The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-02
Why Churches Are Not Filled,

OF the Philadelphia Bulletin, estimates
that on an average not more than l6o.-
900 out Of the Quaker City's 1.25O.O0O in.
habitants regularly attend church.
This. Of course, is merely a guess, but
Its accuracy can easily be verified.
churches In Philadelphia, with an aver
age seating capacity Of from 900 to 500
II we take the lower figure We should
have, with the churches half filled. a
regular average attendance of 10000.
but it may be doubted If taking the year
through, the attendance will half fill
the total seating capacity. At all
events. We should be entirely safe In
saying that not more than one Philadel-
phian In six Is regular attendant. In
Scranton, where we have more mixed
population, 1t Is possible that the ratio
is still larger, averaging one In seven
or one In eight.
One suggestion which Penn offers
as remedy for this large percentage Of
non-attendance may shock conserva-
tive ears. but it at least Is interesting.
1T Is related" he says
OF Jun!us Brutus Booth that his delivery
OF the simple words of the Lords prayer
was so grand and pathetic In Its suppli-
cation as 10 move those who heard II to
trembling and tears. OF course no clergy
man Is expected to make theatrical dis
play; but the story Is sufficient to show
that the familiar language of the Bible
to regard as trite and commonplace. can
be illumined and vivitied and made more
impressive to the ear Of the multitude than
1t Is now wont to be. There is. indeed
tors in this respect. Where one head OF
church can be found to read well the
Sermon on the Mount" for instance. a
score OF ordinary actors could be sum
their recital Of that splendid piece Of rng
lish prose. Not long ago ! read of two
churches in London that have been In the
habit OF inviting actors to read the les
these congregations. after having hitherto
heard the impressive and beautiful Ian
guaSe of the church dingdonged, Sunday
after Sunday. bcSan. to look forward Gag
expression of the noble and majestic spirit
of the service and their clear and inc!sive
reading OF the. lines. No clergyman
ought ever to miss an opportunity of list
cilinB " an uClOT ike lTNi!H, III tNe ART
of attuning the voice to the meaning Of
a word. a clergyman can be forgiven II
he muddles his sermon: but 1t Is an offence
10 the ear. taste and also to religious
sentiment to have the masterpieces Of the
Scriptures mouihed and mangied by men
whose intelligence should teach them to
make better use of natures Instruments; 4;
so that they. shall train their. tongues.
their lips and their throats and the epi,,
Glottises to something like an accurate and
pleasing delivery. 1t Is strange that this
should be one of the things almost entire
ly neglected in most theological! schools.
Carrying out this line Of thought, he
adds:
In order to build up church there is
nothing SO important as Il preacher who
Is not simply a good man. but VINO has
something or the magnetic qualify. elo-
good deal OF the capacity for leadership
The finest congregation that ever existed
is likely to fan into decline If 1t Is not
served by man of that stamp. There
men who act on the assumption that the
churches exist for them rather than they
for the churches. Year after year they so
along in a sort Of perfunctory fashion, as
II 1t were wrong for them to originate an
idea. to do something that their fathers
did not do. to show that they are in warm
blooded sympathy with their times. or to
apply themselves to any practical prob
be reasonably supposed to feel live In
terest. They are often the purest and
worthiest OF men. But they have little
capacity for leadership; no currents OF
enthusiasm thai. has survived the theolog-
ical seminary. 1t Is the man at the head
of the church that makes 1t. You will find
THAI the great majority Of prosperous
and popular churches have some vigor-
Gus personality stamped upon them. Often
such church Is known by the name OF
its pastor rather than by Its congrega-
tional title. / might cite dozens Of names
in point, and in nearly every instance
you would find that they are men who
keep their fingers on the popular pulse,
who find their texts In the hearts of men
rather than in the verbal pages Of the
Bible, who do not derive their nourieh
ment in the preparation Of their sermons
solely from the shelves of their library,
who strike out as far as they can with
original thoughts, who find an application
delpha, rs well as In the highways Of
Jerusalem. and yet who take care at ali
times not to descend to the tricks Of the
mongrcl pulpiteers who turn themselves
into oratorical m0untebanks in providing
sensational themes.
the pulpit in Scranton today Is more
forceful, eloquent and yet withal prac-
tical than at any prior period In the
city's history. The man or woman who
wants to hear good sermon. we'll
thought out and we'll delivered, a SER
mon touching live present subjects in
a sensible and helpful way. can have
that want supplied any Sunday at any
one of two-score or more local churches
Comparatively few Of our local pastors
now PROFOUND dry theology Sunday
after Sunday, with no illuminative
flashes of contemporary usefulness. The
great majority Of them recognize the
Of preaching the spirit and
essence Of religion without much refer
ence to sectarian dressing At the same
time, the churches are not attended as
they should be. What is the reason?
The salary of John Hays Hammond,
the American mining engineer who
treason against the Boer re-