The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-23
PULPIT ANDPEW
UNCONVENTIONAL
SERMONS PLACE
DISCUSSED BY PASTORS OF MIN.
NEAPOIIS CHURCHES.
Some Say 1t Has an Important Place,
Serving as a Guide to Larger Views
and as Means to NeutraIize Ten
denotes Toward Indifferentism.

UNCONVENTIONAL sermons are said to
have fallen into disrepute because Of
the public intolerance of controversial
utterances from the pulpit. In the
Homiletic Review Rev. w. P. Nc
Corkle speaks strongly of the value
twenty-five years active pastoral
work. He believes it to be valuable
to neutralize the tendency to indiffer-
ent1sm now so prevalent; because it
stimulates the sentiment Of church
loyalty. 1t should be kindly in spirit,
not unfair and ungenerous in it's
statements concerning controverted
doctrines, and it should be scriptural
and prayerful.
Minneapolis clergymen have con-
trtbuted views on the subject:
Rev. DR.. S. D. Hutsinpiller Of the
Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church
I believe in UNCONVENTIONAL preach
Ing only as l believe in a spelling
book leading UP to higher education.
It has its proper and secondary place.
For travellers to camp forever around
guide post would be idiotic. De-
nominational preaching should be
practiced only as a guide post is
used telling men to move on to some
thing larger and better-namely,
complete truth as it is in Jesus Christ
and his increscent gospel.
Rev. G. s. Rollins, Park Avenue
Congregational Church-Such an ad-
dress would be an anachronism. The
increase and breadth Of culture trav-
ell, absorption in the practical activ-
tiles Of Christianity and the general
cosmopolitanism Of our age has so
broadened the horizon and enriched
the sympathies Of Christian people
to-day, that they have forgotten their
narrow interpretations of truth and
fellowship Of yesterday. About the
~ 6n tr1o nI fl.1k 10
heard from the pulpit is for money
and workers to carry on the enter
prises which. in the evangelization Of
the world, a particular religious body
Is called upon to sustain as its fair
share of an immense undertaking.
Rev. A.. T. Fowler, Calvary Baptist
Church-While there is not the de-
nominational preaching now as for
merly, believe in it. The cry against
"doctrinal' or "denominationap
preaching Is often the result Of intel
lectual and moral Incidence rather
than the love of unity, as many sup
pose. Let congregations be instructed
concerning the Interpretation Of the
truth for which the denomination
stands, not in an argumentative but
in an informing way, and with the
spirit that, while you are sincere in
your conceptions of truth, the one
who belongs to the other denomina-
Rev. q. Northcote Hills, Vicar st.
Marks Procathedral-If by "denomi-
national sermons is understood SER
mon emphasizing the eccentricities or
peculiarities Of sect or denomination,
the less of the "denominational' SER
mon we have the better. Intelligent
and charitable Christians, of what
ever denomination" everywhere are
looking for that unity for which our
Lord prayed, and undue emphasis on
the man-made and modern tenets Of
sixteenth or twentieth century re-
ligious cults is not to promote that
unity.
Rev. c. J. Petri, Augustana Luther
an Churcl--The UNCONVENTIONAL SER
mon is very prone to be colored by
and limited to the peculiar views
and tenets of the denomination. I'm
due emphasis Is put upon some spe-
cial doctrine, and thus becomes the
distinctive characteristic of a certain
body of believers. This Is all wrong,
aItho it must be admitted that at
certain times and on special occa-