The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-23
In the House
Z Or. BROUGRTON'S{ NEW IDEAS,
He. Wants to Serve Drinks and Have
Comic Shows at Church..

He. Wants to Serve Drinks ana nave
Comic Shows at Church.
Rev. l.. G. Broughton, D.. D., is an
Evangelist and is well-known in this
city, he having at different times con-
Quoted protraoted meetings ut the Grove
Avenue, Leigh-Street, Grace-Street and
Second Baptist churches. DR.. Broughton
formerly resided in Roanoke, but is now
a resident Of Atlanta, Ca, and has al
WAYS been noted for his earnestness in
church work. Sunday last Rev. DR..
Brougl1tCm preached at the Green Avenue
Baptist church, Brooklyn, at which time
he advanced, according to reports, some
starnge and strikingly original methods
for the necessity of church attendance.
In the course of his remarks, DR..
Broushton IS reported as having said:
There are 10000, 900 sinners in the
United States. Not one man in 10000 to-
day stops to think OF God until he is ready
to die. Religion is going backward, it
is the fault of tine church, roo- Ministers
are at standsti2l. They are slowly los
ing their power. AS a drawing card the
church ranks only sixth in the list of
public attractions. It should be made to
rank first
1.-THE church must be made as attract
i've as the theatre and the cake-walk.
Something must be done to bring the
people into the churches, not on Sun
days, but every day of the week. To do
this we must make the church both a
business proposition and a place of at
traction.
s There are 10000 people who will pay
$4,000 for theatres before they will en-
te- a church and give five cents to God.
There are $4,000 man who would pay
{ 81. 900. 600 10 see a prize-fght and would
insult any one who would ask them to
give Is cents apiece for religion.
s.There are 10000 women who would pay
$40, 600 900 for dresses for fashion who
would not take the trouble to get up early
enough on Sunday to attend church.
s ST want to see the man who can doubt
that statement.
First Of all. it behooves every minister
to make his church as attractive as pos
sible It cannot be called sensational
ism. It is merely putting God at the
head of all things, where he belongs.
eff itSsfs necessary to bring people to
church. we ministers might go so far; as
to have service where the biograDh
could be introduced with biblical pictures,
and with other pictures, TOO.
s'For the men VINO put prize-fghting
ahead of God. we might go so far as to
have a few rounds of boxing before each
service.
perhaps one-act comedy might in
the sermon was over. @
."Then to attract many others. we
might turn the church into a temporary
cafe, where We might serve soft drinks
{ between prayers.
5E Theatres. cards, kissing parties, prize
fights. cake-walks and fashion, all min
gled into one nnharnonious whole, engage
the people. They engage the people so
strongly that they do not feel the power
tad {NyaC
are waning and they are dying. -
The New York World artist has chosen
DR.. Broughton's sermon as a subje for
illustrations and in a series OF four pic
lures has represented the Evangelist in
the roles of a nickel lin -the-slot machine
operator: as a. conte stant for pugiltstic
honors with one of his flock; as Hamlet.
with s.':o be or not to- be altta chment,.s
thoroughly modern. The last of the set
of pictures represents the gent eman from
Georgia ins the act Of serving drinks
(soft, 10 his hearers.