Every ten years the Federal Government takes a census of all religious bodies in the United States. This census is worth while in marking the progress of church interests in the different States, comparing memberships, contributions, educational, and other activities of the various denominations. The end of the year 1946 was the time for this decennial census. In gathering the required information, the Bureau of the Census in Washington, D.C., has sent schedule blanks directly to the churches to be filled out and returned to them.
Although we Seventh-day Adventists have our own statistical department, which gathers nearly all the information requested, we are glad to co-operate with the Government in its effort to get as accurate data as possible on the same basis as other denominations report.
From the church directories sent in by the conference secretaries, the name of the pastor or another leading officer of each Seventh-day Adventist church in the United States has been furnished by our General Conference headquarters office in Washington to the Census Bureau.
The General Conference is desirous that the response to the Census Bureau's request be one hundred per cent from every Seventh-day Adventist church in the United States. Conference workers, district leaders, and pastors may find an opportunity to help our churches secure the information asked for on the schedule blank sent to them, and to encourage all our churches to return these blanks promptly to the Census Bureau.
