New-York tribune., 1901-11-17
THE DECLINE IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE

THE DECLINE IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE.
The recent statement cf Dr. Rainsford that
the attendance at st. Georges Church, in TINS
city, is falling off will surprise the general pup
lie for 1t has come to be assumed tnat the
Institutional church. of which st. Georges is
such a good example, is popular success
whatever else may be said in regard to it. The
institutional church, in fact, was the outcome
of the belief that the old type of parish was
failure because of it's deadness and inactivity
So the church thrown open every day IN
the week. and services were multiplied. In
addition TO large staff Of clergy, scores OF lay
workers, men and women, were employed
many OF whom were able to give as much time
to the work as the clergy. Dozens of guilds
and philanthrOpic and missionary societies were
organized. each one demanding of its members
active work involving much time and effort IL
not money. There was hardly an hour OF the
week In which the parOchial machinery was not
whirring with score or more of eager workers
supplying the power. and the chief pastor In MS
office like any business man, from Sunday to
Sunday, with hardly moment TO relax or
forego the Ssyphuske task of rolling the
human race up the hill of duty. At first the
new method seemed to triumphant sue
cess 1t not only inspired many hitherto apa-
thetic members with zeal and devotion but it
gathered into the Church large numbers of the
unchurched masses The institutional church
came TO be referred to applied Christianity,
and even its critics were forced TO admit that
1t had done much to vitalize the teachings Oh
Christ that were becoming meaningless with
many people. Yet to-day one of the most sue
cessful of these churches is losing its hold on
the people, and there is reason to believe that
the same thing may be true of other inst1tl-
tional churches. What is the cause OF this fa1i-
ure in the face of unwearied zeal self-denlal
and a love for humanity that is OF the very
spirit of Christ?
1t will seem to many that DR.. Ralnsfords
answer to this question does not quite cover the
case He says:
Multitudes of men-good men and good citi
zens-who used TO come TO church more or less
regularly now spend Sunday in outdoor recrea-
ton of ore another. There has been a
lamentabe increase Of social entertainment on
Sunday. and this among class that have abso-
lutely no excuse for making this misuse OF the
Lords Day, for they have plenty of leisure the
other six days of the week TO entertain as iucn m
as they choose. BY using the seventh day for
such purposes they overwork their servants ana
they add to the strain and stress OF life Ihey
generally neglect their children. II they nave
any and. consciously or unconsciously they take
away somewhat from the repose and quiet OF the
day-a repose ard quiet that are more needed by
our sorey beset generation than ever before.
The failure of the institutional church, so far
as II has failed. might be explained perhaps in
another way. Is it not possible that II IS suffer
ing from too much machinery and TOO incessant
activity on the part of its members: Doubtless
the torpidity OF the Church in the so-called good
old days needed to be reformed; but there Is
reason TO believe that the reform has been TOO
drastic An acute and fair minded observer
said recently of the present day clergy of the
Church of England that they resemble nothing
hoi drrlIp a amending
round OF meetings calls, services and exhorta-
tIons. with never n gimmer OF rest or even
time for quiet thought outside of the iron routine
Of work takes the heart out of them. Many
OF them have the harried and hopeless look OF
overworked beasts OF burden, and so the very
machinery which they have devised for the
uplifting OF humanity takes all the JOY and
inspiration out of their own lives. without which
no spiritual or moral leadership is possible.
It seems that there is a possibility of n SIM
liar state of things occurring in this country
not only among the overworked clergy or the
,reat institutional churches. but among the
laity who have been made an integral part or
the never resting machine. The activity is SO
continuous that in some cases the most enthu-
siastic workers have been known to withdraw
In sheer WEAKNESS At first, perhaps. the
unceasing succession OF meetings. services, raj
lies and the like pleases the nOn-churchgoing
masses but after n while they, too. find the
mace too hot for them. and lose much or their
interest in the church, If they do not actually
cease to attend 1t. But. worst of all, the modern
institutional church must have deterioratlng
effect on the clergy. few picked men Oh rare
moral and spiritual endowments may resist the
deodeninc influence of its unceasing activities
Put the average minister. with the best lnteh-
tions In the world, is pretty sure to have much
of his fresh zeal spontaneity and inspiration
taken out of him by the constant drudgery OF
his work unreleved II is in many cases by
any moments that he can call absolutely MS
own for recreation or enjoyment apart from HIS
,tork While some modification OF the busting
material activities of parish life may be deslr-
able. the religious pendulum Is hardly likely TO
swing back to the highly subjective 1ntrospec-
tive TYNE of religion of which the following
record in n diary is an illustration:
Seeing a young kitten climbing tree reminded
mo Of the tree of life O my soul, seek ever TO
cIfmb to its topmost heights and partake OF its
nfegiving fruit
7, was a fine day for football. and all the
,,o.,use was THANKSGIVING Day or