The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-01
Venerable Methodist Charges
Preachers With Neglect.
Failed to Provide Services in
Front of Y. M. C. A.
M'FARLAND EXPLAINS.
Said the Trouble Was With the
StereopticOn.
Strong SermOnU Urging Churches
to Look After Masses.

Just before the close of the Sunday
morning service at the First M. E.
church, Rev. John D. Knox, superan-
nuated Methodist minister Of this city,
all but created sensation by severe
arraignment of the ministers of Topeka
for their recreancy of duty, charging
them with neglect in providing for a
service on the street in front of the
city Y. NJ. G. A. last Sunday evening
after 500 people, many of them nom
church-goers had assembled. Several
hundred hungry souls" said he, had
listers showed himself. There was not
a preacher in the whole crowd but
Brother Sidwell, and he would not talk
His words were emphasized with stress
in his tones and by gestures, showing
that he was deeply in earnest.
The brief TRADE which Rev. Mr.. Knox
delivered from the frrnt part of the
audience room where ne mad been sit
ting throughout the service came before
the closing hymn of the r-eeting. Rev.
J. T. Mcfarland, the pastor, had deliv-
cred strong sermon on the secret
which Jesus had for reaching the
masses while here on earth, calling to
strict account both the clergy and laity
of the modern Christian churches for
their neglect in trying to reach the COM
mon people. Rev Mr.. Knox had been
able that far to express his feelings
with an occasional fervent "amen," but
when the minister had finished ne could
contain himself no longer and rose, fac
ing Rev. Mr.. Mcfarland, and making
him the chief auditor of his pointed re-
marks. Rev. Mr. Mcfarland stood calm
.ly, listening to the harangue against
himself and others of his profession in
Topeka and then acknowledged that
the preachers had not exercised their
opportunities to fullness.
Your point, Brother Knox" said he,
lis we'll taken; al the service last Sun
day evening it was planned to have
Brother Sheldon speak. But the stere-
opticon was out of order and the meet
ing was abandoned. But" he added
in apology Il suppose Christ in his
time preached without stereoDticon."
In his previous remarks Rev. Mr.. Nc
Farland had uttered a note of warning
to the churches, impressing the congre-
cation strongly with the needs of theif
reaching the great masses or else suffer
a decline in power and usefulness. It's
not cry of ALARM, said he, that the
church is losing its power over the
common people. The percentage of the
men who carry dinner pals whom the
church reaches is constantly growing
less and less. The church used to num-
Der by the thousands the men in it
who labor. but the number is getting
smaller. Now we hear that Chris
tianity is losing its power: that other
thought is taking the place of the Cos
pei. The extent to which the church
has lost it's power is that it is not living
up to it's opportunity At the time of
the great Wesleyan revival the church
had lost it's power Attendance upon re-
ligious services then was the exception.
And vet we know now that it is not
loss of the power of the gospel but a
loss of the gospel by the church. When
John Wesley commenced preaching
through the United Kingdom he found
that the people responded readily to it.
What was the secret of Christ's hold
on the common people? By noticing
some of the very simple elements we
can answer that question. In the first
place, Jesus cared for the common peo-
pie He had love and sympathy for
men of all classes. There were no COM
mon people for him: to him they were
simply people-men and women. 1t was
his love for mankind that characterized
him. If we will be absolutely candid
with ourselves, will we not be forced to
confess that the chief secret of the loss
of influence is the lack of interest in and
care for this very class of people to
whom Jesus preached? The feeling of
an atmosphere that is unsympathetic
has sent more people away from the
churches than any one thing. Jesus did
not wait for the people to come to him.
If L We're putting my finger upon the
weakest spot of the Christian church it
would be upon this which 1 may call
social congeniality. In modern times
we have been hearing great deal about
the open church. I believe that within
the next 25 years all the churches of
Christendom will be open seven days
week; and from early in the morning
until midnight they will be open to all
colors- 1t should be the center of the
social and intellectual life. But what
we need infinitely more than the open
church is the open home. So long as
the homes are closed, long the church
Will fail to reach the masses
me churches are expanding too much
OF their energy upon good music archi-
lecture and those things which satisfy
their ease rather than turning themselves
into greater evangelizing body The SOL
emn, shameful truth is that a small per
cent of the Christian people go down to
the poor and make them feel that they
should come to Jesus Christ. There is
nothing much more discreditable to the
churches than the relation which they
maintain toward the Salvation Army. We