Newspapers / North Carolina Christian Advocate … / June 27, 1918, edition 1 / Page 2
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RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE Thursday, June 27, ij,ls 4& EDITORIAL dm Page Two 1 AN EXPLANATION. A number of our cumosters who order- ed Testaments for our soldiers recently had to wait a considerable time before their orders could be filled. Increasing sales of these books had exhausted our supply; and, when we ordered a new sup- ply, the publishers were likewise out of stock. The unusual sale of these books has made it impossible for the publishers to keep up with the demand. We now have a new supply on hand and orders will be filled immediately direct from this office while the supply lasts. Notes and Comments Praise for Dr. Parker. Referring to Dr. Par ker's declination to accept the office of Bishop tendered him by our late General Conference, The North Western Christian Advocate has the following to say: "Will his example inspire others to do likewise? It is feared not. Excellence in the special work in which a man is en gaged when the 'call' comes seems at timej to be forgotten, and more, than one great preacher, secretary, or editor has been spoiled to make a fair Bishop. The very spirit manifested by Dr. Parker would seem to disprove his self-estimate and establish his claim to election. But he is his own judge. His declination created a profound impression and will stamp him as a great man greater in the eyes of the Church than when they cast their ballots for his elevation." It is not likely that the example of Dr. Parker in this matter wiil ever secure any large follow ing. Few men are sufficiently great not to bo lured by the greatness of title ami position. n n n Iood Regulations Become More Stringent. The country has reached a crisis particularly in the sugar situation. The State Food Adminis tration was holding protracted and important conferences last week in Haleigh and we learn that for the purpose of conserving sugar the soft drink business will shortly be suspended. Our people need to realize more and more that we must follow the lead of these men who are giving their time to the work of so distributing the available food supply as to conserve the best interests of the country. These men know what food stocks are available and the quantities of each that are consumed by our people under normal conditions. It becomes necessary for them to limit the amount of certain foods that may be used in order that the supply shall not become exhausted and leave our soldiers and our Allies without proper food. Our attitude toward this administration must be one of will ing obedience. n n n A Great Meeting of Methodists Few meet ings are ever held that rise in magnitude to the level of the one held by the Methodist Episcopal Church at Columbus, Ohio, on June 19th. They came together for the consideration of a big pro gram, and one that touches the whole of Ameri can Methodism. It called for the presence of all the District Superintendents, the Presiding Ei ders as we know them, all the Bishops of the Church, all secretaries and editors, besides as many pastors and laymen as they could prevail upon to attend. They hoped to get togetner representatives from every part of the entire country so that in their planning the great for ward Missionary Movement to celebrate the Centennial of American Methodist Missions, they could have the viewpoint of all sections of the country, and the judgment of men of all localities. We are having a somewhat similar meeting at Lake Junaluska this week and with the same end in .view. This is the most gigantic forward movement Methodism In this country has ever undertaken. ' H II 11 Reports From the War Fronts for the past week are more favorable to the cause of the Al lies. It is true that these lulls in the fighting have come at almost regular intervals since the spring drive began in March, but it also seems to us that the successive drives on the Western Front have been weakening rather than growing stronger. This was particularly true in the last drive, at least so far as the ability of the enemy to bend back our lines is concerned. We are warned that another drive may be expected soon, and, of course, there must be no relaxation in the preparedness of our forces for any offensive that may be hurled against them; but at the same time it seems hopeful to us that the snap and nower of the enemy offensive is not showing itself to be so strong as it was. The comparative failure of the offensive on the Italian front caD hardly fail to have its effect also on the Western. Upon the whole it seems to us at this writing that there is good ground for encouragement and perseverence in the tremendous task that is si ill doubtless before us. H H I The Season of District Conferences is now on in full blast. The dates for them are so crowd ed that it will be impossible for the editor to j?et to many of them. It is hoped, however, that the interest of the Advocate will not be over looked at any of them. The Advocate Purchase Stock has been paid in full by only two districts, while two others of the districts have made no report at all. It would be well for the Presid ing Elders to arrange to have all this money collected by their District Conferences. This would increase by that much the dividend that will be due for our worn-out preachers at the coming session of our Conference. They are losing the interest of this money until it is paid into the hands of the Treasurer, Mr. Jos. G. Brown, of Raleigh. Then the campaign foi new subscriptions and renewals has not been' so earnestly waged this year as last. A much smaller number of charges has seccured their apportionment of new subscribers and many have omitted the matter entirely. At this time the lack of this income is straining the financial resources of the Advocate to do busi ness as they have not been strained in recent years. Subscription money, therefore, that the preacher can collect and carry to the District Conference, or send direct to the Advocate office, will be especially helpful at this time. At those Conferences to which the editor will not be able to go, he hopes to have some person there who will represent the interests of the paper. Imme diate attention to this matter on the part of the preachers and people will be greatly appreciated. II H I A Warning Note Sounded. The religious press of the Methodist Episcopal Church is carrying a report from Dr. Edgar Blake, Corresponding Sec retary of their Board of Sunday-schools, that may well give us all pause. The following fig ures are given: "The returns from twenty-six Spring Conferences show a loss of 37,400 in Sunday-school membership, 30,952 in average at tence, 11,525 in conversions, and 10,0G4 in ac cessions to the Church." Dr. Blake goes on to estimate the total losses for the year, if this per se centage continues through all the year. The l:e places as follows: In membership, 1 1: G , u o u in average attendance, 100,000, in conversions near. ly 50,000, and in accessions to the Church near ly 40,000. Doubtless many who were ln the Sunday-schools last year are now in Prance or in the training camps; but this cannot account for nearly all this loss. We shall all have this problem to face. The shock of this great war upon the religious life of our country is bound to be felt. The Church must come to her knee in a deeper consecration. There is no other wav to meet it. I t is useless to discuss plans am! methods. The wisdom of the world Is not going to solve this problem. We must fall back upon God with a fuller abandon, a completer sur render of ourselves to Him. In the spirit or prayer and a life of consecration is found the power which the Church needs to meet this cru cial hour in the life of the world; and, ir the Church fails at this point, there is nothing that can hold up the world's life and carry it to high er levels. n it n The Bible at Columbia College. Columbia College is a branch of Columbia University, which claims to be the largest university in the world; and by a recent action of the Faculty, it has been decided to accept a knowledge of the Bible as one unit in the requirements for admis sion. The knowledge of the Bible required is defined as follows: a. The epic narrative of the Old Testament; a knowledge of the chief char acters and incidents presented in Genesis, Exo dus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and Daniel, b. The memorizing 'of some of the more notable pas sages of Biblical prose and poetry, c. Hebrew history from the Egyptian period to the destruc tion of the Jewish commonwealth in 70 A. D.; de velopment of the life and institutions of the He brew people with some consideration of their contributions to human culture. d. Early Christian biography; the life of Jesus and His early followers; the parables of Jesus; the life of Paul. e. Introductions to the English Bible; how the Bible and its separate books came to be and how they have come" down to the present time." Of course, the viewpoint of these re quirements is purely academic, and the religious value of such knowledge may be problematic; but, if the study of the Bible to get this informa tion is done from the right viewpoint, its value will be great. I IT f A Brave, True Siren The congregation Sunday-school of Roanoke Rapids Baptist Church, according to a report in the secular press, adopted the following: "If there be any oilicer, teacher, choir member or leader who will not desist from (lancing, he is respect fu.ly re' 1 1 " It quested to resign his position in the Churcii. is stated that this was passed "practically unan imously." There has never been a real question as to the atitude of the Baptist Chun-h, or the Methodist Church, on this question, ever else we may differ about, here is one p01 , ..l va RKIW nave and of not on which these two Churches in theory. The sad part of it is that neither it in nrnp.HcG. and there w the shadow of a doubt in our mind bur that Church generally has lost tremendously tual power and influence by holding xib 1 bership without reproof those who m -this practice. We had gone far enough , the road of dalliance and compromise on question, but we fear that this war ia ta 11 Q farther still. Dances given complimentary soldiers and for the benefit of the Red ( I'osS'
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
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June 27, 1918, edition 1
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