The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-12
THE OPEN-DOOR CHURCH
REV. MIR. ROWLISON WILL SUGGEST
A CHANGE TO HIS CONGREGATION.
Proposed to Conduct the Third Chris
tian Somewhat on Advanced In
stitutfOnal Lines.

The ministers of the Christian churches
in this city are giving much attention at
the present time to the broader work of the
churches. Rev. c. c. Rowlison, pastor Of
the Third Christian Church. on Thursday
night will submit TO his congregation a plan
for broader endeavor and will make a few
suggestions along the line of what is termed
institutional work. AT the meeting of Chris
tian ministers. held yesterday morning. Mr.
Rowlison read a paper on THE Place of
the Church in a Community" The paper
was to be considered in connection with a
former address by Mr.. Rowlison and,
while this paper expresses his views, yet
1t is rather one-sided as he desired to en-
phasize the points he desired TO make. In
part Mr.. Rowlison said:
Ian Maclaren somewhere says, We have
lived to see the relation between preacher
and nearer reversed In the past the con-
gregation was obliged to listen to the min
lister twice on Sunday, although he bored
them nigh unto death. They sat under him.
to use one of the most pathetic phrases
in religious speech. In the present con-
gregation will attend once If they like the
preaching, and otherwise will read the
magazines at home. The people used to fill
the pews to please the minister Now the
preacher is apt to go to the pulpit to
please the people, who will brook no dicta-
ton at his hands. There was a day when
the preacher could break out in terrifying
language on his hearers for sleeping, mat
tention and such like faults. People are
too intelligent and we'll bred now to commit
such breaches of good taste; they sleep
at home. This is but another way of stat
ing that the theory of the inherent divine
right of the church is as empty as the long,
exploded doctrine of the inherent divine
right of kings. The church is no longer con-
sidered as a divine institution any more
than is the family, the state, the public
school or our railway systems. And all these
recognized as divine to the extent that
they bring God nearer to man and raise
man into closer fellowship with his heaven
ly Father. and, above all. as they help men
to live together in this world according to
the highest ideals. / am not saying that
the present conception Of the relative i'm
portance Of the church is a true one, but
only assert that it is coming to be the al,
most universally accepted idea of 1t, and
1t Is upon this basis that We must study
the place of the church in the community.
Many are becoming convinced that there
the church, no detailed map of the church
and its offices revealed to the apostles or
any of their successors. 1t is believed the
church is an institution which In every
age, including the apostolic. has had to
adapt itself to the circumstances and needs
of the people. This discovery is giving the
church great latitude and no doubt ii has
sometimes been extreme in its departure
from the old lines resolving itself into a
social club, or providing free platform
giving special attention to side shows such
as entertainments and educational fea-
lures"
THE MEN NOT REACHED.
Mr.. Rowlison discussed the Latin ideal
and the Protestant ideal respecting the
church. In the former the church is held
to be a machine for saving souls of men.
In the latter IDEAL the object is the same,
but the method is different. Mr.. Rowlison
then called attention to the many points Of
resemblance between present conditions and
those in which Jesus lived and hence the
Importance Of a study OF HIS methods.
Jesus did most Of his work in the market
places, on the hillsides and the sea shore,
probably because the authorities would not
allow him the use of the synagogues and
because the people were not there. Mr..
Rowlison expressed the belief that II
he would use the churches for his ministra-
lions and work. In Christ's ministry he
won men, and company OF men aban-
d done .S everything to follow him Mr.. Row
then answered his question by saying:
1T Is notorious that very large per
churches is carried on by women. For some
reason the men are elsewhere, and their
best efforts and constant thought are en-
listed in building up some other Kingdom
than the kingdom of God, in cultivating
some other society than the communion of
saints. 1t would be folly for the church
70 han 70 Gv,6n ND 70 ftS
time in nagging at men for not enlisting
in her work. Indeed it would be worse
than folly. it would be base. That is rot
what Jesus did. Jesus went to men, found
out their needs and supplied them, and thus
won them to Him. This the church must
de- too" 49, .,o o., =. ~.
Rowlison said the chief characteristics o.
His work were to make much of close per-
sonal contact with men, which We call So
in supplying the sad wants of poor human
natures, If the church did the same thing
Jesus did, Mr.. Rowlison believed it would
We're ts healing the e s is said R0h he would
not the sick be thronging to it? II 1t were
feeding the hungry would not the hungry
teaching the ignorant. would not the ignor-
ant be pressing into the kingdom of heaven
If the church were filled with a wholesome
felt that he had true friend in it, and
that he could there meet with noble men
who would help him bear his burdens, would
not the church, instead of the clubhouse
and lodgeroom, be thronged with men? II
the young man. away from home and hun
gering for companionship, could find the
church lighted up every evening and ready
to receive him into its reading room end
gamerooms with hearty welcome. do you
not suppose that nine-tenthS of such men
would gladly choose the church rather than
the saloon? Do you suppose that If the
church, instead of laundering forth as from
Sinai, its monotonous negatives, Thou
shalt not. thou shalt not" should place it.
self on the plane where men are, that IL
may lift them up to where they ought to
which fails to exhaust every means for
saving men fails to be a church of Jesus
Christ. The church which feels itself de-
filed by opening its doors for boys to play
innocent games, and for young men to read
and to cultivate their social and inte:)ec-
gymnasium that their muscles may be KEEP,
strong for LIES heavy burdens and their
brains kept clear that they may compre-
bend the sweetness OF Christ's gospel, such
a church would do well to re-examine the
abstract of the title to its inheritance. The
equipped gymnasium and attractive read
ing and gameroom which will draw men
and boys to the church and cause them &c
love IL, than It is defiled by the professions
Of some whose religion is so unbeautifu
that 1t repels more than II attracts. know
that this idea of the church's work Is quite
different from our customary conception OF
IL. But is that any argument against IT:
May not the evident failure of customary
methods be proof positive that they mus,
tive?"
Y. NJ. C. A. METHODS IN CHURCH.
After referring to the struggle which the