AND YE SHALL KNOW THETRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.
(
VOL. LVIL
CHARLOTTE. N. C~ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1936.
<#S
NO. 38
PRAYER FOR A MORATORIUM
By WilHam F. McDermott In The Chicago Daily News
The rector of New York’s fa
mous Trinity Church, with its
graveyard heads up Wall Street
in New York—the East river
being the foot of that financial
thoroughfare—suggests a mor
atorium of a year or two on ser
mons. Trinity, a $30,000,000
corporation which for many
years drew its support from
New York City’s tenements, a
situation, which, however, is re
ported to be largely cleaned up,
might be an eminently fitting
place to start the moratorium.
The idea, nevertheless, is an
excellent one. The suggestion
of this writer after an experi
ence of twenty-five years in the
pulpit, pew and at a reporter's
desk with the vicissitudes of
life, is that the moratorium be
made permanent, and that it
apply not only to preaching but
also to preachers of certain
■✓types. The good rector’s rec
ommendation, which it is hoped
he will evolve into an experi
ment, suggests this prayer foi
a moratorium.
From sermons mat are auii,
pointless, meaningless and pur
, poseless; fr«n sermons that are
ill-prepared, have no relation
ship to the problems of every
day life, which leave the congre
gation hungering, after eternal
truth; from sermons that are
negative, raising a lot of doubts
and presenting no conviction;
from sermons that are perfunc
torily delivered, having back of
them no spiritual power, no
flaming passion to bring a lost
world to its Creator—
Oh Lord, eternally deliver us.
Prom preachers whose fluen
cy, volubility and self-esteem
lead them to mistake words for
ideas and eloquence for conse
crations;; from clergymen who
parade in their pulpits and who
feed and fatten upnn the sim
'•perftSfcT compliments "' of thetr
conscience-lulled church mem
bers; from ministers whose
prayers are addresses and in
structions to the Almighty in
stead of confessions and plead
ings; from pastors who subtly
flatter and coddle their mem
bers in order to hold their jobs
and perhaps pave the way to
more remunerative ones; from
clergymen anywhere and ev
erywhere [who \are indifferent,
without compassion, and who
have forgotten the Way of the
Cross for themselves, their con
gregations and the world—
Oh Lord, eternally deliver us
From churches that fight
among themselves in the name
of the Prince of Peace, who will
die for the denomination but
not for the Savior ; from church
es that are arrogant because
they have better buildings,
their members have a little bet
ter clothes, more education,
finer cars than the mission
around the comer; from church
es that will work themselves
into fever heat over a bazaar
and door-prizes but let the
prayer meeting die for lack of
spirituality; from churches that
are mere social clubs with
clergymen-secretaries; from
churches that are betraying
their Master by their indiffer
ence to the needs of under-fed
children,’ overworked mothers,
defeated men, to the cause of
world peace nod social justice,1
to the coming of the Kingdom
of God on earth in. individual
lives, in industry, in interna
tional relations—_
Oh Lord, eternally deliver us.
Frdm laymen who are Chris
tians in everything but their
actions; who put on their cloak
oe leligion wh :n they enter the
church door and leave it when
they go out; who piously feel
they have “done their religious
duty' by attending churc h„
drowsing through the sermon
and trying to conjure up during
the prayers a method to put it
over a competitor, and then go
ing out to be pagans in homes
and business; who compliment
the pastor to his face and then
stab him in the back; who put a
nickel in the plate and sing
I “Jesus Paid It All;” from lay
men who are shysters, crooks,
hypocrites, Pharisees, sulkers,
tyrants, double-crossers, poor
sports, quitters, shirkers and
everything else antithetical to
their professed religion; from
laymen who make others turn
from religious faith as a mock
ery—
Oh Lord, eternally deliver us.
From headline-chasers of pul
pit and pew; from pin-headed
ecclesiastical politicians who
run around meddlng into every
business but their own; from
eternal conferees and resolu
tioners; from publicity hounds,
spellbinders, pointers-with-pride
and viewers-with-alarm about
everything and everybody but
themselves and their own sins;
from self-seekers, racketeers,
loafers, bigots, self appointed
Messiahs and other Judases who
every day crucify again Thy
Son—
__Oh Lord, eternally deliver us
From slackers who attempt
to cover their hypocrisy with
the inconsistencies of those in
the church; from maudlinisin
and sentimentality, products of
weakmindedness and cowardice,
which gloss over crime and ob
struct justice; from breeders of
intolerance, race - hatred and
class consciousness, who spawn
war, riots and poverty; from
pseudo-scientists who use the
aiassroom to ‘destroy religious
faith; from the superficiality
"hid delusion of materialism, and
from selfishness, vainglory,
shoddy workmanship, bragga
docio, defeatism and other sins
of the flesh and the spirit.
FAIRFIELD YOUNG PEO
PLE’S LEAGUE MEETING
The Young People’s League
of District No, 2, Fairfi&d Pres
bytery, held its 6th meeting Sat
urday, Sep. 5, 1936 at Ebenezer
Presbyterian church, Dalzell,
S. C., Rev. M. J, Jackson, pas
tor.
The meeting opened with reg
istration at 11 o’clock, with
Misses Otelia Taylor and Brydia
Tindal in charge. At 11:30 rec
reation and games were super
vised by Misses Tena Frierson
and Amanda James.
The opening worship services
were conducted by the young
people of Ebenezer Parish. Aft
er which the League went im
mediately into the business ses
sion with the new President,
Mr. Harry Shaw, presiding.
Reports from Y. P. societies,
Bible schools and the installa
tion of new officers were had.
At 1:15 a very delicious din
ner was served by members of
Ebenezer church. A cordial
welcome was extended by Miss
La Nelle Jackson. The discus
sional period began at 2:15,
theme: “Christian Youth Builds
a New Church.” Discussion was
led by Mr. Clifton Brogden,
Mr. Ernest Jackson, Misses
Ernestine Pogue and Thelma
Colton and Mr. J. T. Jones.
From the discussion came the
question, Why aren’t the young
people more attracted to the
church services of today. Some
of the complaints and problems
were brought to consideration.
The church needs a new social
order, shorter and more inter
esting services, better pastors,
more social activities were some
of the needs mentioned in the
•discussion, in order to duiio »
new church for Christ we must
begin building through worship,
with stronger teachings, better
fellowship between man and
God, and with more service.
These are the essentials in build
ing a new church. So let us
contemplate these essential
phases of the theme and begin
building a new church for
Christ along with new Christian
lives for His service.
At 3:45 there was a worship
service. Theme: “I Will Build
My Church.” The message was
given by Rev. J. F. Henderson
(Continued on page 4)
t
FACTS ABOUT CHURCH
MEMBERSHIP
(From The Federal Council
Bulletin.)
Despite the chorus of lament
about the alleged “decline of
organized religion" in America,
the churches more' than held
their own in membership in
1935. According to the figures
reported last month by Dr.
George Linn Kieffer, President
of the Association of Statisti
cians of American Religious
Bodies, our total church mem
bership — Protestant, Catholic
and Jewish—has reached the
high point of 62,678,177. This
is a gain of 670,801, a percent
age of gain of 1.08 over the pre
vious year. When this is com
pared with the average of gain
of less than one percent in the
population, it is seen that the
churches are more than keep
ing pace with the population.
if the figures for adult mem
bership are taken—an adult for
the purpose of the census being
defined as a person thirteen
yearR °f age or over—the rec
ord is even more encouraging.
The total “adult” membership,
as thus defined, was 51,035,549
in 1935, which is 58.55 percent
of the population of that age.
In 1926, when the last Census
of Religious Bodies was taken
by the federal Bureau of the
Census, the percentage stood at
55.64.
An interesting aspect ot
church statistics is gained by
noting the bodies to which these
church members belong. In
spite of the fact that there are
more than 200 different groups
listed as “national bodies/' the
vast majority belong to a much
more limited circle. No fewer
than 61,212,998, or 97.66 per
cent of the total, belong to the
49 denominations that have at
least 50,000 members each. It
thus appears that the great
body of American church mem
bers/are not quite as badly
split is often assumed;—
To say how many Protestants
or Catholics there are is not
easy in the lack of a precise def
inition of the terms, but at least
a general statement can be
made. In the total church mem
bership there are 22,609,302
Roman Catholics (including all
their baptized children). 4,083.
242 are Jews. The Eastern
Churches, including both those
that recognize the Ecumenical
Patriarch (Orthodox) and those
who do not, number 1,105,762
members. There are 764,714
Mormons, 202,098 Christian
Scientists. The Old Catholics,
the Polish National Catholics
and miscellaneous groups like
Spiritualists, Vedantists, Ba
ha’is, Buddhists, etc., number
considerably less than 300,000.
This means that American Pro
testantism, in its well recogniz
ed branches, includes more than
85,600,000 members.
There are, of course, far more
important criteria of success
than size. In the religious realm
quality is vastly more signifi
cant than quantity. It is entire
ly possible, as William Watson’s
satirical poem reminds us, for a
church to be “outwardly splen
did as of old” and yet to be “in
wardly sparkless, void and
cold.” Nevertheless, it is of no
little import that more than
sixty millions of Americans still
feel the force of religion suffi
ciently to desire to be associat
ed with its organized forms and
that the percentage has never
been larger than it is today.
PEACE
(From The North Carolina
Agricultural Review)
In the solitude of evening,
When the cooling breezes
blow—
In the east a .full moon rising,
In the west, day's afterglow:
’Tis then no doubts can hover
In the puny soul of man;
Tis then that God, the Lover,
Soothes His own, as naught
else can. —WHR
Good humor is the world’s
best antidote for trouble.
SCHOOLS PROGRESS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Nothing is more important
than education; nothing can be
a greater asset to the farm and
those who earn their living
from the soil. Following is a
concise statement of the pro
gress of public education in
North Carolina, which should be
clipped an<| preserved by every
reader of this paper.
1705 — Charles Griffin, the
first professional teacher in
North Carolina, was sent to
Pasquotank County by the So
ciety for the Propagation of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts
through the Established Church
of England.
17bO—.first academy estab
lished by Reverend James Tate
at Wilmington. Crowfield Acad
emy established in Mecklenburg
County near the present site of
Davidson College.
1772—A school for little girls
established by the Moravians
at Salem.. This ultimately de
veloped finto Salem Female
Academy, later Salem College.
1776—Adoption of a constitu
tional provision for legislative
establishment of schools and
for a university.
1825-—Establishment of the
State Literary Fund.
1839—“An Act to divide the
Counties into School Districts
and for other purposes”—first
Common School Law drawn by
William W. Cherry. In the
election of August 8, nearly ev
ery county voted favorably.
1852—Election of Calvin H.
Wiley, first General Superin
tendent of Common Schools.,
I860—Plan of graded schoo1
system outlined at the annual
meeting of the State Education
al Association.
1864 — Legislature } passed
graded school bill.
1865— Legislature recognized
right, of the Negro to be edu
cated. Establishment of Shayv
University, Raleigh, and Wash
bum Seminary, Beaufort, the
first institutions for Negroes
set up to offer courses above the
elementary level.
1870 i— First public white
graded school aided by money
from a city treasury establish
ed in Greensboro.
1903—The Literary Fund feet
aside exclusively as a means of
building and improving school
houses.
1907—Legislature authorized
the establishment of rural high
schools and appropriated S45,
000 annually for their main
tenance.
,1914—The establishment of
the first County Training
Schools for Negroes by the aid
of the John F. Slater Fund.
1915 — By this date there
was a public high school in ev
ery county. Publication of the
first list of high schools accred
ited by the State University.
The beginning of the Rosenwald
Building Program for Negro
schools.
| 1917—State certification of
teachers begun on a definite
standard of training. Smith
Hughes act providing Federal
aid for the teaching of agricul
ture and home economics in
public schools accepted. High
schools declared by the supreme
court to be a part of the public
school system.
1918— Constitutional amend
ment passed setting up a min
imum term of six months.
1919— The first accredited
high schools for Negroes, all at
tached to institutions of higher
learning — four State-support -
ed and seven private. Aid on
equipment in high schools from
the General Education Board.
1920— First listing of high
schools accredited by the State
Department of Public Instruc
tion.
1921— The General Assembly
provided the first Special Build
ing Fund of $5,000,000 to be
loaned to the counties for build
ing and equipping schoolhouses.
The establishment of the Divi
sion of Negro Education in the
State Department of Public In
struction. The staff included a
High School Inspector of Negro
| schools.
1923—Provisions m%de for
county-wide organization ot
schools. The first public high
schools for Negroes were ac
credited by the State—Durham,
Reidsville, Wilmington, and
Method.
1,929— Beginning of Kosen
wald aid on libraries and bus
transportation in Negro schools.
1931—Complete support for
a term of six months of school
assumed by the State.
1933—Complete support for
a term of eight months of school
assumed by the State—J. Hen
ry Highsmith, in North Caro
lina Tducation.
CONFIDENCE MARKS
.PREACHING CONFERENCE
Reports from cities in all
parts of the United States made
at a two-day conference at
Reaver College, Jenkintown,
Pennsylvania. September 8-9, in
preparation for the National
Preaching Mission of Septem
ber 13 to December 9, disclosed
a wide variety of methods
adopted by the cities’ Commit
tees of One Hundred. Some of
■these follow: “Today 80 minis
ters are meeting at Birmingham
in prayer for the National
Preaching Mission”; “more thar
500 of our women got together
a few days ago to discuss their
part in making the National
Preaching Mission effective”;
“every county in Pennsylvania
is askd to organize an interde
nominational committee of at
least 25 members” ; “practically
every one of the cities visited
in America will hold a prayer
‘retreat’ for the mission before
the missioners arrive”; “noon
prayer meetings will be held
daily for a week in advance”
“in some cities all midweek
meetings of the churches are
being devoted for four weekatxr
petitions for the mission”; “at
Louisville every Saturday night,
a period is devoted by a radr
station to silent but point-by
point suggested prayer for the
mission”; “on the opening day
Of the mission Dr. Stanley Jones
will broadcast a message over
WEAF and the red network, and
other distinguished speakers
will be heard over national hook
ups every few days afterwards”:
“our city, like others, will have
an Angelus Hour. Ours will be
at 5 P. M. daily for one week
just before the mission begins.
For five minutes the bell of ev
ery Protestant Church will ring,
to draw the entire city’s „ at
tention to what is to come.”
An unusual Christian optim
ism marked the Jenkintown con
ference. Expressed in terms of 'a
revived hope for a disillusioned
[world, a note of confidence was
heard time and again during
morning, afternoon and even
ing sessions, luncheon and din
ner meetings and between-times
conversations by the 100 men
and women present. The visi
tors came from all parts of the
country. Prominent’; a m o n g
them were about 25 members of
the group of 52 “missioners”
who are traveling across the
country this fall as preaching
representatives of a united
Protes tantism. Others present
were members of Committees of
One Hundred in cities in which
the Preaching Mission is hold
ling its evangelistic services.
As indicated by the address
es at the conference and by
many open discussions of prob
lems and methods, the feeling
of confident hope was based on
reports of unparalleled coopera
tion among all classes and
churches of persons throughout
the land, on more than a year of
'concerted preparation by local
! leaders and by the Federal
'Council of Churches, under
I whose auspices the mission is
held; on the movement’s un
usual comprehensiveness—"one
of our city’s newspaper men,”
reported a speaker, "exclaimed
to me: ‘Why, this is the biggest
thing that ever came to this
town!’ on the give-and-take
Mrmonious discussions by men
widely differing in ' religious
thought and methods; and on
newly emphasized convictions
sufch as that voiced by two mis
sioners, Protestant Episcopal
Bishop Robert Nelson Spencer
of Kansas City, “There is a
growing Christian conviction in
the —’ it air -
. world that God and his
Kingdom are alive today,” and
President John S. Whale of
Cambridge, England, “Todav
men are verily miiscoveringthe
Gospel of Christ.”
Certain phases received re
peated emphasis at the conler
ence, whicn devoted much of its
time to prayer for the forth
coming mission. “The Gospel
will solve every human prob
lem, ’ and “The Kingdom of God
is for all of man” were two of
these. The statement, “A larg
er number of people are becom
ing motivated by a spirit of
good will,” was underlined b
Dr. E. Stanley Jones of Indian
one of the few missioners who
will visit every city to be reach
ed by the National Preaching
Mission—who exclaimed: “The
Kingdom of God as Jesus des
cribed it is founded directly on
good will and brotherhood
life as it ought to be.”
^ Francis B. Sayre, Assistant
Secretary of Stats at Washing
ton, who also is one of the trav
eling missioners, made this pos
itive Christian! statement base
on world events of 1936: “At
Washington we are facing some
tortuous and critical problems.
For many of these statesmen
have found no solution. Econ
omists have found no solution.
I am convinced that the only so
lution lies in what this National
Preaching Mission stands for,
a mission with tremendous pos
sibilities."
Forecasts of some anticipated
results of the National Preach
ing Mission were made by many
speakers. Among them were
these: “It should release a spir
itual influence over the whole
nation,” “give people a fresh
sense of the fundamental place
of GcTd in human life,” “provide
a continuous crusade for evan
gelism,” “restore evangelism to
its central place in the life of
the Church,” and “regain for re
ligion the place it should have
in all our national life.”
The National Preaching Mis
sion is expected to reach hun
dreds of thousands of persons,
according to details of plans an
nounced at the Jenkintown con
ference. Through , developing
circles of evangelism, including
four-day missions in 24 cities,
two-day missions in 150 cities,
one-day missions in 500 to 1,000
cities and towns and, later in
the year, thousands of eight
day missions in every church of
every denomination in every
city, town and hamlet that will
have been influenced by the
earlier missions—in these ways
this 1936 united Christian evan
gelism was visualized as reach
ing a multitude which “no man
can number.”
National Preaching Mission
radio engagements announced
at the Jenkintown conference
in addition to that by Dr. Jones
September 13, are the follow
ing:
Saturday, September 19, 6:45
P. M. (E. D, S, T,-, Dr, Norma
Vincent Peale, WEAF and red
network
Sunday, September 20, 4:30
P. M. Sunday Vespers hour),
Dr. Paul E. Scherer, WJZ and
blue network
Wednesday, September 23, 11
A. M., Dr. William Thomson
Hanzsche, WJZ and blue net
work
Sunday, September 27, 1:30
P. M. (Highlights of the Bible
hour), Dr. Lynn Harold Hough,
WJZ arid blue network.
YADKIN PRESBYTERY
The Yadkin Presbytery will
meet in its Fall session in the
Faith Presbyterian church,
Aberdeen. N. C., September 30,
1936, at 7:30 P. M. All persons
planning to attend will notify
Mr Wm. Byrd, Aberdeen,
N. C.
J E, McMILLAN, S. C.