Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-30
THE STRUGGLE OF CHURCHES.

Modern churches are looking In every
direction for something whereby 10
secure their existence. They are SORE
iy threatened and tried. Indifference
10 Milling the ship. that IL tossed about
among the breakers OF inndcity and
higher criticism" the compass OF revc-
lation gone. and the helm Ia the feeble
hands OF hlrciings. Many experiments
are tried for the purpose OF perpetual
Ing an institution In which popular In
terest II waning.
To make the church a concert hall
and lecture room has been tried. but
not with entire satisfaction. The drum
and tambourine do not reach all classes.
The bazaar and social gathering have
no permanent charms. Churches are
being deserted. They are unable to
compete with the popular farce. or the
circus.
Among the new ideas put forth is
this. that the ''onc- man mi nlstry" must
be abandoned. Churches having places
OF worship In close proximity 60 one an
other. must Join In partnership about
the preaching and the finances. Says q
Presbyterian paper:
In place OF the system prevailing
among US today. we would suggest a
grouping OF churches and partner
ship of their ministers. In town
where there are four or i've Prcsbyte.
rlnn churches, or In a section of "A large
city like New York. where there ar.
the same number. these churches might
enter Into "a definite union OF ministry.
OF finance. OF everything. Thus. In that
town. or In that section OF the city,
there would be simply one Presbyterian
church with various buildings In which
TO carry on Its operations. The results
OF such change could not but be
highly beneficial TO the cause OF relig.
ion."
In other words, the churches are be-
coming tired OF their pastors" They
want a change. and they promise them
selves great results from such q change
DID not Paul speak about
time. when professed Christi
ians would clamor for teachers
willing to feed them according to their
own prescription? II In variety" that
is needed. they think. And NO the
church services should be arranged on
the pattern OF q vaudeville performance.
The ministers In n district might form
stock company and Jointly nll the
pulplts In the district. The programs
might consist OF solos, Rotations
duets. exhortations. anthems. read
Ing. etc, according to taste, with such
other variations as might be
suggested from time to time
Many modern churches would
be less omen TO the charge OF slmula-
tion, were they managed more In ac-
cordance with the variety show.
The dcplorable condition which the
churches fail to grapplc with is well
known. and sometimes pointed out.
Thus at the Methodist congress Mt 81.
Louis last month. Rev. w. W. King did
not hesitate to say that he doubted
whether some American cities would
compare fayorably TO ancient sodom He
pointed out that the church can never
fulnll Its mission, as long az 1t permits
social system that literally compels
sales-.irls and clerks In stores to live
lives OF imDurity. He further showed
that the churches were to blame for
the condition that makes II almost
impossible to get Il decent man elected
to any office" or to get any legislation
without a liberal use OF money"
In view OF such an arraignment OF
modern churches, what ls the object to
be gained by introducing greater variety
In the pulpits? What IL needed IL II
thorough awakening-a shaking up ms
by an earthquake. The religious world
needs to be made To realize that NOV
also the AK Is laid unto the root OF the
trees; therefore every tree when bring
eth not forth good fruit IL hewn down.
and cast into the fire." Not TIL the
churches and their leaders realize that