The times., 1899-07-31
CHURCH ROOF GARDENS.
The Novel Iden Proposed by Evan
geIist Dwight l.. Moody.

Sebtst DWtSht is- hoOoy-
New York. July SO.-'It is no use talk
ing" said Evangelist Dwight L. Moody.
but things have got to be revolutionized
in New York before We can reach the
masses. asome people may be surprised.
and even scandalized. but ! unhesitatingly
state thai every church in New York
should have a roof garden
Mr.. Moody. who has been doing evan
gelistic work in New York during the past
two days, went to Brooklyn yesterday and
preached there today in the Church OF the
Pilgrims. He talked last night to re-
porter regarding religious work in New
York and on the special effort being made
this summer TO influence the people.
Il am convinced he said, that we
must do some right hard work in New
York and other great cities during the
summer months The talk about every
body going out OF town during the hot
weather is all bosh. Just because you see
few brown stone mansions in the neigh
borhoed of Fifth Avenue boarded up in
the summer you must not imagine that
New York leaves New York and goes into
the country
Il say that the summer is the very best
time to reach the people. You do not then
can find them outside, whole families, sit
ting on the stoops. In the winter you
have got to go inside to rout them out
II believe | can suggest way in which
the people can be reached in summer.
Every church in New York should have a
roof garden. The thing Is perfectly prac-
teal and there is no reason in the world
why we should not convert as many sin
ners in roof garden as in church
- - ~ fIsNtlsa
as attractive as the theatre roof gardens.
The services would be the same as in the
sfuffy churches and there should be p enty
of good singing and good preaching.
Sell lemonade? Why. certainly. !
would sell all kinds of Temperance drinks.
over in Liverpool we have hundreds o.
little coffee pa aces where n man can go ID
treat his friends. There is no reason why
we should not do the same thing here, ans
] do II in popular and well arranged roo!
gardens.
Christians and sinners both like fresh
air. and when Christianity and fresh ali
can be found together the people as a
whole are apt to take advantage OF the
fact.
.'one objection may be made that we
/ shall have TO remodel our churches. Well,
| let us remodel them. The theatres were
.emodeled TO suit the popular taste; why
| should not the churches be altered also.
| Because churches have in the past been
| built with arched roofs is no reason fol-
continuing TO build them like that. They
would be better now with fiat roofs.
1T is true that large number of min
isters leave New York during the summer
months for the country. But would sus-
gest that the ministers who go to the coun'
try should be replaced for a few weeks a
| time by country ministers. would aist
suggest an interchange of pulpits by min
4 isters on either side of the Atlantic.
II do not wish to convey the impression
/ that the Christian outlook is anything bu
/ bright What wish to insist upon strong
I ly is that a great mistake has been madt
in the past in leaving the millions of peo
I pie massed together in the great cities
without Christian guidance during th'
1 summer"