Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-11
OUTLOOK AMONG onURcnE4

| OF Ills pnlllitni
OUTLOOK AMONG CHURCHES
| ---~----.
A contributor 10 the Boston Tran
script finds the outlook FOR the new
year among four Of The larger denom-
nations Of this country "promislng;'
IN three II IA fair, aud In two "omln-
Gus" Among those with promising
prospects are the Presbytorlans, Meth
odists. Lutherans ana Disciples Among
Roman Catholics Baptists and Jews
the reviewer finds only fair conditions,
and In the Protestant Episcopal and
Congregational bodies, he says, the
signs are omln0us.
Classlncatlons OF this kind may not
be very reliable. They depend mostly
on what point OF view they are made
from. Thus, the Presbyterian outlook
Is said to be promising although from
other sources, quoted by the Church
Economist, II Is known that for the
year ending the 3lst Of March last q
iii churches Of total OF 1913, did
not have one single addition by CON
fcsslon Of faith And OF the remain
ing 5,s75 churches, 9,500, or almost one
half, reported I'VE or less additions
each. The 1850 embrace the large body
Of ordinary and typical churches, out
side Of favorable conditions and Of
leadership quality or the 2,I1d churches
receiving FIVE or more LII received ten
Or less, leaving only 1906 that report.
ed over ten accesslons during whole
year
The review does not show that the
conditions have materially changed II
states that harmony obtains that the
creed revision does not create a ripple.
and that rarely has an era Of greater
Presbyterian good feeling obtained
This Is, Of course gratifying, and
promising" But Is 1t especially 80?
Is It worthy Of special note that mem.
bers OF church entertain good feel
lngs toward one another
AS for the other churches the re-
viewer quoted says that the Disciples
and the l.utherans continue to have
phenomenal growth Of membership, the
latter however. partly through limit
grafton. The Quakers are eated over
their recent peace conference AS for
the Catholics, "much Is hoped for this
year from lay federation, and appre-
henslon obtains generally because Of
the advanced age Of the pope, and the |
temporal power question involved In |
the selection Of his successor Growth !
IN membership IL steady, but not |
marked as It has not been marked for
some years past Methodsts expect
large membership accesslons, and viii |
spend much energy in completing the
$50, 100000 fund, Among the Boptlsts,
the reviewer thinks. the conditions
might BIO better" Contributions are
ana membership growth
presents nothing striking Religious
leaders among the Jews have long de-
plored the loss to Judaism Of their mil
lIonalre class, In the Episcopal body
intellectually has gone to an extreme
and In the Congregational, individual
ty
Thus Is the situation briefly stated.
The reviewer concludes.
TT costs 5000 100000 year to maln-
tain the churches OF the United States,
'nd to make the usual annual advance.
Like the year Just closed there Is In !
The year just beginning nothing very |
Finances are not good
In spite OF the prosperous times, IN
many bodies spiritual enthusiasm Is at |
a low ebb parochlolism TO the detri-
mont OF the general work is rampant |
Progress Ia making, but II is quite in |
adequate 20 that which leaders In all |
bodies expected q year ago, or declare |
ought TO be realized conditions In the |
world being what they are
Leaving out Of consideration the
question whether this pen-picture Is
true in every detail, It may be safe to
ray that the original Is sombre enough |
10 cause serious reflections among all |
thoughtful observers, with all the elo-
lcnce OF the pulpit, the elegance Of |
and the enthusiasm for "mls-
sions' az home and abroad, the tend-
rncy that is wel characterized as
worldllness Is threatening 10 assume |
prepouderance And this chilling blast
Is intensified by the theology that COM
menced by denying the need OF ever
continued revelation and authoritative
guidance, and is about to end. logically.
In denying the divine inspiration OF the
Scriptures,
From present conditions there Is no
escape, except through the power Of
Him who has proclaimed again, through
His messengers that great and
work Is about to come forth
unto the children OF men," That work
10 already spreading throughout the
earth, though many who count them.
selves wise fall to perceive It. 1t Il the
work OF the Almighty for the redemp- |
ton Of His children, in His own Sp.
pointed way, which is no different from
that which TO mere human wisdom ap. |
pears right and safe,
WHERE WAS PARADISE? NJ
According to the San Francisco Gail |