81'9111y-seventh annual STATISTICAL REPORT of • • • Seventh-day Adventists 1949 Claude Canard • • Statistical Secretary GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS Takoma Park, Washington 12, D.C. PRINTED IN THE U.D A. STATISTICAL REPORT of Seventh-day Adventist Conferences, Missions, and I Institutions in World Field For the Year Ending December 31, 1949 The record of another year is presented in this summary of Total Membership Since 1912 (Continued) Seventh-day Adventist activities throughout the world, under the Per Cent of Annual Gain Over Pre- guiding hand of our Heavenly Father. The church membership in Year violas Year North America and overseas divisions was 716,538 at the close of Members Gain 1949, an increase of 43,880 members over 1948. This represents 65 1937 452,758 14,619 3,34 new members for every 1,000 appearing on the church rolls at the 1938 469,951 17,193 3.80 beginning of 1949, compared with an average increase of 70 per 1939 486,670 16,719 3.56 1,000 in 1948. In overseas territories the average increase of new 1940 504,752 18,082 3.72 adherents was 83 per 1,000 members. The overseas membership 1941 520,644 15,892 3.15 increased 36,147 during 1949; in North America the increase was 1942 535,134 14,490 2.78 7,733, a total of 43,880 for the denomination as a whole. 1943 544,710 9,576 1.79 All church contributions throughout the world field, including 1944 557,768 13,058 2.40 tithe, mission offerings and donations for home and local work, 1945 576,378 18,610 3.23 were $44,450,803.21 in 1949 (not including additional relief offer- 1946 598,683 22,305 3.87 ings of $294,767.43), representing a total increase of $2,416,266.43 1947 628,594 29,911 5.00 over 1948. Each member contributed $62.03, on the average, during 1948 672,658 44,064 7.01 1949; in North America the average was $137.07 per capita, com- 1949 716,538 43,880 6.52 pared with $135.70 in 1948, an increase of $1.37. The tabulations in this report make comparisons over a period Gain since 1912 618,494 of years of church memberships, tithe and other contributions, Membership in 1912 98,044 as well as departmental and institutional activities. Detailed infor- mation is presented in tables regarding Seventh-day Adventist Membership in 1949 716,538 conferences and missions around the world; the progress of educa- tional, medical and publishing institutions; the countries -where NET GAINS IN CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Seventh-day Adventist missions are conducted, and the languages in which publications of the church are issued. Summaries indicate Membership in 1863 3,500 Gains, 1935 18,459 the growth of major activities of the denomination since the Gains, 1863-72, 10 yrs 1,301 Gains, 1936 15,171 organization of the General Conference in 1863. Gains, 1873-82, " _ .. 12,368 Gains, 1937 14,619 Gains, 1883-92, " , .. 16,609 Gains, 1938 17,193 Gains, 1893-02, .... 33,372 Gains, 1939 . 16,719 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH MEMBERSHIP BY Gains, 1903-12, " . 30,894 Gains, 1940 18,082 DIVISIONS FOR THE WORLD FIELD Gains, 1913-17, 5 yrs 55,813 Gains, 1941 15,892 Division 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Gains, 1918-22, 5 yrs 54,914 Gains, 1942 14,490 Gains, 1923-27, 5 yrs 65,293 Gains, 1943 Australasian .. „ 22,930 29,428 29,923 25,407 26,989 9,576 Central European 88,089 31,278 86,962 41,996 43,570 Gains, 1928 11,229 Gains, 1944 13,058 China ... 22,940 21,789 20,540 22,088 28,416 Gains, 1929 14,262 Gains, 1945 18,610 Far Eastern 96,052 88,743 38,225 92,909 47,615 Gains, 1930 14,698 Gains, 1946 22,305 Inter-American .. .. 59,603 59,878 62,706 66,571 71,784 North America . 212,514 220,122 228,179 235,460 248,199 Gains, 1931 21,793 Gains, 1947 29,911 Northern European 30,620 18,699 19,305 20,395 21,764 Gains, 1932 26,055 Gains, 1948 44,064 South American . ..... 41,284 49,076 46,144 49,940 52,982 Gains, 1933 22,050 Gains, 1949 43,880 Southern African 96,460 60,810 54,498 60,883 70,190 Southern Asia .. 8,135 8,512 9,338 10,387 10,873 Gains, 1934 20,358 Southern European 98,005 46,148 50,830 57,651 66,873 Membership at close of 1949 716,538 16,513 16,513 16,513 16,518 16,513 Unattached Territories 8,486 20,807 21,481 22,558 21,885 TITHES AND OFFERINGS Totals .. ...... 576,978 598,689 628,594 672,658 716,538 Reported receipts of funds during 1949, not including relief Transfers in territory account for some of the abnormal changes in the contributions, were as follows; division memberships. North America Per Cent General Summary-World Field, 1949 Amount of Whole Per Capita Number of Seventh-day Adventist Churches 9,991 Tithes $19,756,492.44 59.27% $ 81.24 Church Membership 716538 Foreign Missions 7,291,332.86 21.87% 29.98 Tithe $27,078,860.05 Home Work 6,285,284.49 18.86% 25.85 Mission Offerings 10,184,854.96 Home Offerings 7,187,088.20 Total for 1949 $33,333,109.79 100.00% $137.07 Total for 1948 31,954,852.80 135.70 Total Funds Raised $44,450,803.21 Increase 1949 $ 1,378,256.09 $ 1.37 Per Cent Increase 1949 4.31% TOTAL MEMBERSHIP SINCE 1912 Per Cent of Annual Gain Over Pre- World Field (Including North America) Year Members Gain pious Year Per Cent Amount of Whole Per Capita 1912 98,044 Tithes $27,078,860.05 60.92% $37.79 1913 114,557 16,513 16.84 Foreign Missions 1914 10,184,854.96 22.91% 14.21 125,844 11,287 9.85 Home Work 7,187,088.20 16.17% 10.03 1915 136,879 11,035 8.77 1916 141,488 4,609 3.37 Total for 1949 $44,450,803.21 100.00% $62.03 1917 153,857 12,369 8.74 Total for 1948 42,034,536.78 62.49 1918 162,667 8,810 5.73 1919 178,239 15,572 9.51 Increase 1949 $ 2,416,266.43 Deaf. $ .46 1920 185,450 7,211 4.05 Per Cent of Increase 1949 ..„ 5.75% 1921 198,088 12,638 6.81 During recent years the Seventh-day Adventist church member- 1922 208,771 10,683 5.39 ship average per capitas of tithes and all reported foreign mission 1923 221,874 13,103 6.213 and home contributions have been as here shown for North Amer- 1924 238,657 16,783 7.56 ica and for the whole world field including the North American 1925 250,988 12,331 6.17 territory; 1926 261,834 10,846 4.32 North World North World 1927 274,064 12,230 4.67 Year America Field Year America Field 1928 285,293 11,229 4.10 1932 $42.26 $25.56 1941 $ 62.81 $31.13 1929 299,555 14,262 5.00 1933 36.96 22.50 1942 77.15 37.57 1930 314,263 14,698 4.91 1934 41.28 24.46 1943 101.04 47.14 1931 336,046 21,793 6.93 1935 42.48 24.81 1944 109.28 51.43 1932 362,101 26,055 7.75 1936 47.04 26.50 1945 118.47 54.72 1933 384,151 22,050 6.09 1937 50.76 27.86 1946 126.85 60.16 1934 404,509 20,358 5.30 1938 49.72 27.68 1947 126.95 62.02 1935 422,968 18,459 4.56 1939 50.40 27.74 1948 135.70 62.49 1936 438,139 15,171 3.59 1940 53.37 28.18 1949 137.07 62.03 1 Statistical Report for 1949 3 is The percentage increases in the several groups of funds for a MEMBERS, CHURCHES, AND EVANGELISTIC period of years are given below: LABORERS Con- Evangelistic North America Year Members ferences Missions Churches Laborers Year Tithe Foreign Missions Home Work Total 1872 4,801 12 1 205 86 1937 10.01% 6.34% 7,61% 10.08% 1882 17,169 26 6 660 301 1938 1.57% Deer. .88% 8.12% 1.94% 1892 33,778 34 11 1,102 400 1939 5.34% 3.71% 5.98% 5.00% 1902 67,150 72 42 2,077 2,278 1940 10.22% 11.34% 12.64% 10.95% 1912 98,044 126 100 2,874 5,101 1941 23.77% 16.20% 9.84% 19.23% 1922 208,771 143 153 4,927 7,600 1942 34.78% 18.48% 24,08% 28.68% 1932 362,101 144 289 7,322 10,749 1943 31.80% 29.81% 46,16% 33.56% 1933 384,151 146 309 7,640 10,946 1944 17.35% 16.09% Deer. 16.36% 11.27% 1934 404,509 144 318 7,818 11,642 1945 7.87% 7.13% 35,99% 11.31% 1935 422,968 146 320 8,026 12,185 1411, 1946 7.87% 10.12% 23,90% 10.94% 1936 438,139 143 328 8,243 12,589 1947 5.29% Deer. 1.29% 5,47% 3.75% 1937 452,758 145 333 8,388 13,008 1948 12.06% 6.52% 9.25% 10.30% 1938 469,951 136 315 8,570 13,105 1949 2.37% 4.24% 9.93% 4.31% 1939 486,670 133 306 8,761 13,257 1940 504,752 136 194* 8,924 13,579 1941 520,644 137 193 9,105 13,899 World Field (Including North America) 1942 535,134 136 194 9,212 14,207 Year Tithe Foreign Missions Hothe Work Total 1943 544,710 136 185 ' 9,282 13,889 1944 557,768 135 192 9,351 14,648 1937 9.38% 6.14% 10,72% 8.65% 1945 1938 3.52% .92% 5.70% 4.19% 576.378 137 197 9,496 14,874 1946 598,683 137 204 9,321 14,972 1939 4.82% 1.77% 3.72% 3.79% 1947 136 205 1940 5.76% 3.42% 7.39% 628,594 9,554 16,551 5.38% 1948 672,658 139 213 9,749 17,313 1941 11.29% 12.43% 4.61% 13,91% 1942 28.20% 16.87% 20.85% 24.09% 1949 716,538 145 216 9,991 17,523 * Includes only regularly organized mission fields after 1939.