n their charges; only 174, or 26 per cent,
had had two years' acquaintance with their parishes; 318, or 48 per cent,
were beginning their first year of service in their charges; 172, or 26
per cent, were beginning their second year; 110, or 16 per cent, were
beginning their third year; while there were only 64, or less than 10 per
cent, who had been as long as three years in the parishes they were
serving. Only 8, or a little more than 1 per cent, had served as long as
five years in their parishes, while only one man had served more than
seven years.

TABLE VI

TERMS OF SERVICE OF METHODIST EPISCOPAL COUNTRY MINISTERS, 1917

Key:
1 _State of Ohio_
2 _Per cent_
3 _Ohio Conference_
4 _West Ohio Conference_
5 _Northeast Ohio Conference_

1 2 3 4 5
Total number of ministers 664 100 144 226 294
No. beginning 1st or 2nd year
of service in their charges 490 74 115 161 214
No. beginning their 1st year
of service in their charges 318 48 78 97 143
No. beginning their 2nd year
of service in their charges 172 26 37 64 71
No. beginning their 3rd year
of service in their charges 110 16 20 37 53
No. who have been two years
or more in their charges 174 26 29 65 80
No. who had served three
years or more in their
present charges 64 10 9 28 27
No. who had served four years
or more in their present
charges 18 3 3 2 13
No. who had served five years
or more in their present
charges 8 1 2 1 5
No. who had served six years
or more in their present Less
charges 3 than 0 0 3
one
No. who had served seven
years or more in their
present charges 1 " 0 0 1
No. who had served eight
years or more in their
present charges 1 " 0 0 1

In Table VII it appears that in 2 of the 1,170 strictly rural townships
there is a church for each 99 persons or less; that in 227 townships there
are from 100 to 199 persons to a church; that in 446 there are from 200 to
299 persons; that in 270 townships there are from 300 to 399; that in 122
townsh