The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-05
PASTOR SPEAKS PLAINLY
REV. II. v. HUNTER WANTS AN IN
STITUTIONAL CHURCH ORGANIZED.
Talks of Lack of Organization I'm the
Presbyterian Church and Com
plains of Preachers.

Rev. r. " Hunter, pastor OF the Seventh
Presbyterian Church, in his sermon yester-
day morning advocated the establishment
of an institutional church to be main
tanned by d combination of the South Side
Presbyterian churches. This church." he
said, should I've backed by the good will
and finances of all Presbyterians. 1t should
be a home for the hundreds of boys In
these parts with Y. NJ. G. A. and neighbor-
hood house attachments. Such an insti-
tuition would accomplish more than all the
churches of the southeastern part of the
city are doing to-day"
This statement was made by Mr.. Hunter
after a discourse in which he said the
church was not progressing in comparison
with other lines of activity nor keeping
pace with the opportunities needs of
the hour. He declared that this is an age
of things in the material and intel
lectual world and calls for new things In
the spiritual world. mot new TRUTH he
said, mot new theology. Christ died once
for us all; but we do need new methods of
presenting this truth, new lines of work
carrying out the Masters last command,
Go we into all the world etc.
I'm New York they have the Tenderloin
district and Fifth avenue. In Pittsburg
the East and West ends. Indianapolis has
its North and South sides. The churches
have the elements within them to bridge
these chasms if they will. The Catholic
Church has been more successful than the
Protestants In bringing together the rich
and the poor into the same church. The
Protestant tendency is to move uptown
with the tide and leave the labor the
clerk, the Celt and the Latin to stew, fret,
suffer, drink and to breed and hatch an
archy. A spirit of brotherhood must enter
into society, and 1t is the business of the
church to put 1t there. This the church
can never do with high-priced choirs in
churches built on the boulevard. We must
take religion where the people are"
Mr.. Hunter also spoke of the lack of or
ganization in the Presbyterian churches in
Indianapolis. 1.-THE preachers will not meet;
our work is suffering in consequence" he
said. II am too busy to look after my
brothers interests. Each Presbyterian
Church stands practically alone. We need
bishop. central power, the spirit of CO.
operation and common business sagacity.
To have such a condition would be to have
all things new indeed. The Rev. Mr..
Smith. of the Tabernacle: said that we
have too many churches. That is true-of
the kind and placed as they are
Mr.. Hunter then made the suggestion of
establishing the institution church" and
continued: 1--WE are doing church work
as they did fifty years ago. A business
would break up under the same manage
ment. What a pity that our church people
nave so little sense while pretending to do
business for Jesus Christ The First and
Second churches on University Square is
another example of Christian asininity.
Two are not needed there. but the First
is about to go elsewhere. Will it so whe e
IL is needed or will it go into territory al
ready covered by the Tabernacle, the
Fourth and Memorial? If the church is
governed by desire to do the most good
it will go where there is a dearth of
churches. The church of Christ should
lead in seeking out the classes that need
help. The church is not a leader in the
uplifting of the race until Ii adapts itself
to the new conditions. a church is not
filing the idea of the Master that exists
as Sunday club or that is fifty years be-
hind the business world in its methods"