Evening star., 1899-03-03
METHODS INCHURCH WORK
Evangelist Ohapman'sa Theme at Luther
Memorial Church This Morning.
Duty of Christians Toward the Weak
and Errings- The Services
Last Night.

OF the pews Of the large auditorium. The
services began at 1890 o'clock. Mr.. Chap
man preached upon methods in church
work and told his hearers to be fearless in
their determination to do what they thought
pest for bringing souls to Christ, whether
their IDEAS were agreeable to few OBJ
3ectors or not. He also spoke of the crowns
which the workers for God and the church
will some day wear finding texts for these
thoughts in several books of the Bible.
The evangelist spoke of his experience
with certain church. When he took
charge the pews were empty on Sunday,
only few faithful deacons and elders, sis
ters and servants being present at the vari-
Gus services. He felt something must be
Gone. He was advised to make an expert
ment OF evangelistic methods, and began by
distributing gospel hymn books. One of the
elders. learning of this ordered the hymn
BOOKS suppressed. So things went for some
time time until Mr. Chapman. fairly desperate
slipped the hymn books into the pews.
Ihere they We're found Sunday morning,
ana from them good old hymn was sung.
1T brought over the elders, and every one
In the vicinity came to hear how a gospel
song would sound in this staid old church
ne result was an overf1owing congregation
from that day on. Mr.. Chapman said that
II present methods are not succeeding the
churca workers should try some other way.
Unchristian Speech.
Speaking of those who deprecate revival
meetings and are ever ready to say of a
man who shall have professed faith at
one and afterward falls: II knew he would
not hold OUT Mr.. Chapman said no more
unchristly speech ever fell from mortal
lips. "It is our duty said he, "to help
him hold out. The child taking it's first les
sons in walking would fall if willing hands
We're not ever ready to catch it should
there be any tottering. The convert is a
~ in ia CT ~
cry one who puts out a helping hand to
such man will have CROWN.
Mr. Chapman spoke of the many crowns
OF righteousness, of glory, of rejoicing and
incorruptness that are to be won by the
workers for the Lord.
This afternoon Mr.. Chapman will preach
in the New York Avenue Presbyterian
church at 4:15 o'clock.
Surprises His Hearers.
The unexpected happened in the Chap
man evangelistic meeting at the Calvary
Baptist Church last night 1t came in the
form of what preachers call special mani
festation. DR.. Chapman had been preach
ing fervently from the selected text when
he suddenly stopped in the belief that
he had said enough to convince the people,
and Immediately he began working for re-
suits. 1t was something unique in the his
tory of Washington pulpits, and surprised
the 1900 people present. The effects of
the sermon were more noticeable than at
any previous meeting
The attractive power of music is appre-
ciated by DR.. Chapman and he always has
half hour song service to precede the
regular meeting. Mr.. Harper Garcia Smyth,
the eVangelist'S special s0loist and director
has charge Of this feature Mr. Smyth has
quite reputation in the north as a Soloist,
but has never been in Washington before
Yet he has made the people sing as well
as If he had trained them for weeks At
the meeting last night DR.. Chapman him
self took a hand in conducting the singing
and seemed to impart his enthusiasm to
the people in the pews, for they followed
his lead spontaneously. and with willing
ness that demonstrated the widespread ef-
feet of his personality.
Mr.. Leet read the following message of
greeting from Secretary E. Z. Reed of the
Methodist Protestant Christian Endeavor
Union of Baltimore: ..-..a. .....
THE Methodist Protestant Christian En-
deavor Union of the Maryland annual con-
ference, in convention assembled, in Lafay-
cite Avenue Church, Baltimore, send Chris
tian greetings to the young people of Wash
ington and prays Gods richest blessing as
a benediction to fall upon the series of
services now being conducted by Rev. ].
Wilbur Chapman
The Detective Evangelist.
An innovation in the opening part of the
service was the prayer offered by Todd
Hall, the converted detective of Baltimore
This prayer is usually offered by one of
the city pastors. There was very notice
able contrast between the manner of the
detective evangelist and the pastor evan
gelst; both are sincere, earnest and de-
termined, but there is a noticeable differ
ence in their manner and in their use of
language. This was one of the best occa-
sicns for the appreciation of the secret of
DR.. Chapman's power
Among the pastors the MIA form with
DIR. Chapman last night were Revs. George
P. Wilson S. H. Greene and others. Mr..
SIR yth sang My Brothers PRAYER, nre-
cedfng the sermon.
The subject of the preachers message
was taken from Hebrews, ii:3-"How shall
we escape If we neglect so great saliva
tion?'
THE wonder of wonders in tbe world %
the plan for the salvation of men" he said,
1T is SO wonderful that the wisest man
who has ever lived has never been able to
understand it in its full meaning. Yet IT is
so simple that the smallest child who un-
derstands the difference between right and
wrong can appreciate it.
There are scores Of men who have been
on the edge Of the kingdom of heaven
brought there by a mothers PRAYERS and
the earnest preaching of the minister of
God, but when just about to enter in have
slipped back never to return
Treats of Neglect.
The message of the evening conferred
around three words great neglect and es
cape. The salvation Of God is great. the
evangelist said, because it shows us how
We may be restored to holiness. The Won
derful thing about salvation is that 1t re-
veals how a man may be made complete in
Christ; how he may be saved from great
sin. 1t is great in its authorship If God
is the author of salvation, and We know He
Is, then there Is only one way for men to
be saved, and that is through Christ. All
the reformation in the world does not touch
the past present or future; men will never
be saved by any amount of resolution
is great in it's pardon and forgiveness.
DIR. Chapman had been preaching hut
twenty minutes and had only spoken on one
of the three phases of the text His pre-
sentation of a subject capable of very ef-
E1,aI