The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24
A CHURCH LABOR MOVEMENT

The Rev. c. NJ. Starkweather, a Meth
barked in a movement which may have
interesting results. He proposes to es-
tablish within the church a labor move
ment on q plan somewhat similar TO the
Christian Endeavor movement among
young people. Eriefy. his plan may be
said to aim a. The organization Of a
Christian labor union He believes that
the church should be brought into closer
sympathy and touch with workingmen
and made a more potent factor for pro-
noting the interests of labor. He says:
Long ago 1 was convinced there is a gap
between the church and the workingmen.
ing masses, but for some years they have
been gradually drifting apart. Th5 church
has been getting away from the people, ana
they, in turn, have been gradually losing
interest in the church. Neither side is wholly
responsible for this separation. Both are, IN
a measure, to blame, but 1t is my candid
belief the church has TO bear the greater
amount of whatever blame there is for the
separation. Whichever is at fault, there Is
one thing certain-the workingman and the
church have both suffered by this estrange-
ment. 1t is the duty of the church TO bridge
over this gap and 10 again take Its place
as the leader of the working people.
This states a truth which has become
apparent to many persons. Many OBJ
servant preachers must have noticed the
growing lack of sympathy between the
churches and laboring men, or, perhaps
ing lack of interest among w~oikingmen
in religion and church work. TIE church
is as willing and anxious as ever 20 do its
duty by all classes. and its doors are
wide open to workingmen as veil as to
others, but for some reason IL seems to
fail in attracting or reaching them.
Whether the fault lies in modern meth
DDS of church work or With the people
themselves is difficult TO determine, but
the condition exists.
Mr.. Starkweather is the son c. \ iaboT-
ing man. and began life AS n himself.
After working three years in q .oundry
he got a collegiate ~educatioa, spert a
entered the ministry. Ills training and
experience have brought him in touch
with laboring men. n he has made
something of a study Of their methods
and their needs. He believes in labor or
g~anizations, and thinks they have been
helpful to workingmen in many ways.
He also believes they ave had m
thing to do with drawing workingmen
away from the church. He says:
They nave taught the workman to think
and act for himself, to appreciate the i'm
portance of thoroughly understanding the
social and economic questions of the day,
and, above all, have taught him a practical
lesson in the great doctrine of Christ, broth
erly love. When in distress or in need of aid
or sympathy the workingman has found 1t
is the labor organization that is the first
and almost the only one TO ofer him the aid
of which he is in need. Is 1t any wonder,
then, we so often hear the members or
those organizations say the labor union. and
not the church, Is the true follower In the
footsteps of Christ?
Mr.. Starkweather admits that in prin-
ciple n theory all Christian churches
are as free to w~orkingmen as they are to
the wealthy, while in practice they are
not. There are many churches" he
says, which the workingman cannot
attend, because he cannot do SO with
out being made to feel he is a paupcr
or, at least, he is the inferior of those
the church. This policy Of catering to
the rich, which is totally against The
spirit of Christ, has been Ill existence so
long and in SO many Of our churches
that the toilers have come to look Ola sIl
churches as places designed for the rich
alone"
Mr.. Starkweather has made one step
toward reform in having correctly dag
nosed the situation and defined an exist
ing evil. If he can devise a means of
bringing the church and the masses Of
the people, especially OF laboring people.
into closer touch lie will have accon-
plished a notable result. A cooperative
movement between ilbor unions and the
church might prove TO be as poterr for
good as any religious movement of re-
cent times.
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