The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-13
THE WORLD HIS PARISH
Unitarian Minister'S Plan For
Sending Sermons by Mail.
A CHURCH FOR ALL SOULS.

Reach and Organize Those Who
Might Remain Permanently Outside
of Any Christian Body--Sermons
viii Pc varied From Time TO Time.
Spiritual comfort Is now to be dis
pensed through the mails after the
manner Of correspondence schools. The
"Church OF All Souls which is the
formal title Of this decidedly new cen
fury idea, has its headquarters at Or
ange, n. j., says the Brooklyn Eagle
It Is the idea Of a Unitarian clergyman
who proposes to put heart and soul
into a work which he believes 10 be-
needfui and feasible It IS to be q
postage mission"-an endeavor to-
reach and organize those who might
otherwise remain permanently outside
Of any Christian body.
The idea is to mail a printed sermon
to every member of the congregation
each Monday morning Every fort
night pastoral letter is to go to the
members of the flock wherever they
may reside whether it be under the
Ealmy skies of California, in frozea
Alaska or the wilds Of Texas. or even
Kalamazoo. Mich
The man behind the idea Is the Rev.
Waiter Reid Hunt, pastor Of the First
Unitarian church Of Orange, N. ]. The
Rev. Mr.. Hunt has youth, energy, cuI-
ture and determination to succeed.
His new project VIII not affect his
church organization, but Is rather sup
pleMcrtaFy. Ii not independent OF 1T
Pg.t tI,a work Is not to be necessarily
c0nAnal 10 those outside existing
chu ehes. The 'sChurch Of All Souls"
will welcome all who accept the re-
liglon Of Jesus. without regard to
creed, color. nationality or previous
condition Of seryitude. If they will,
those who have heretofore been Quak-
ers, Aiethodists, Presbyterians, Bap-
lists, Seventh Day Adventists and all
the others may form community Of
interest that will reach from San Fran
cisco, Cal. to Easport, Me, and from
thence around the habltable globe.
No. 50 Hillside avenue, Orange,
N. j., where the Rev, Mr.. Hunt resides,
is the center from which the details Of
the idea will be diffused. IT Is a
charming little home, set upon the
summit of a characteristic and most
picturesque American suburb. Going
UP the neatly paved entrance way, one
Is closed In on both sides by carefully
trimmed lawns, with here and there a
bush Of Wild flowers sheltered beneath
the broad leaves of majestic tree.
Through the overhanging branches one
gets d glimpse of patches of blue sky,
and the air is filled with the fragrance
OF the new grass and the flowers,
The impression is one of complete
restfulness, and that thought Is height
ened when the visitor il ushered into
the living room, which breathes refine
ment from books. pictures and every
detail OF furnishings The surround
ings form a fitting framework for the
alert, clean cut countenance and the
compact figure Of the Rev. Mr.. Hunt,
His high forehead, large nose, aggres-
siye eyes and well formed chin prepare
one for the crisp, quickly spoken SEN
fences which drop from his lips.
1.-THE idea, he said smuingly, is still
IN the formative period, although the
actual work has already begun. The
thought was conceived through a
friend in Massachusetts and first found
/ expression I'm a vague sort of way at
one of the meetings in our church in
/ Orange. We have there a cheerful let
ter department, which conceiyes as its
work the writing Of letters and send
ing Of literature to the shut ms in all
parts Of the country 1t was felt that
the good that was being done IN this
limited way could be broadened Il II
was systematized and organized on
practical lines. The chief idea Is to
reach those who live In the remote and
sparsely settled country districts and
| who could not, even If they desired, at
tend regular places Of worship. The
| plan involves the sending out Of q
1 great deal of literature of a cheerful
and uplifting nature. The sermons and
the pastorals come first, and after that
we hope to compile regular mode OF
worship by which our members IN
their own homes can attend religious
y services with the same system that
would be followed in church OuI
contemplated printed programme Of
worship will include regular prayers
and hymns, so that the man in Mani
toba and the man IN New Jersey car
follow the same form at the same time
although separated by many thousands
of miles"
The slight publicity already given e
the idea was little premature, but Mr.
Hunt accepts this good naturally and
Is ready to 90 ahead with his work
i He has written several preliminary LET
tiers which may be accepted as his first
pastoral
i The first sermon sent out IS In the
form OF small neatly printed pam
phlet, embodying a discourse by Rev
Minot j. Savage, d. D., the well known
New England divine Most OF the ser
mons sent out in the future Will be tbs
compositions of Rev AIr. Hunt al
though it is his intention to vary then
from time to time by the best efforts o.
otilpr ctprSV men