Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / Sept. 18, 1930, edition 1 / Page 1
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V .• i■ tiir. ■. fc mL, ' m w -j&t~ JK/km, .JB* WL> ■k ‘ JKm£ - HL jhl „..,;...": ■.' • ■ ; *j**^S0^poo» "ANB YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH. AND TBE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE." -John viii ■■ w,/' ;«■; VOL. UL CHARLOTTE, N. C., THUHjBDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1930. . . . 1^0. 37. THE PLACE OF THE CHURCH IN CHRISTIANITY OF TODAY” I -- (From a Sermon fay Rev. J. Layton Mauze, D. D., at Montreal, N. C. Reprinted from The Presbyterian Standard.) We have landed upon a time when there is a large body of Christian activities going on outside of, and largely detached from, the church. On every hand we see evidences of the fact that the significance of church mem bership is fading out and the church is slipping. While the to tal gifts from living donors for all purposes to Protestant churches during 1929 did not exceed $520,$00,000, there was contributed last year for philan thropic purposes in the United States alone approximately $2,500,000. In the judgment of the Pierce and Hedrick Corpora tion “most of this money was donated by members of the church.” Can this mean that a large portion of the church’s constituency are thus placing their money outside of the works of the church because they are convinced that the time is coming when the church will cease to be? So many things that were once done by the church are now being done by extra church or ganizations. These outside or ganizations have reached a stage of development and type of service which seriously ques tion the primacy of the church as an interpreter of practical Christianity. Once it was only the lodges which claimed first the men and later the women, butrnow the community is alive with a vast variety of agencies each embodying some function traditionally associated with 4he ahurep^Xhe devejqpteaafcof women's clubs, the many inter denominational and undenomi national organizations which honeycomb the community, the various civic clubs for men, all tend to pull church people away from service in the church. Ed ucation, hospitalization, homes for orphans and the aged were once the major function of the church, but now almost com pletely severed from it. In the last eighteen years the average membership of women to men in the church decreased from four-fifths to two-thirds. The church is losing its hold on women's lives outside their homes. Increasingly our women are taking more interest in or ganizations -— educational, be nevolent, social and political— and less in the church. As wo men have entered these new fields of service they have lost their interest in the church's program. A recent study of one thousand of the most prominent social workers in America indi cated that fully ninety per cent were originally members of the church, but large numbers of these are now utterly out of sympathy with it. Millions of persons Who ip the church caught their original vision and inspiration for Christian service are now lost to the church’s life. To these persons the church no longer has any challenge for supremacy over their hearts and lives. There is another group of church members whose connec tion with the church is of the flimsiest. About the only need they feel for the church is to receive its ordinance at birth, marriage and death. Their feel ing for the church never ap proaches devotion. The American church is rich in equipment, ministers and fi nancial resources, hut it has been making a miserable show ing in membership gains, in evangelizing the masses and in missionary conquests. In the year 1928 the churches gained 1,000,000 members, whereas in 1929 they gained only 800,000. About one-third of the Protest ant churches in the major de nominations in this country did not gain a single member to their rolls during last year. The situation in our own branch of the church is such as to bow our heads, in shame. While we ministers-and mem bers have been flogged with the scourge of complicated machin ery and new games of religious tiddledy-winks, our executive committees have run deeper and ever deeper into debt and our net gain in membership last year was less than 4,000, the smallest gains in money and members we have had for years. Dr. A. A. Little has recently called the attention of our peo ple to the little interest aroused at the last Assembly by these deplorable facts. Our Church would do well to take heed to his closing words: “We talk about challenging the Church to fill the treasury of our committees, and that is good, but fbr better challenge the Church to fill the depleted ranks of its membership with men and women from the world. Men will invest their money in a going concern.” With our membership virtual ly static and our per capita gifts decreasing, and that in a section of the country enjoying a phenomenal increase in popu lation and wealth, we cannot say our denomination is a “go* ing concern.” I have stated these few sor rowful facts regarding the church today that you may see grounds for*^e wide spread notion that the church has about lived out its day and that it is rapidly passing. In the light of these things, what have we to say? Can we justify the church’s continued existence and support? Is it not a needless and troublesome appendix, the sooner removed the better? At the Council in Rome A. D. 1514, the supposed extermina tion of the Lollards and Wal denses was celebrated in a pro clamation beginning, “The last of the Protestants dead!” That statement was much like the newspaper report of the death of Mark Twain, which he philo sophically "said “was considera bly exaggerated.” Neither is the church of today a corpse. The world is not yet ready to junk the church. No better time or place than this could be de sired in which to re-evaluate the church that we may give to it the appreciation and support it deserves. Therefore I ask you to consider with me “The Place of the Church in Christianity Today” because of the church’s origin, mission and achieve ments. I. The Divine Origin of the Church. The church is not a child of yesterday. It is one of three original divine institutions and takes its place along with the family and the State in consti tuting that three-fold- cord which is not easily broken. These three supplement and complement one another and no one of them is complete with out the other two. The Christian Church stands in a peculiar relation to its Great Head, our Lord Jesus Christ. While in the order of history the Cross necessarily precedes the church, yet in the order of time Christ mentions His Church before His Cross. And what a revealing utterance that was at Caesarea Philippi! “Upon this rock will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It is not often He speaks of any thing as His own. He does speak of Gbd as “My Father,” and after that, in His great act of self-emptying, not! to Him. but "My Churcl the fact that His Chi tained'with the Father, get some glimpse of r‘~ He set upon it. For it His precious blood. TO1 Committed the ‘ Keys Heaven, spiritual Kingdom Maimed was al impregnable against .which the gates, of i shall not prevail and tl5 “ its instrumentality His dom would be established world. 1 It is manifest that the cl is very precious to Christ. His Bride oyer which He, Bridegroom/ Rejoices, to wl He surrenders all, and which He centers; His he ardent love. The church is very body, in - Which dwells, through which He vealed, and by which He The Church is His vice on earth, to which Christ’ delegated those divine and prerogatives that enable to represent and act for Hini,; closing of the doors of the idbm. It is impossible to coi an intimacy mine sacred or-i value more rare or a position more important and vital. . 'm you capnot crumble an envi without doing a little dama{ to the letter which it contain* so. you cannot despise ; tnl church Without wounding its Lord. He is ever saying to His Church, ‘He that receiveth you receiveth ;me.” the church and Christ are inseparable. You can not reject the one without the other. A churchless Chrfctfft anity is a Christless Christian*-; ty. You can have any, one oY)0W| other great world relijrioi without its founder, but can not have Christianity with-1 ecohtintied next week) QUARTERLY MESSAGE Dear Presidents of White River Presbyterial: As the vacation time is wend ing its way to a close, and the extreme summer days are pass ing into oblivion, we are sure you are turning your minds to wards the harvest and the days when we shall soon have our thoughts taken up with school, activities as teachers and moth ers. Notwithstanding the hurly 'burly of life and our anxiety to plan for the material things of life, as officers and members of the White River Presbyterial of the great • Presbyterian Church of which we are a part, I am anxiously asking, as your humble servant (Pres.), that we be not unmindful of our duty as members and women, who must live up to our obligations as Christians in doing our bit to put over the program of our great Church, which is striving to do all that makes, for the bet terment of humanity every where. We want to keep our societies spiritually alive and financially strong. Our second quarter ends September .10,1980. Please send to our treasurer, Mrs. C. S. Mebane, 334 Amber Street* Hot Springs, Ark., your appor* tionment on tne quota. We are also asking that each society do its work in Mission Study clasps as per request of the Church. October and No vember are the months for Na tional Study; January and Feb ruary, for Foreign Study. It is expected that each age group will do its amount of study. In the meantime you will receive information concerning same in order that you may receive your books and begin promptly. Let your slogan he, “I’ll do my duty for God and my Church.*’ Praying for the success of each local and Presbyterial, we are very humbly yours, MRS. H. M. STINSON, Presi dent. MRS. I. N. BYRUM, Cor. Sec. “BACK TO COLLEGE” SER VICE IN THE SHILOH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT KNOXVILLE, TENN. • By The Scribe The Inter-Collegiate Clulb, an organization representing seven colleges, sponsored the first “Back to College” service in the Shiloh Presbyterian church, Sunday, September 7th. At the morhing hour the pastor, Rev. A. H. George, delivered a special message to the collegians. At the evening hour a well balanced program was Carried out by the group, assisted by others. Prof. J. A. Carey, head of the depart ment of English at Knoxville College, delivered a short mes sage to the group. He urged the students to live a purpose ful life and to cleave to the principles of religion. On Thursday, September 4th, the church gave a social in hon or of,the collegians in the base ment of the church. It was an evening of fun, frolic and good eats for the youngsters. Mrs. M. B. George and Miss Elizabeth Kyle supervised the games. The Shiloh church is gradu ally setting in motion various organizations of young people, hoping to develop in the near future a well sounded young people’s department. Thus far the following groups have been Set up: The Westminster Guild, the Young Meh’s Fellowship and the Young People s Forum. The liist named group meets on Sab bath. The others have their week-dlay meetings. All groups lire meeting with increasing in terest. The first two groups will on the program of the ■esbyterian Church for young beople as outlined. It is the aim ifJth*r-Fdmm "toprovida a place where youth and a^je may meet on a common ground for fc free discussion of the problems com mon to both groups. This or ganization has already begun to establish helpful contacts with other groups. Recently about 25 young people of the First Pres byterian church (white) con ducted a service in the Shiloh church under the auspices of the Forum. They discussed: Christ in Human Relations and In Industry. The group was led by a Junior student at Davidson College. The Forum plans to have outside speakers twice a month. The Junior congregation has been in operation for some time. The interest in this division is good and the number is increas ing. The organization is not complete yet. The church is getting things in order for a series of meet ings to begin the 10th of No vember under the leadership of; Rev. B. F. Glased, D. D., of Pittsburgh, Pa. Prior to his coming a special study of the Book of Acts will be made. Prayer meetings will be held at the church and in various'sec tions of the city where groups of members are located. A group of special workers will be trained. The ground will be broken for this prince of the pulpit when he comes. HOLBROOK STREET PRES BYTERIAN CHURCH, ■ DANVILLE, VA. The hammers of the carpen ters are ringing on the manse of Holbrook Street church. They are expecting to have it com pleted by the first of October. We are looking forward to the coming of our pastor. The Pres byterians of Holbrook Street church are forging along by the help of the good Master. Dr. T. A. Long, of Johnson C. Smith University, spent a few days in the city recently visit ing friends. We are always glad to welcome Dr. Long as he was with us so long in this city as Principal of Danville Industrial Hgh School. (Continued on page 4 ) VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AND EVANGELISTIC SER VICES AT COTTON PLANT, ARK. By Mrs. L. Stinson From August 26 to Septem ber 7, the members of Westmin ster Presbyterian church, Cot ton Plant, Ark., with their many friends of the other churches of the city, enjoyed the Vacation Bible School and evangelistic services conducted under the most efficient leader ship of Rev. C. N. Shropshire, i Sabbath ^School Missionary, and Rev. T: B. Hargrave, Synodical evangelist for Canadian Syn od. Personally I do not feel equal to the task of writing an article to the paper concerning such a* wonderful meeting. However^ isince the duty has been imposed upon me I shall try in a Way to let the Presbyterian constituen cy know how much we have been helped from a spiritual, in tellectual and social standpoint. At the beginning a very fine spirit wtts exhibited and ran to a high tension, which created much enthusiasm, making the meeting a success from start to finish. ' The first day 60 or more en rolled in the school and each' successive day brought an in crease until the entire enroll ment reached 161. Classes were’ arranged in age groups, and from the Tiny Tot Beginners to the Seniors all were much inter ested in the well systematized class work, from whieh all learned lessons from the Bible. We have- no hesitancy in saying that the Vacation Bible School has meant much in Cotton Plant and if we are spared another for next year; is 260. After cltiss work came the re creation period. I fear that I can not express in words the hilarity which this part of the program brought to each one. The group started out playing “girls against the boys.” Of course it was thrilling to see the girls challenge the stronger side, because of their physical strength, but finally we decided to mimic our big sister, the School of Methods," by having captains and using the old fa miliar “Reds and Blues." Now you can imagine yourself in Cotton Plant helping the “Reds” march on tjp victory, as they most surely did. We would not have the read er think wer treasure this feat ure more than others of this wonderful program which has just closed,; bu.jt we do want to say, that the*Social side is the one item oh’'the'Vacation Bible Sfchool prografti that is playing a’ g^reat p^t in spreading good everywhere it, is held. jl<*.‘after play hour,Rev. T. B. Hargrave, in a most devout and untiringly interesting way, gave ,to the group each May, a sermonette^.jn a very simple manner, that" the smallest child could, not only hear but know the meaning. We truly feel that impres sions were indelibly made for good in the hearts of many, old and young. Each sermonette was powerful. We dare not say which was the best, because su periority seemed Vo have garbed each one. The second, “The Three Robbers — Selfishness, Disobey and Mistreat/’ after being carefully. .^plained by Rev. Hargrave,.: really held sway, as it was often referred to on the playground and kept each one urging to remember to keep the three unpleasant qualities out of the games. ^ach night many gathered at the v lurch to listen and have their spiritual strength renewed as God’s message came through His own servant, Rev. Hargrave, whose soul is in this,great work which God has called him to do. We might add that a small group met each day at 1 o’clock and spent one hour in prayer. It was very pathetic to see young children touched, and wanting to have Jesus Christ rule in their lives, so much so that twenty or ihore confessed Christ. With Mrs. R. E. Mahon'as directress, and Miss F. B. Stin son, pianist, the singing made i heavenly atmosphere prevail. '• On Sunday after the sermon in the morning communion was ^iVen to a large number of com nronicants, and in the evehififc the services closed with ariotft* er powerful message by: Rev. Hargrave. •• During the last week Mfs. "I*.1 B. Hargrave and two deal* little children joined the husband and father for a week-end visit. We were more than pleased , to have this lovely family in our. town and in our homes. Hargrave added much to our music with her superior ability. Each week-end the group* was served refreshments whkrh all seemingly enjoyed, but’ alter the elose the guests, the Shropshire and Hargrave fam ilies, along with a few others, were entertained a way out on the lonely but ever-running lit tle stream, “Cash. Jpver,” where the air was breezy and qpiptnoss prevailed^ The, ^tivi-' ties of the party broke this for a spell and the forest rang with joy, while the merry makers in dulged in plenty of good sport, namely, hunting, fishing, boat? riding, and cooking over open camp fires. Now we can only say the day will hold pleasant memories for those who were present. After enjoying every .minute of. the £ay we toade^u&*$ll*.. ■and were ,.about to, home, when Darby Erwin, a» -v most dignified and peppy mem ber of the present Senior class of Cotton Plant Academy, led. the bunch in three rousing yells for the Hargraves, Shropshire and the sponsors of the wonder ful entertainment. To this Key, Hargrave most eloquently re- , sponded, having the group to., remember that the name Cotton Plant would not pass into ob-. livion soon. The gracious Mr. and Mrs. Darby, of our sister church, were responsible for the wonderful entertainment. For 1931 we invite yoq' to , come to Westminster Presbyte rian church for Vacation Bible School and Evangelistic service. FAITH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ABERDEEN, N. C. The members of Faith church and visiting friends turned out4 in full on last Sunday all day.’r Rev. Toney, our pastor, brought , us a strong sermon at 11 A. M[.; His text was Isaiah 45:22, sub iect, “The Way to Look for Help.” He mentioned the condi tion of the country and of its standing in need spiritually and financially. Our State is being blessed, if so, have we been looking unto Him? Why should hot all parts of the globevlook unto God? After Sunday school the Young People's Progressive Club which met a few Sundays}. _ ago under the direction of Mrs. Toney, the pastor’s wife, and re-organized, gave a v_g*y inter esting program that was really enjoyed by all. The program follows: Introductory remarks by Mr. Theocian Carter, which was very timely. Music by the, Club. Scripture reading by Miss Sara Wilson. Prayer by Mr. Carter... Saxophone solo, Mr. ^Harold Lashley. Paper, Mrs. McLeod. Paper, Miss Bernice Barbee. Address, Mr. J. Rendall La^jjv ley. Trio, Misses Lashley, Ftyr- , ley and Wilson. Recitati^fc^Mis8.** Fairley. Critic, Mr. Davis/ Solo,. Mr. Geo. Lashley. Collection,^, Messrs. Wm. Love and Carl Bar-; ' bee. (Continued on. page 3)
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 18, 1930, edition 1
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