The Negro's church,.

218 The Negro's Church
ships of 4,000 and above, raised considerably more, $26,652.50 and $30,435.56 per church respectively.
Although the amounts increase considerably in two instances in churches with memberships beyond 2,000, this is
somewhat offset by the facts revealed in Table 16 in the Appendix. This table shows that the best churches, as to average attendance and the number of regular contributors, are
those with memberships less than 2,000. Churches with
fewer than 1,000 members, and those with memberships
ranging from 1,000 to 2,000, have an average attendance of
almost 49 per cent. of the reported membership; and approximately 49 per cent. are regular contributors; but beyond 2,000
there is a reduction of 17.0 per cent. in average attendance
and 16.6 per cent. in the number of regular contributors.
The norm or yardstick, therefore, lies between 500 and 2,000
members, and the finance of the churches with memberships
ranging from 500 to 2,000 ranges between $6,446 and
$11,942. The point advanced here is that those churches
with budgets ranging from $6,446 to $11,942 are in a position to command a paid staff, which would make possible a
more effective church program than most of the churches
that have small memberships and less than $3,000 for all
TABLE XVI-NUMBER OF CHURCHES NEEDED ON BASIS OF 500
ADULT MEMBERS
Number City
City Adult Members Needed* Has Now Excess
Houston...................... 29,712 59 160 101
Cincinnati..................... 22,341 45 112 67
Charleston..................... 12,657 25 61 36
Birmingham................... 45,957 92 216 124
Atlanta....................... 42,684 85 184 99
New Orleans................... 60,468 121 222 101
Richmond..................... 24,358 49 89 40
Memphis...................... 47,286 95 143 48
Chicago....................... 113,602 227 344 117
Baltimore..................... 65,654 131 186 55
Detroit........................ 53,123 106 146 40
Philadelphia................... 102,522 205 241 30/
* On a basis of 500 adult members per church.