The morning call., 1893-10-05
CHURCH COUNCIL.
Christianity in City and
Country.
SOME PIQUANT STATEMENTS.
Enthusiastic Celebration of the Home
Missionary Society's Anniver-
sary in the Evening.

citation reassembed 10 the First Copgrega-
tional Church yesterday at $50 A. NJ,
large congregation being present
The first hour was devoted to the Discus
sion and adoption of the minutes of the
previous day, and at 9 80 O'Clock the exer-
cises of the day were begun by singing the
hymn, 1T Is Well With My Soul"
Rev. j. B. KoehHe of Sacramento read
the first paper of the day, which was en-
titleu christianity and the Cities" Mr..
Koehne is young man, with pleasing
voice and an agreeable manner, and his
paper was just what he claimed for it in
his few words of introduction: "a few
suggestions along the line from practical
standpoint"
I'm ancient times" the speaker said.
'the city was the empire 1t is still. Out
from it flow all the forces of life Beyond
the city we can find only man in fragments; ;
within it we see human nature In all its
elements complete. But even the city
stands guilty Of breaking man into pieces.
His personality is swallowed up on the
avenue. The shop, the store, the factory
make machines out of men. The nobler
elements of life are ground up by the
wheels of commerce, and man Is apt TO
grow TO think himself mere tool"
Mr. Koehne spoke at some length on the
labor question and believed it in the power
of the church to deliver message Of hope
to the oppressed and to correct MANY of
their mistakes. lie believed that the rich
are OF responsible for existing conditions,
which have in reality been bequeathed US
by the past, and for which all humanity is
responsible. To the church. however. he
looks for solution OF many of the prob
lens Of the present. and with this hope he
closed a paper which was in every respect
excellent
The discussion on the paper was opened
by Rev. Z. Van Norden, who said that in
his estimation the most serious barrier to
the growth of city churches is the propri-
etory idea The constant reiteraton of
such expressions as my church" ''my
PASTOR" my choir" tends to create an
impression Of selhshness and to develop
what he called "the clubhouse feeling," of
TOO much in our churches.
Rev. Mr.. de Kay OF Tulare, the assistant
scribe, differed from MI Koehne in one
point which he made. Mr.. Koehne had
stated that he thought the Young Mems
Christian Association Indifferent to the in
terests of the church, and that it was in
clned to substitute the gymnasium and the
reading-room for the religion Of Christ and
the Bible. This view Of an association
which has done incalculable good among
our young men Mr.. de Kay could not ap-
prove, and he said that he believed further
more that the church is weak in just the
lines upon which the Young Mems Chris
tian Association is run.
"The church" he continued, should do
more TO hold the young men to it. to in
tsrest and attract them. 1t should do
more in the line of athletic development.
and should work to develop the body as
well as the soul"
Several other reverend gentlemen joned
in the discussion and many helpful ard
thoughtful suggestions were thrown out
pertinent to the subject during their inter-
change of ideas.
A paper ON "Christianity and the
Country Places" was then read by Rev
+. B. Perkins of Oakland. Mr.. Perkins
style of delivery is quiet and coll0Quial.
but he was listened to throughout his
twenty minu utes' discourse with the closest
attention, since his theme was one OF
special interest to the majority of those
in his audience.
Mr.. Perkins stated that the problem of
the country church Is one that directly
affects one-half the population OF our
State. and indirectly affects all Of them.
1T is of startling interest,"" he said, ITO
observe the natural tendencies OF country
places toward barbarism. The country
places of California are not abodes of
innocence and pastoral simplicity of mind
and manners; on the contrary. disorder
and crime are more prevalent in such dis
tricts in proportion to the size of their
population than they are in our large
cities. in proof of which one needs only to
look over the files of our daily papers,"
The reason for this state of things, the
speaker thought, was fourfold. First, the
sparse and scattered population of those
sections of the State distant from our
cities, which in itself is q great obstacle to
church and social interests. Second, the
fact that the entire burden of supporting
churches in said places unavoidably falls
upon a mere handful of people, aud the
aids uron which city church can easily
lay It's hand are entirely out of the reach
Of country churches. Third, the country
retains more distinctly than the cities the
impress of its first settlers. This. though
under some circumstances decided ad-
vantage, is not always so in California, as
the majority of our. founders were en-
phaticallv Argonauts In every sense of the
word. Fourth. contrary to what might be
expected. the business Of those who live
in the country is not specially uplifting.
The tendency of the work which they
must do Is more material than spiritual
more earthward than heavenly. Lung
hours tend to sluegisbness of mind and
unspirtuality of thought, and long hours
are the rule in the country. For reiaXa-
tion there is rarely anything in the lumber
apd mining districts but saloons and
dancehouses to attract and interest young
men, and for this reason the young men
too often deterorate.
In the course of his remarks Mr.. Perkins
spoke Of the various lodges existing in the
more settled part of the State as being
great obstacle to the success of the coun-
try churches, since, after all the dues and
fees and assessments accruing to them are
paid, little or nothing remains. to help
along The church work.
In referring to the various kinds OF
churches to be found in onr outside dis
tricts Mr.. Perkins spoke somew at sharply
OF certain churches which ''are living
wretched existences in ignoble depend
ence, taking gifts from urgodly hands or
supinelv suhsisting upon the help obtained
from the Hcme Missionary Board instead
of endeavoring to do their best to help
themselves" Part of the blame for this
state Of affairs tile speaker laid to some OF
the ministers. who were perhaps neither
aggressive Christians nor true Christian
men.
That there was bright side to the
picture Mr.. Perkins was glad to say.
Where churches exist in the country there
are not so many counter attractions as
there are in the cities. aud although the
country people may be sometimes trifie
harder to bring under Christian influence
they are more easily held there than their
civ hreth-en and the hest material of Our