The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-05-26
As oompared with What re oaghI %

90, " LA ~ . a2AA1& &Js 80 80 VIZ
the general inefiiciency Tn our denon
nation, we are overwhelmed with th
sense Of utter failure. The effort Of To
BAPTIST church within the past invent
wears in New York city for extensi0
has been a stupeudous failure. Tn
| white Baptists English speaking) of Ne,
! York city in the last twenty years hay
gained in a total membership. accordin
to the rolls. only SIS members. Thi
means no gain at all We have not bel,
I the children that were born in TIA
/ church. for in that period at least IS, 90
/ have been born within the immediat
precincts Of the church Not only 90
but the rolls of the churches twent-
years ago were kept with greater accu
racy than today.
There are churches in New York ID
our association recording 500 member
who have never been able to get togeth
er more than sixty at one time. The
really have not half that number O
members. II the rolls of today showet
as clean and accurate reports ae tn.
rolls twenty years ago, it would be found
that in this period Of time we have &C
tually lost thousands in point of humble,
instead of gained few hundred.
This is not only true Of tina Baptis,
denomination. 1t is equally true Of the
Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Con
gregationalists and all allied denonina,
tons. As at present conducted all these
denominations in the city Of New York
are stupendous failures. And what hayz
they invested in their work? They do
not lack for capital. The Baptist church
owns over "a 600 900 of church property
in New York city. The Baptists and
Methodists and Presbyterians own at
least $4,000, 900, and perhaps all the
minor denominations clustering around
them and of the same general methods
hold property aggregating more than
$50, 000, 900.
THE MINISTRY OF NEW YORK.
And what has been the result of this
investment during twenty years? Moth
ing. We have not lacked for men of
talent. During these twenty years the
pulpits of these churches have been fill
ed by men who were better trained
men of greater genius, men who were
giants in power, and men who today
have not their equals-taking them all
in all, man for MANN any city that
know of in the world. They are better
educated, because the facilities for their
training have been better than their
fathers before them. They are stronger,
because they inherit the strength of the
ages And yet, with these millions of
dollars, and these men of genius, what
has been the result? Nothing.
What has been the influence Of these
churches in the past twenty years, out
side of the question of organic develop
ment? AS power to shape public
opinion and have its effect in the devel-
Opment of society, it is practically moth
ing. A governor of the state has snapped
his fingers in the face of these churches
and deliberately said, "Give me the sa-
looms, and you can have the churches.
He means by this, these Protestant
churches. He had no earthly reference
to the Catholic church. Its influence on
he community, SO far as shaping public
opinion in any movement looking to-
ward the lettering of the condition of
society, has been therefore nothing. Net
'esults for twenty years, therefore, zero.
What does this mean? 1t simply
means that the time has come when all
his machinery shall be gathered up by
he sheriff, put up at auction, sold to the
highest bidder as junk. Sacred junk, if
-ou will, but junk. J say it with sad
less, but | say it without any sort of
that this hour is now upon
Is. We live in new city, new world.
Ne must have a near church.
What Kind of a church must ,ce haze
o ariR the city of today and of the fu-
are?
Let it be distinctly understood that ]
'elleve the spiritual regeneration of man
o be the ultimate end of all organic !
hurch movement, and by the methods |
Which discuss | mean to say that these
re movements to this grand end.
SOCIAL CLUBHoUsEs.
First-This church must be popular.
is doors must swing wide open. There |
aust be hearty welcome for all. It |
aust be great democracy, not social |
clubhouse. And this not only because
ne masses of the people will not cross
ne threshold of such clubhouse |
7hlch is in itself ample reason for such |
church, but also because the popula-
on of the city absolutely demands that
ais be our ideal. The city of New York
not city of homes. All our great
enters of population are becoming more
nd more intense in their pressure of
fe. AS the pressure of life increases to
he square inch, the possibility of home
tie decreases accordingly. The city of
ew York today is different city from
lat OF twenty years ago
In the recent census taken by tn,
oard of health, upon their estimate OF
population of 1000, 000 they found. OIL
laklng an accurate and careful count.
nat the tenement population in this CITY
wing in second and third class apart
lents was IN round numbers 1850, 900
ut of a total of 100000. That is to
", the tenement population of New
ork is practically the whole popula-
on. Those who live in homes of their
Nn are not to be counted in the real
'tlmate of the city's condition. This
asst population of l $50, 900 move once d
ear. That is to say, the whole popu-
ton of New York move once in twelve
onths. If man lives two years in
ace he is an old citizen.
We have in our denomination fifty
lurches, if | mistake not, in this city.
Ii but three of them are built on the
o1ne idea to reach this little fragment
the clty's population. They are built
the idea that they are going to reach
constituency of landlords, people who
vn their homes. They have left utterly
1t OF calculation the real heart of the
tvs population, the great mass of the
ople who live in New York. What ,
need instead of forty-seven home
urches and three popular churches is
have three home churches and forty ,
ven churches built on the popular plan
reach the masses. Three churches in ,
r denomination would be amply suf-
lent to cater to this home population.
le conditions of the city's life having
fh1,c -,