The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-20
Baltimore Pastors Plan for En-
phasIzIng the Social Side.
W0MEN'S PARL0R; MEMS CLUB
Rev. Mr. ShsIhuns Dsissis Tobacco, but
Rather Than Lose Men He viii
Permit Smoking.

Baltimore. Oct. 2o-With the dedication
OF the Riverside Park Christian chul cr
yesterday an experiment. In applied Chris
tianity was made that marked an exten
sion not only OF the activities OF the de
nomination In the city, but a broadening
out OF church work in general.
The little church is located at the cor
ner OF Randall and Belt streets and is tC
be an all-the-week church. not simply a
building that is open for little while or
Sundays
Rev. James o. Shelburne the pastor
has had some practical experience with
men and affairs. He came 10 Baltimore
last December from church in Dublin,
Va, and under the auspices of both the
state and national missionary societies
or the Christian church--the Church of
the Disciples-entered upon the work OF
establishing a church in the neigh borhood
OF Riverside park
Previous TO taking charge at Dublin Mr..
Shelburne mad done evangelistio work in
Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee
A LABOR BUREAU.
A labor bureau will be a feature OF the
new church Another novelty will be the
use OF the church as a neighborhood CEN
tire by the men and women OF the com
munity. In an interview yesterday Mr.
Ehelburne said:
"One thing only will be required OF the
people who come 10 us looking for en-
playment-they must attend some churcn-
not ours necessarily, though of course
we should be glad 10 have them there
but any church at all To be sure this Is
- nftf ralV
cards printed on these we will have
blanks 10 be filled out with the name
and address OF the applicant and the
name OF the church which he or she
agrees 10 attend
hese records viii be turned over to
the ministers OF the churches chosen by
the applicants for employment"
The social side OF the church Is TO be
strongly emphasized. There are two
rooms In the new building that will new
er me closed. the pastor says, or rather,
the only time when they will be closed
will be from midnight to early morning
These are the ladies' parlor and the mems
reading room.
Both are coEy. comfortable rooms that
are partitioned Off from the main audito-
rum, and are entered from the vestibule
OF the church. Both are TO be supplied
with papers and periodicals. and are to be
CLOSED SIX DAYS.
"As you go along down the street, not
far away from here" Mr.. Shelburne said.
you will come to a large church, with
windows and doors tightly closed, except
on Sundays. An iron fence surrounds the
building and on every day except Sunday
the gate is padlocked.
Right across the street you will see
. h. ell Alx.e -.
hear music as you pass. and the hospita-
BILE appearance OF the place. you will no
tice. Is strongly In contrast with the re-
pellent effect OF the closed and barred
and padlocked church The hot-lunoh
place is the saloon: there you have the
DEVILS work
ION the church corner you have what
is pretended TO be the work OF Christ.
Now we want our church 20 be as at
tractive as a saloon can be. We want to
have soft lights. music and a comforta-
BILE place. and we want all to feel that
they have right there and are welcome
there.
Il am planning to organize two social
organizations among the young men and
the young women. Both sexes will be ELI
gible for members In both organizations.
Two nights week the rooms will be
given over TO these societies. and of
have access to the building.
ION meeting nights we will have some
little entertainments, usually literary in
character, and onoe In a while refresh
ments.
THE object OF the organization OF these
societies will be 10 make OF the church
retreat and place OF enjoyment FOR the
people In the neighborhood No questions
will be asked as TO what church they at
a., tvtn Hax
profess.
LIKES MEN MORE.
our ladies' parlor will be the more
daintily furnished OF the two rooms. The
mems parlor will differ from II mainly
in having mating on the floor Instead OF
CARPET.
in this room, Smoking is detestable TO
me. but l like men more than | hate
smoking. Rather than lose the men they
will be allowed to smoke In that room. |
want the men to feel just as much at
home there as they would In the saloon.
want them TO make 81 general gather
1ng place-a place In which they can
transact business N they want TO. In
stead OF making appointments TO meet
their friends at the saloon. / want them
80 feel free enough TO get their friends
" The weak feature e of church life today
ts its inability 10 reach the masses. and
this is occasioned chiefly by its present
metnOos. Il dont mean 10 say thAt the
church people do not desire most ear
nestly TO reach the masses--I have no
nght to make against the churches az
such-but we simply haven't kept pace
with the progress OF the day.
The business methods OF twenty years
ago applied 10 the business OF today
would make ~ 4 failure. Just here's the
weak spot. We are applying the old
methods OF more than twenty years ago
20 our churches today. our business
men are a success because they have put
q side the old way OF doing things and
we who are IN the churches viii be a
success only when we put the old ways
aside and use the most up-to.date meth
DDS and thought.
''our fathers kept the churches closed.
and a was thought that all that was
necessary was 10 open them on Sundays
and Wednesday nights. great many
OF US seem 10 be content TO follow In the
paths OF our fathers. But l pray God
that the hour will soon dawn when the
churches will be places IN which the
tired. the distressed. the hungry. the
cold will find relief not only on Wednes-
day nights and on Sundays. but any day
and at any time"
NAY SEND INDIAN TROOPS