies, including Greek and Russian, number 253.

Differences as to church polity are not sufficiently great to constitute a dangerous obstacle to the progress of church unity among the Protestant rural churches of Ohio. Our system of universities and public schools, together with the custom of reading religious articles, books, and other literature without regard to the denomination of the author, is tending to remove theological differences as between denominations. It may be said it has already removed them in the eleven denominations represented in the Committee of Interchurch Cooperation. This is true whatever differences may still exist between individuals.

TABLE E

CHURCHES GROUPED ACCORDING TO THEIR POLITY

CONGREGATIONAL BODIES

Total 1,601
Baptist, including Free, Free Will and Missionary 379
Disciples 367
Christian 228
Congregational 135
Christian Union 92
Friends 84
Mennonite 56
Church of God 54
Union 40
Universalist 39
Colored Baptist 38
Disciples, Non-Progressive 32
Primitive Baptist 21
Seventh Day Advent 13
Advent Christian 12
United Baptist 5
Nazarene 5
Seventh Day Baptist 1

PRESBYTERIAN BODIES

Total 1,192
Presbyterian 396
Lutheran 362
Reformed, including German Reformed 175
Brethren (German Baptist) 113
United Presbyterian 77
German Evangelical 48
Calvinist Methodist 12
Reformed Presbyterian 8
Slavic Lutheran 1

EPISCOPAL BODIES

Total 2,721
Methodist Episcopal 1,793
United Brethren 521
Evangelical Association 129
Radical United Brethren 95
African Methodist Episcopal 40
Protestant Episcopal 39
United Evangelical 27
German Methodist Episcopal 27
Free Methodist 27
Wesleyan Methodist 27
Moravian 4
Primitive Methodist 1

CATHOLIC BODIES

Total 253
Catholic (Roman) 248
Greek Catholic 4
Russian Catholic 1

OTHER BODIES

Total 293
Methodist Protestant 211
Holiness 25
Brethren (O. O., Prog. and River) 21
Latter Day Saints 6
Saints 5
Christian Missionary Alliance 4
Christian Science 3
International Bible Students Association 3
Federated 3
Missionary Church Association 2
Pietist 1
Wengerite 1
Seven Sleepers 1
Denomination not reported 7