The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-22
INFLUENCE OF A
BAD NEWSPAPER
Continued from Page H.

relations is a crime. The smaller
churches have no right to assume
critical attitude toward the large
churches The latter, by their very
size, have many more complex inter-
ests than the small churches. There
is real danger in the competitive spirit
in churches. Churches should not be
compared with each other. 1t is right
to try to increase your own church,
but not at the expense OF another
church.
what. then, are the relations that
should exist between the larger and
smaller churches? First, they should
be cordially sympathetic. There should
be a clear recognition OF the tie tha s
binds our hearts, Not infrequently
this is all the smaller church asks OF
the larger. Another relation lies in the
question of inter-dependence and inde
pendence. When any church tries TO
go it alone she will find herself IN
state of decided loneliness. Congrega-
tionalism has tried that to Its sorrow
before now. There should be between
churches hearty cooperation, imam
cial social, spiritual. The spirit OF CO.
operation recognizes the unity ana en-
tirety of the kingdom. We should pc
as happy in the prosperity of another
church as we are of our own.
'@The interests of the smaller and
the larger churches are Identical ana
absorbed. Therefore 1t ought TO De an
easv thing for all churches to work
together for the good of the kingdom"
DR.. Conrad spoke of the Worcester
City Missionary Society as a sort OF
clearing house for Worcester Congre-
gationalism to establish relations De-
tween the various churches.
Iaxyo nd
the next speaker, suggested that the
audience relieve itself by singing the
hymn, 1.-THE Church's One Founda~
ton" ,r,.
He followed with an address on THE
Place of the Small City Church. lie
said in part: This topic was assigned
to me, / take it, because the church
of which / have the honor to be pastor
stands about midway between large
church and small one. In discussing
this problem l raise three questions;
First to what end does the church
exist? Paul tells us that the church is
the pillar of Christ The church stands
for Christ 1t represents the life OF
our Lord. 1t is not only monument
to the fact that Christ lived but also
to the fact that he now lives. 1t IS
a medium for the extension OF the
truth.
Our second general question is: Can
a small church in the city attain the
ends of a true church? Some think not
Not a few say that the day of small
churches like the day of small stores
is past. We are living in time Of
combination and consolidation. Large
department stores have to a large ex-
tend driven out the small retail stores.
But this illustration, if it proves any
thing, proves too much, for while the
small stores are lessened in number
there are still many in existence and
many are doing a thriving business.
The only conclusion we can reach
then, is that there are some people who
at some times will trade at small
store, if only for convenience, In pref
erence to a large one. 1t is probably
also true that there are some who
prefer a small store to a large one at
all times, even if they have to pay
few cents more.
THAT a small church can attain to
the ends for which the church was in
stituted would seem to be proven by
the history Of the apostolic church.
The church at Jerusalem was city
church Just how many members the
apostolic churches had we cannot say,
but we are safe in concluding that
most OIL InGIu MElE Slltoi AdiAAIAASe
and several of them had not more than
two or three families, possibly number
ing dozen souls. Yet, the influence of
these small city churches has been so
felt that their names have become in
separately connected with church his
tory.
That the small churches are doing
a splendid work and therefore have a
place in modern city life is clearly
shown from a study of the local church
work in our own city. Take the three
large churches representing three diff
ferent sections of our city, Central,
Union, Piedmont. Last year these
three combined received A on confess
sion of faith AS their total member
shin Jan. / was 1947 it took just a
members to secure one addition. Three
small churches, Park, Hope and
Bethany. received on confession, 50
members. Their total membership
was $40. In these three, therefore. It
took only about Is members TO secure
one addition.
Look at the question from flnan-
cial standpoint. The three large