The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22

their best 10 keep a new Stranger standard
81 the old place. The list is a long one
and almost as discreditable as It is long
such has the history been that some
churches are afraid to 90. and prefer to
Gle IN the old spot. Il need Be. than face
popular disapproval In their own religious
bodies.
ENDOWED CHURCHES.
Churches that have remained. however,
have spent q large part OF their energies
piling I'd endowmeuts. They have refused
10 help foreign missions and other causes,
saying their existence was in the balance.
Within the year the Episcopal Church OF
the Ascension has made u public crusade
so to speak. getting pictures Of the church
printed far and wide. The cruX Of the
and OF the charity that got 1t
into print. has been that the life Of a
historic parish IS at stake. Anchor it with
$4,000 endowment, or It must go out or
existence. Grace parish has accumulated
500. COO endowment, and two years ago,
when the old First Presbyterian Church
was able to announce an accumulation Of a
sum approaching 100000, there was a gen
eral Presbyterian hurrah that the Old First
was saved. Washington Square Methodist
Church has been almost the single torch
o. strong Methodism down town solely be-
cause another Methodist church CONSOLE
dated with it. Judson Baptist Church has
been the downtown beacon Of its denomi-
nation. DIR. Lorimer coming from Boston to
the Madison-avenue Baptist Church at a
time when existence was under discussion.
Even 50 far north as Central Park. every
thing west and east, and even on Fifth
avenue, has discussed the future, when
things might change
Into this situation. a situation that had
no precedents 10 light it up, comes this
downtown movement Of population. That
the movement is permanent is certain be-
cause Of the money being invested. 1t Is
like the Young Mems Christian Associa-
tIon-that is saved by it's anchor Of dollars
and cents. Christian EndeavOr, Epworth
League, Brotherhood OF st. Andrew and
the rest. that have accumulated nothing,
are in some danger Of departing as organi-
cations. The Association has been sim
ilarly criticised, but is safe. There are a
score of religious organizations that are
kept in existence because of the legacies
they hold. \ movement that puts in
S.o0o. COO a year, as the downtown one is
now doing. perhaps more, has permanence
about Il. and the class of people, meas
ured solely by thtir ability TO spend money,
gives cause to think that they will be able
10 support lettering churches. THAT they
may be willing to do 80 in many cases is
known. Some who come do so solely that
they may again attend these downtown
churches that they used to attend. They
would have come before If there had been
apartments to suit them. and if others had
come 10 keep them company.
The Rev. DR.. Lorimer had experience Of
downtown work in Boston and has been
steady in his conviction that Madison ave-
nue. and Thirty-hrst street cannot be sur
passed as a site for his new church. if one
Is ever built for him. The Rev. DIR. Bu-
chanan gave up in West Thirteenth street,
but when that church burned a few weeks
ago the new pastor, the Rev. DR.. HOadley,
gave no thought to the quitting Of the field
because of the opportunity offered. Re
building is now going on on the old site.
The West Presbyterian Church. which has
seen hard times in FOrty-second street, be-
cause Russell Sage and other m~ilIionaires
left IL. realizes that IL is in one of the best
locations in the world, certainly in New
Eork~ary Episcopal Church talks of
grV1fs ~ It's chapel in Twenty-third street,
but the parish church is in better shape than
for years, and it's vestry. in whom is for
mer Mayor Hewitt. understands fully the
change that is going on, and that is COM
ing, to Gramercy Park and its neighbour
hood. The Collegiate people have reckoned
with the new situation and even believe
the Marble Church may again become
something more than a population Of
strangers. st. Mary the Virgin is seeing
whole parishes move beside it. so many and
so high are the new apartments there.
If there is anything down town in Man
haitian that is still in a p~erilous condition 1t
Is not discussing removal, but how it may
hold on till the tide returns. The lesson is
valuable to churches in Indianapolis and
other cities.