New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17
uETUODS or CHTRCH UOPR.

Most intelligent Christian workers to-day VIII
admit that the cid paOchial methods of Chuich
,yor, need to be modified, especially in the large
cities The parish or congregation, as we under
stand the term. is largely an English idea. 1t
presupposcs a community of people, all OF whom
ue at least nominal Christians This community
i parcelled ND into territorial Jurisdictions called
marshes. and the Inhabitants of each parish are
presumed to acknowledge their allegiance TO the
na,i,h church. But the territorial idea has never
been more than fiction IN this country, except
pnrhaps. in the case Of The Roman Cathollc
Church. and even that Church cannot always en-
fierce it. People 20 TO the churches which they
prefer. irrespective of any lines Of parochlal de-
marcation. But tho fact that has done most to
destroy the old parochal idea is the presence IN
all our large cities of great masses OF people VINO
acknowledge no allegiance to the Church or 10
religion The machinery of the parish Is utterly
unable to reach these people. The routine SER
vices of the Church do not attract them, ana
cannot be made to attract them; and 1t Is
physical impossibily for the minister OF the
parish to do anything for them, because in the
first place he has no time for extra evangelsuc
work, and in the second place, he is paid by the
regular 1l'UllcS vi nlS phiNh W ''''N' ~
them The result of this has been that in every
city of the country there may be found con-
gc,ted masses Of people who are as much outside
the care and nurture of the Church as though
they were in Central Africa. The cid parochlal
idea compels tho Churches to establish their
churches, not where they are most needed but
where they will attract the largest number OF
cood-paying members And in obedience to this
requirement churches are constantly following
their regular members, because TO do otherwise
would leave them financially stranded. Ihcy
have been harshly criticised for doing this, but
under the circumstances it is hard to SEQ what
other course they could take The thing to be
criticised is the theory that the parish is the
only possible method Of Church work which
ought to be employed. That theory Is largely
responsible for much Of the practical hea'henSm
in our great cities to-day.
And this fact is coming to be recognized. The
establishment Of mission chapes and peoples
churches on other than paDchal lines is step
in tie right direction, though they are far from
being what they ought TO be. The maintenance
of such noble organizations rs the John street
Methodist Church and Old Trinity, with is
downtown chapelS, is another step and most
imnortant one. in the right direction The re-
cont conversion Of the Madison Avenue Pres
bytcrian Church into peoples church
NAV also be mentioned as an ind-
cation Of the quickened conscience Of Christian
poople on this subject But admirable us all
these agencies are and may be, they arc too
sporadic and restricted 70 solve the problem OF
city cvangclizaton. What i really needed Is not
that the Churches should give up the parochlal
idea which is most useful and necessary within
certain restricted limits, but that they should
organize some efcacious system OF evangelical
ton. which would be supplemental TO il. Such a
system should aim at the hlimanzlng and civllZ-
inc Of the unchurched masses rather than sccta-
rian propagandism. and requires for It's success the
generous corporation Of all the denominations.
We fear, however, that there is no immediate
hone for any such cooperative work owing to de-
nominational jealousy. But the time is coming
when il will force itself on the attention of the
Churches In the meanwhile such admirable
agencies as ST. Georges Memorial House and
-. Barthoomews Parish House, which are doing
worl, altogether outside OF the old parochial
lines. are leading the way in a new departure
which has within it great possibilities. They
and the many other agencies OF similar char
actcr now established are translating into prac-
teal terms the dawning science Of Christian
sociology, and in their multiplication We believe
the Churches will find u solution of the problem
which the parish has 50 conSpicuousy failed to
solve.