The Negro's church,.

Membership in Urban Churches 101
majority, often approximating a two-to-one ratio. It is the
opinion of pastors that there are more women members than
men, and that women do more of the church work. A study
covering a larger scope than this one in regard to the sex of
members, shows that women are more highly churched than
men.
The number of colored women 13 years of age and over included on the rolls of Negro churches represents 73 per cent. of
the total number living in the United States, while for white
women this ratio is 62 per cent. Interestingly enough, Negro
men not only make a far lower showing than colored women,
but even lower than the white men. Only 46 per cent. of all
adult Negro men are in church, compared with 49 per cent.
among the white men. These findings tend to explode the idea
that the church has a peculiar hold upon Negro temperament.
Certainly, if interest in organized religion was primarily the result of a racial attitude of mind, this factor should influence Negro
men as well as women.6
METHODS OF RECRUITING MEMBERS
The methods of recruiting members have changed somewhat in recent years. Five hundred and sixty-one churches
had one or two revivals the year previous to the interviews,
or something equivalent to a revival such as a period of prayer
or Lenten observance, as a means of reviving the church and
recruiting members. In addition, each service is considered
evangelical or revivalistic in all of the churches, in the sense
that an invitation is extended to those in the audience who
may care to join. The invitation is democratic-in only one
case would one have reason to believe that a few members
actually planned to have it otherwise. In this instance, some
of the members did not want the pastor to open the doors
of the church; but instead to let the members of the church
'Fry, C. Luther, The U. S. Looks At Its Churches (New York. Institute of
Social and Religious Research, 1930), p. 11.