The Tucson citizen., 1902-11-08
HOW TO FILL EMPTY PEWS.

one that is DOtherlng the CLERGY, anu
many of them have tried to find a So
luton to the problem. 1t has been
discussed time and time again in
preachers meetings at various places,
and little over year ago, when the
Methodist ministers Of Arizona assem-
bled in Tucson, it was one of the main
subjects of consideration. So far as
we have been able to follow the dis
cussions, no one has thought it possible
the fault might lie with the preachers
themselves. However, one distin-
guished clergyman did go SO far as to
say that, one of the causes was to be
found in, the fact that the churches
were all too aristocratic; that poor
people, working people, were not made
welcome, and hence remained away.
This may be true to some extent, but
not altogether true. There are thou
sands of the wealthy and of the mod
erately well-to-do classes" who seldom
If ever go to church. There are enough
of these to pretty we'll fill all the emp
ty pews, if they could be induced to
attend. Some of the preachers have
laid the blame on bicycles, claiming
that the young people would rather
take Sunday as day of recreation,
and seek the country roads on their
wheels, than sit in the churches for an
hour or two There may be some
truth in that, for in these days, when
SO many young men and women are
kept engaged during the six working
days of the week, in stores, shops and
offices, in the struggle to earn liveli-
hood, and have only the one day
Sunday--for rest and recreation, it is
natural that they should turn that day
to account in that way. Some pastors
In the large cities have even endeav-
Ored To lay part of the blame on the
Sunday papers, claiming that many
people would rather remain quietly at
home and read their papers than to go
to church.
If the preacher is to have his pews
filled Sunday after Sunday, he must
contend against all these counter at
fractions. Reforms, like charity,
ought to begin at home Taking Tue
son as fair example of other cities,
1t is SAFE to say shat there are enough
people of religious tendency, if not
exactly members of any church, to
pretty nearly, if not quite. fill all the
pews, If they could be induced to turn
out. That being the case, it would
seem that the first thing to do is to ap-
peal to the religiously disposed.
There are at least two causes which
we have never heard advanced by the
preachers. In one of them the preacher
is himself alone at fault, and in the
other he is at least equally at fault
with the church officers. AS to the
preachers. many of them, in choosing
topics for discussion, and in the meth
cd of discussion. have attempted to
rival the magazines and newspapers.
In some of the churches the Bible, ex-
cept for the perfunctory lesson read
ing, has dropped almost out of sight
The music is patterned after the same
order. How often has the present
generation heard that good old hymn
of Charles Wesley, 20 for Thousand
Tongues to Sing" in comparison with
modern classical airs? Ragtime music
has not yet been introduced but we are
drifting that way.
The preachers can not successfully
rival the magazines and newspapers,
and must fail to interest a congregation
when they attempt it. They may fill
the pews time or two by such means,
but they will soon pail. There was
a time when preachers preached at the
heart, and not at the head-endeav-
ored to convince their hearers that it
was best for them to lead pure and
upright lives, and made no effort to
amuse the congregation. In those
days the Bible was the source of all
texts for sermons and the inspiration
of the preacher was drawn from the
truths taught therein There was no
complaint about empty pews. People
naturally turned to the church for en-
couragement, for consolation, and not
for amusement. IL they want the
latter, they can get a much better ar
ticle at the theaters, What preacher
has yet exhausted the text: God so
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son to die, that whosoever