The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-09-22

churches" are destroyed when their
strong church leaders desert them IN
this way Let me today enter one OF
our large city churches in the residen-
tial districts and take away fifteen OF
It's powerful consecratcd church lead
err The next year have another hf-
teen depart. and so on year by year.
Would not the spiritual work OF that
church Dee doomedY Yet this Is just
whot is happening 10 our halfway
churches" The greatest difficulty FAC
Ing such churches IL not that the mul-
titudes are not near by 20 boz reached.
These multtudes by the ebb and flow
OF the boarding house element come
aud go. but there Is always a multitude
there The greatest trouble Is that the
leading positions Of those churches are
not filled with experienced men and
women. with gospel veterans who stick
there FOR the works sake These half
way churches have not the spiritual
leaveners 10 leavcn the church loat
o Christian workers be We men or wo-
men. Won have no right 10 desert that
halfway church" There You are need
cd fifty. hundred. times more than you
are needed upon the church Of the boule-
ward know Of what speak. II is sim
DIV an lmposslbllty for any clergyman
20 make success Of one OF those impor
tant halfway churches" unless some
IF the Christian men and women who
are now sitting usclesSly In some of
our wcalthier uptown churches are
ready 20 20 down and help them. Again
and again In these old halfway
churches" new session Of nine MEM
bers has been elected. and within six
months half Of them would be gone
These halfway churches must have
tho right kind OF men and women
for their official boards More than
that. they must have money sufficient
for their work Some of this money
should be collected from their own
people. Most OF this money, however
should and must come from outside
sources These churches need u and
must have II IN the same way that a
little child must have help from a
father. Surprising ! should shy TO my
eight-yearold boy, "Son. you must now
earn your living You would answer
me. THAT IS absurd Your boy In
time Will be able 10 earn his own liy-
Ing but he cannot do It now" The
halfway church" IN one sense IS the
child. II can do q little for It's own
support but not enough TO be indie
pendent Of help But, though our
boards Of home and foreign missions
send their representatives to many diff
ferent classes. they neglect for the
most part. these halfway churches,
where every dollar invested for Christ
will bring the greatest returns ever
found IN Christian work
The Importance Of financial aid for
these halfway churches" can best be
Illustrated by describing the classes Of
people 10 which these churches appeal
They are not dead beats" loarers and
0utcasts. they are, for the most part,
young men and women students,
clerks and young married people.
There are many who have known what
better days mean, but have been
forced on account of misfortune 10
seek the cheaper lodgings Of a town.
shall they not bee looked afteri
Now, believe In saving the cannibal
N the K0ngo. ] believe in social set
dement's IN the slums l. however, do
not believe in giving 80 much 10 the
work in the slumS and 70 converting
he heather cannnals thnt we have
none left 10 give 10 develop the spirit
nal life Of the farmers boy and the
Young girl clerk living almost within
. stones throw Of our homes, under the
,hadow Of the halfway church" Of a
large city. General Lawton said I'm
reference 10 the regular soldier. These
ire not heroes they are only regulars"
These young men and young women
are our regulars. There is nothing he
colo about them There is none Of the
glamour In work for them that there is
n converting cannibals, but they are
near to us. and they have an eternal
future before them.
The halfway church" must have the
best Of music. the best of preaching,
the best Of church organization 1t
also must have money to alleviate such
poverty and suffering as may exist
among It's worshipers II must he
bread 10 the hungry and medicine 10
the sick fire and clothes TO the naked
and rent for the homeless as we'll as
administer the Bread Of Life" for all
Il literally must be all things 10 all
men. For the Bible commandment
distinctly and emphatlc0lly says that
we should do good unto All men, es
peclally unto the household Of faith"
And here the household OF faith"
means the members Of your Own
church
"What do you mean by that7' says
some one TO me. "Is the halfway
church 10 become bureau Of char
tiles? With Il are you going 10 bride
men and women 10 come ~ church
II you DO you VIII only reach mems
stomnchs and develop their mercenary
spirit and not their hearts" Oh. no.
would not bride men 10 become Chris
uans. But / would take care of them
II they are members of the halfway |
churches and have been trlpped mp by
misfortune And, Furthermore. my |
brother, If you cannot teach Christian |
men that the best friends they have |
on earth IN time Of distress are the |
members of their own churches, those |
men Will after awhile cease 10 revere |
the church and. perhaps IN time cease
to love Jesus Christ himself
The halfway church must have
consocratcd leaders too 1t must have
outside financial aid II must also
have a church building which is open
every night of the week Monday.
Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday, Fri