New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-09
NEWMETHODS FOR ACHURcH
EFFORTS TO GET DOWNTOWN CoNGREGL,
TION.
PASTOR WHO SAYS HIS CHURCH HAS "a.
MUCH WEALTH TO FOLLOW pEwHoLDERs

MUCH WEALTH TO FOLLOW PEwHoLDERs
SPENDING MONEY FREELY.
Extensive improvements in the way of ints,..
decorations and refurnshng going on rapidly =.
the Collegiate Reformed Church at Twenty .ninthst ana
Fifth.ave. The church building Is an old ON. A..
for several years has sheltered only handful Of n.o
pic at the Sunday services. This was owing IN nas
to the tendency OF church going people 10 move fart
uptown. The church corporation founded h.
1928 and stands only second u Oh Trinity in por,
OF wealth. The movement which inspired the e,.
penditures and work which shown In the beau,i,a
and elaborate decoration OF the interior walls OF "A.
old church. was prompted by desire 10 put new M.
into the church. reHt it make IL aitracav.
to those people who live in the neighborhOod
The church corporation Is wealthy ana Independent
Of the pewholders and the management proposes b "A
vote the large income OF the society 10 the dire,
spiritual needs OF the community which mas grown a,
around the church. Men now at work erccin,
five fine organs, which will be run by electricity all
but the playing The interior Is tinted in deleai.
buf with gilt furnishings. Three or four quart,t
choirs OF welltrained singers will be Of the nsv
attractions added TO- the service The nature Of ID.
church work and the manner IN which IL will be con
Quoted can best be described in the words Of u
PASTOR the Rev. Daad j. Burrell:
"The church is too far downtown 10 be run ma
cessfuly by the old methods. Our people have sbou,
all gone uptown and only audiences at the service,
on Sunday composed almost entirely Of strangcn
and transents who just happened to drop In. Te1
people cannot be held long enough 10 do them asns
good or to arouse in them an interest in the Sort Of
the church We have about 200 people at monhs
service il the weather is favorable and only bas.s
dozen in the afternoon and evening" II such De-
plorabe condition OF affairs is enough, then think
the church had better shut mp shop ard give way 70
something else. The old methods Of church work have
proved lamentable failure. Chuich people have
resorted to establishing mission chspels in the poorer
districts Of the city. under the ariSOcatc patronage
Of the mother church This has proved a rlsezAs
failure in nearly every instance. The tendency Il 70
draw a hard and fast line between the rich ard the
poor and that Is not the Christian spirit Nsty
churches are dependent upon the rental OF the pev
for their maintenance, but fortunately We are Mt
These churches must move after their pewhoder
Who for the most part, are not tho kind Of peopa
to develop a high type Of the Christian spirit ard
from whose influence only dead negative sort IL
Christian progress and life can be expected. There
are no financial to hamper our church In donf
an aggressive and effective work in the old Christian
spirit Of the Saviour himself. Missionary work has
failed and think it ought to fail. for IL never repaa
the trust rcposed in It, The fault IL the system
alone.
Another scheme for putting new life into dying
church was to build expensive association halA
equipped with gymnasums, baths, lectures,
stereopcon views and other attractions 10 lure the
young people there and basIng fororn hope Of
religious instruction on gospel hymns and the old
time prayer meeting service, conducted IN tn. old
methods, which have proved dismal failure In the
main.
"Au these methods are tact confession that the
gospel OF Jesus Christ cannot get along II used TO-
that in fact ii has outgrown It's influence, In shoH
is dead. It may be- and is, denied IN the pulpit,
but nevertheless the average man goes away with
conviction that Christianity is longer applicable 10
the present state Of advanced civilization. The hllt
is not with the gospel ITSELF but with the presentation
of IT, II is Just here where we propose 70 begin our
work The gospel is commonsense. and IL 1t Is pro
sented TO the commonsense of the people 1t will be ap
proved and accepted. OF this am confident. The
method employed by a lawyer before jury Of twelve
men whom lie desires TO convince is the way IN
which the truth OF the gospel will be presented from ny
pulpit.
"H the methods adopted in conducting and managing
a large business had been employed In the past By
pastors and teachers Christianity would have found
firm friend In every thinking man. and II would be The
guiding influence Of his, everyday life, and would
not be regarded with such indifference and even con
tempt by such alarming number of excellent p;opA
There is longing in every mans heart 70 Know low
about the future and what there is in store for him
after death, and If there is hereafter. l. is this
longing We propose TO satisfy, and Deneye the
gospel is the only thing which Will do It, II can
only be done by preaching, by presenting Christianity
as IL is, not man has made 1t. The Ideal
preaching is jury pleading, and the gospel must be
presented in the same way that lawyer adopts 70
prove the innocence Of his client to the Jury before
him. In my preaching propose TO present the com
nonsense of Christianity TO the OF those
WHO listen to me- and will not be afraid OF the ~
suits. The gospel Is sense ana Is 'ust as mueh
needed as IL ever was"