The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-29
BRINGING THE CHURCH TO THE
MASSES.

MASoES,
The Church must be brought to the
masses. That is the need of the hour.
1t is what clergymen who haven't force
of character, intellect and spirituality
sufficient to draw the masses to the
Church are much concerned about. Va
rious plans have been adopted in pur-
suit of this object, but one of the most
promising and suggestive schemes
yet adopted, we learn of through dis
patch 10 the Chicago Tribune from ST.
Louis, Mich. 1t is the invention of the
Rev. n. ii. Ford, the Methodist pastor
of that town. 1t has the merit of great
originality, at the same time that il is
in spirit true to old traditions, and at
tempts to overcome defect in modern
Protestant methods. In the Middle
Ages every trade had its patron saint.
familiar with its peculiar temptations,
and prepared with intimate sympathy
to plead the cause Of its followers be-
fore the Throne of Heaven. But when
reformers did away with saints they
left the barber and the shoemaker and
the soldier and the hangman each to
take his religion like every other man.
They assumed that people went to
church for the serious purpose OF ben
citing their souls. and did not partic-
ularly care TO take their shops with
them. Put this, the Michigan pastor
has discovered, was mistake. Men
are SO devoted to their earthly calIings
that they take no interest in spiritual
things unless they are expressed in
!. the lingo OF their trades. Accordingly
the Rev. Mr.. Ford has arranged to con
duct his services with view to their
needs.
A few days ago he preached a sermon
10 BARRIERS. He knew that no barber
could be happy unless surrounded by
the instruments of his daily work SO
he decorated the walls of his audito-
rum with all kinds of tonsorial arti-
cles. Razors, scissors. briliantine.
bay rum, cups, towels, straps, soap and
mirrors were there to give homelike
appearance to the place. and that he
himself might be in thorough sympa-
thy with his hearers, the pastor had
BARRIERS chair placed on the plat
form, in which he sat and gathered in
SEPARATION during the service. The dis
patch does not give the text of the
sermon nor the substance thereof, but
only says that it was ''repIete with
BARRIERS terms and lessons draw from
the tonsorial exhibition" Probably
the Rev. Mr.. Ford told the BARRIERS
that it would be close shave for them
TO get to Heaven; that they would
have TO shampoo themselves we'll and
make their souls white as shaving
iather. or the well-stropped razor of
Judgment would cut them off like a
three days beard. Perhaps he told
them they'd get their heads singed till
their hair curled il they did not obey
the shop-rule of the trade and render
unto each customer the bay rum be-
longing to his kit At any rate, Mr.
Ford adapted his teaching to his aud
fence, and the cause of religion in St
Louis, Mich, and the revenues of the
Mthodist church therein are presuma-
bly, benefited.
This plan is capable of considerable
development. The Rev Mr.. Ford has
already preached to firemen from the
vantage ground of coil of hose pipe,
10 veterans in the midst of guns, to
blacksmitbs in the presence of anvils,
on which 10 hammer out spiritual
truths. But he should go on iaun-
drymen have souls. and should be
preached TO with the church walls
gracefully draped with soiled table
cloths, with rosettes Of collars and
cuffs. They might bring a wash-tub
for the clergyman to sit in, or turn it
upside down for him to stand on. or
even have practical lesson from him
IN shirt washing according TO the high
est morality. Then there are the gar
bage collectors, who should have
pointed out 10 them the religious sig
nificance of their swill-pails, and the
milkman lost in darkness as to the hid
den meaning of pump-handle. More
over, the Church is for sinners as well
as for the righteous TIE thimble-
rigger should be taught the esoteric
truths hidden like Il pea under his
walnut-shells. The burglar should re-
ceive instructions as 10 the kind Of
jimmy necessary TO break open the
Pearly Gates. The train robbcr should
learn how 10 hold up the Celestial Ex-
press. Bat the possibilities of the plan
arc endless The world is thrsting for
religious consolation adapted 10 IT'S
needs, not wandering off into unseen
spheres Rich man. poor man, beggar-
an.thief. doctor, lawyer. merchant,
chief, are all subjects for the activities
OF the Rev Mr. Ford and may be made
to contribute TO his notoriety. New
York Tribune.