Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-28
srArIas Aw4Y FRoM cHunoB.
Some Reasons Given Why People do No
Attend Religious Services.

Attend Religious Services.
Lesiios Weekly.
A Brooklyn preacher has recently
aIted something deeper than a ripple
in the religious circles CT the country
by setting forth facts and figures which
show great falling off in church at
tendance, not only In the City of
Churches itself, but throughout the
country. He cites. the last year book
Of the Congregational Church in the
United States to show that the net gain
Of that denomination last year was only
$3.50 in total membership of over
900. 600, and In the Presbyterian Church
only 5000 In total membership OF
nearly 1000, 900. Be quotes high
Methodist authority for tho statement
that in three OF the largest conferences
OF that denomination, which, together
and SIG, 900, 900 worth Of church prop
of 1000 members. As for Brooklyn
itself the figures Of church decline are
even more porteutioue. The net gain
in membership of the Protestant
churches in Brooklyn last year was a
little over 1000. During o period in
which the population OF the city in
creased from $4,000 to 100000 the
| church member ship increased only
about 5000. 1t is stated that between
800, 600 and GOO, 90c people in Brooklyn
are not touched by the churches at all.
Various reasons are assigned for the
falling off in attendance upon religious
worship. DR.. Hills, the new pastor
OF Plymouth Church 10 Brooklyn, says
| the American people are too tired to
| attend church. Dwight l.. Moody
says that in too many cases the Bible
has been crowded out by lectures on
literature OF by wrangling over theology
cal problems. Another prominent
| preacher ascribes 1t to the higher
criticism, and another to the apostasy
Of life among professed believers. Men
of the world complain. he says, THAT
members of churches are often inferior
in probity and honor to men like
themselves. We send missionaries to
the heather, but in the hold of the shiI
they sail IN we place. side by side,
boxes of Bibles and barrels of rum.
We send soldiers to Ishoot down the
heather, and then send missionaries to
convert the survivors. -
The preacher who made the state
ments first cited declares himself to be
an optimist In the matter. He sees nc
reason for encouragement In the out
look, ominous as the figures may ap,
pear. The church of today, be thinks,
holds rs strongly to the scriptui es an6
their teachings as it ever did. There
is no doctrinal unsoundness peryad
ing and paialyzing the church.
With this view we agree. 1t is the
rational view, and justified by facts
The fault is not in Christianity itself
but in the methods OF its presentation
Too many extraneous and unnecessar,
features have been introduced in thu
church service which distract ant
weary the hearers and help but littl,
to promote religious belief and spirit
ual development. The vast majority o
people who attend church reguarl,
1--WE refer here to the Protestantsl anc
help to support it financially and other
wise go to hear the pi eachiug; the ser
mon is, for them, the chief feature O
the exercises. oil the Others beinl
merely subsidiary,
In oden times this want was recog
pized, and the sermon occupied tn,
chief place in the order of procedure
and the larger part Of the time and a
tention. But this Is not SO now. Evei
in many Of the so-oalled non liturgica
churches the tendency has been to re
legate the sermon more and more to tn
background, the larger emphasis ap
pareptly being placed on the music, tn
responsive reading, and other features
As II typical instance, 1t may be note,
that in certain Presby ian church
recently, the exercises that went befor
the sermon occupied three quarters o
an hour, and the sermon itself 8
! minutes.
Herein we believe that a serion
mistake has been made, and one whicl
accounts in material degree for tn
decline in church attendance. Peopl
are wearied out with all the uprising
and down-sittings which the servic
calls for before the sermon begins. S
much time is occupied With what ar
regarded as incidental or preliminar
exercises that many hearers are bIough
to q frame of mind where the SCI mo
does comparatively little good. Tn
long wait has taxed the patience an
wearied the body, and the sermon fall
on hardened and unresponsive soi
The sermon is what the people go I
hear more than anything else, an
nothing should be allowed to ovel
shadow it or push it to the background
Let it be short, practical and full {
vital force and truth, and it will attrat
and hold the people ~.1t