The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-09-22
A PEOPLES CHURCH
Rev. Or. Talmago Talks About
Boarding House Districts.
Tie says New Methods Must he Ac-
xrpted In Ninistcring 10 Needs
Of sueh Parts ot Large
Iltlcs.

every large city in the Union there Is F"
considerable population TO whom ih's
sermon peculiarly applies The preacher
voices their plea for the gospel ana
urges that 1t De no longer rejected.
The text is Acts xvi %. Come over
into Macedonia. aud help us.'
Nearby Macedouiaus What do you
meanr says some one. as there any
class Of people living near TO me who
have not The eospc. preached 20 them
ast ought 10 De prcached1 Why. near
Iy all ms NE have been living ia one
of our large cities. ! have sat under
some Of the greatest preachers Of the
world. Surely oll those who live near
to me have the same kind Of gospel
advantages / layeg 40 my friend.
YOU are wrong. There are scores. and
hundreds. and thousands, and tens OF
thousands who have not Before get
through with my subject ! hope TO
prove to you that my premise IS true.
ior today ann coins 10 speak for the
most part 20 those who have lived near
is all their lives In o large city.
Where ala you 80 20 church when
you first came to town? cob" you
say. q used TO worship ga such and
such a street The great Dr. S0-and-so
preached there. But 1 moved away.
aud most OF my old neiglbors moved
away long ago. The boarding house ele-
mcnt crowded us out The region where
] used to 1--we rs now filled with room
ers." Indeed / suppose very few
people are now living In your old
street. "Oh. no; quite the contrary"
you answer "Whcro there used to be
one family living I'm a house there are
now sometimes twenty or thirty PEG
PIE. Light housekeeping i'm many in
stances has made each double room
house a whole family" Indeed. Then.
with the increased population swarm
Ing there. l suppose your old church
IS crowded TO the doors. I suppose
your old Sunday school is Eve times
larger than II used 90 be and the
church members have taken every pew
40 you answer Il only wish that
were true. ] love that old church now
more than I have ever loved H. But
tie trouble IS the wealthy people
moved away. Then old Or So-ond-so
got a call to heaven Then the people
who remained called a fine young man.
but he could not nuke the church go
lie struggled on and on They could
not pay him a salary sufficient to live
upon aud he had 20 leave Now the
old church has a very ordinary man In
the pulpit The seats are only sixth
fun. The whole work there seems to
De at a standstill What is being done
IS done In tue quicksands One month
the people are there aud the next they
are gone. I am afraid the old church
IS geographically doomed
Your old church's work geographical
" doomedl What. Can such condi-
ton exist at our very doorsl There
are thousands and hundreds Of thou
sands Of a city's population swarmlng
around those old churches. Shall all
our best church strongholds be turned
10 secular usesl Such condition
must not exist Ny theme today is
call for help for what is termed the
deserted church of the boarding house
regions Of a large city. / would make
a plea not for the downtown church
which is situated ln the heart Of
business center OF a great city. l have
been pastor Of such church as that In
Pittsburg, and ! know they can be
made useful and prosperous If right
methods are adopted. ] make not a
plea for the church situated In the
residential rcg.on. l have such a
church as that Ca the beautiful city Of
Los Angeles II a man does his work
there, II IS not difficult 20 gather IN the
families. But ! make plea for the
halfway" city church, the church
which IS not downtown nor uptown. /
plead for the church which Is surround
ed by rOOming houses and by the
boarding house element the halfway
church." which is In a region longest
ed with mulutudes Of people who have
not the gospel preached 10 them as II
ought 20 be- ! make a plea for such n
church because / have been pastor Of
one and know Of the almost lnsur-
obstacles which II has 10
overcome.
The halfway church" Of the large
city to be a spiritual success must
have. in the frst place. an earnest band
Of strong. ableDodled men and women
who for the churchs sake are ready 20
help the minister and nm the official
positions Of that church II must have
tried gospel veterans In It's boards Of
elders. deacOns and trustees II must
have able leaders in the Sunday school
who know the Bible aud arc ready 10
stay by their classes under all condl-
tons. Ii must hav0 these men and /
women, not as visitors, uut as mem
bers On good and regular standing.
who are Identified with the church he
cause there they know they can best |
serve their Lord and Master and there |
hey viii always be in their places
Why do put such an emphasis upon |
mis- plea Tor consccratcd men and Wo. |
men ia the official boards7 A true |
'hurch leader cannot be created IN q |
Jay or a week or q month or a year /
any more than a lawyer. q doctor. an /
engineer prima donna. can De ere
FED In n minute Surprising ! should /
inter your store some day and say. 4
Come. Mr.. Jones let MS take Tip
10 Europe ana have ave months va.
cation" "Ol" YOU would say 70 m,
81 cannot go have - Oue with $50 .u
90 leave the store" ESQ 0ucf Why /
what are You talking oboutg Here ARE
clerks galore You have 40 least tween
ty mou ana women 'n your employ
IL know Co. you answer "but not one
Of them 900 is competent 90 take my