The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-09
ADVERTISING CHURCHES
a VISITOR COMPLAINS BECAUSE HE
CAN GET NO INFORMATION.
Why Churches DO Not Publish An
nouncement of Services i'm Sum
day Papcrs-POor Policy.

'Why don't the indianapolis churches ad-
vertise their services in the Sunday Jour
nal?" asked well-known commercial trav-
eler of reporter who CHANGED to meet him
yesterday at one of the hotels. Without
waiting for an answer to his question he
continued: MY business brings me to this
city at the end of the week and for several
weeks 1 have spent my Sundays here. In
fact, like good many other travelling men
in this territory, L make it a point to reach
Indianapolis on Saturday, if possible, rather
than to stay over until Monday in a small
town. Now 1 know it is the fashion to re-
gard travelling men as gay and frivolous
lot whose chief idea is TO have good
time when they are off duty, but the repu-
tation doesn't do us justice. We're about
the average, L guess, and some of US have
the habits of civilization. l, for one, am
something of a church-goer when oppor-
tunity permits-and there are others. But L
like to go sometimes to one church and
sometimes to another-where your best at
fractions are. l like to know If the regular
minister is TO officiate at any services
may think of attending, or if a stranger is
to be present; and 1 like to know if there
is to be anything special in the way of
music. But how am l TO find out any OF
these things if they are not announced in
the morning papers? My wife is with me to-
day and she especially wished to go to hear
a certain minister, but there was no men
ton of it in the paper and as it is good
ways up town we concluded not to go,
thinking the minister might not have re-
turned from his vacation. l have since
learned accidentally that he is at home and
held services this morning. Why is it they
don't announce their programme for the
day?"
REPORTERS INVESTIGATION.
The reporter had been asked this ques-
ton so many times that he had investi-
gated the matter and was able to explain
to the seeker for information that some
of the various boards of managers, or
whatever the official heads of the church
organizations might be called, and some
of the ministers. cherished antiquated
and unreasonable prejudice against Sunday
papers and objected to patronizing them To
the extent of inserting a twenty-ive-cent
ad. They were entirely willing to have
reports of their services published in the
Monday paper, all the work of which is
done on Sunday, but virtuously turned their
faces against the editions delivered on Sun
day morning. If they knew as early as
Friday evening precisely what the Sunday
services were to be-a thing not always
poss6le-they were not unwIlng TO am
on Sunday no. Hence the very incom-
plete church record, giving strangers, more
of whom read the Sunday edition than any
other. an erroneous idea of the religious
situation in the town.
Perhaps they would be willing to have
you insert the announcement on Sunday
if you would do so free of charge" sug-
gested the travelling man.
The reporter couldn't say as to that, but
he didn't why, if there was any iniquity
about a Sunday ad., its righteousness
would be any less, by making it free. And
he didn't see, either, why a paper which
wasn't primarily a benevolent institution,
but which. nevertheless, gave a great deal
of space to gratuitous announcements of
church sOcialS, fairs, business meetings.
etc, should do all the church advertising
for nothing.
Well" the travelling man said, reflective
ly, Il think the churches are pursuing a
very short-sighted policy. They complain
because congregations are small, yet they
don't invite the public to come. They can't
stop the Sunday papers by Withholding
their patronage, nor even keep their own
membership from reading them. Why not
take advantage of them, then, TO inform
Sunday-paper readers of what they are
doing. It's a plain matter of business.
People who are likely to attend church
before. They don't think of it until Sunday
morning, and then they are not likely
to hunt up Saturday paper for informa-
tion. If they can't get it in Sundays pa
per the chances are that they stay at home
This may be true even of regular members
of a congregation; it is pretty sure to be of
strangers. All this summer thousands of
people from all over the State nave been
coming to Indianapolis on Sunday ex-
cursion trains-respectable orderly we'll
behaved people. Many of the trains arrive
early enough for the visitors to attend
morning service if they are so disposed
but I'll venture to say that not an effort
has been made to get them there.
THE EXCURSIONISTS.
''It is quite probable that few OF these
excusionists have any thought of religious
| services in mind when they leave home.
but it will not do by any means to class
them as non-churchgoing people. Quite the
contrary is likely TO be the case for as a
rule, country people and the residents of
small towns are habitual churchgoers. If
they knew they would have opportunity
to hear the big preachers and the fine
music i'm indianapolis churches il would he
an added inducement to some of them TO
come. And even if they are not church.
goers. isn't that all the more reason WHY
an effort should be made to make them
SOP
The travelling man by this time had
grown quite animated, and was waving his
Sunday Journal about vigorously.
"Oh, I'm in earnest he continued 81
believe in letting the public know what's
circles. If L were preacher I'd make my
church advertise and in a big way. +
wouldn't stop at "a little stingy five-line
notice. I'd spread. 1t wouldn't be sen
sationalism il would be business I'd
make people know when the church was
open and that they would have good music
and as good a sermon as | could preach TO
them, and that they were more than well
! plan would work well?'
| The reporter didn't know.
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THE STEET. CTRJKE