The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-29
uCAGO AND CINCINNATI, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY %,
THE CHURCH BUILDING AS A
FACTOR OF SUCCESS.
BY REV. JAMES GoRToN.

FROM wide observation and ex-
perience in our own denomination,
and from much observation in other
denominations. it seems to us unde-
niable that first-class church build
ing in first-class locality, with am
pie grounds, and with all modern
conveniences, equipments and attrac-
tions for doing the varied work and
exerting the varied influence of
church in our modern life, is very
large factor, if not the largest factor,
of an assured success for our cause
in any city or village.
The above is long sentence, but l
hope its meaning is clear. A cheap
church in poor locality is long
step toward failure at the very be-
ginning. We could point to scores of
places to illustrate the truth of these
propositions as related to our own
denomination, and others as well.
Our orthodox brethren seem to have
a more vivid, practical understanding
of this matter than we do, and SO
they are often stronger and more
successful than we because they
plant their churches in the most eli
gible localities, and spare no reason
able cost to build and equip them
with all conveniences and attractions
for winning the people, and for do
ing the manifold institutional work
of modern church, and exerting the
manifold social influences that are
today, whether rightly or wrongly,
more powerful than the religious in
fuences.
But all the most important and
powerful religious influences and
social influences of a church are
greatly enhanced by a frst-class
church building in first class local
ity. Now what do l mean by first
class church? Not necessarily a very
large church. not a very costly
church; but a church large enough to
meet the needs of fairly estimated
and growing congregation. A church
may be too large, as we'll as too
small. Better have a crowded small
church than a large church with
much empty space. mean also by
first-class church one that is attrac-
tive, beautiful without and within,
church that has all the rooms, all
the appointments, equipments, con-
veniences for doing the varied work
of modern institutional church and
for exerting the intellectual, social,
and religious influence of modern
church.
We are learning the art of getting
all these things at a comparatively
moderate cost. While l would not
advise extravaganza in the building
of church, neither would l advise
an illiberal and penurious policy. 1t
should be wise and far-seeing liber-
ality, under a strict business policy,
that should guide us in this matter.
No church in any community can
do the work and exert the influence,
and command the success of true
Christian church that is not thus
built and equipped. What do l
mean by frst-class locality? This
may include several things, all of
which we may not name. If church
is built in an out-of-the-way place
and in an unattractive, poor quarter
merely because property or land is
cheap there, that will generally con-
stitute the inception of inevitable
failure.
Ordinarily a church should be
built in the heart of the best resi-
dence quarter; and not SO to build it
is to invite failure; is to cheaper the
enterprise; is to repel the class of
people who might help most to make
the church strong, influential, sue
cessful.
1t is proper enough to build a
church in the very poorest quarters
as minister to that class, or in any
quarter as minister to the people of
that quarter. But we must not hope
to get what does not exist and can
not be had, for a church thus built.
We know of many Universalist
churches that are partial failures, or
entire failures, because the church
building is not modern, is not attrac-
tive, has not conveniences, or is not
we'll located, while the orthodox
churches of the town have had the
wisdom, enterprise and liberality to
provide themselves with a truly
modern church in good locality,
and are reaping the fruits of that
wisdom in growing success, while
the unwise or illiberal Universalist
church dwindles and pines in the
L - e. ok.,,1 0-4L1