Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05
RELIGIOUS NOTES
AND COMMENT

By means Of special telephone service
i'' PERSONS prevented by illness or other
cause from attending service at Christ
church. Los Angeles, Cal, on July 3. were
enabled to hear the Rev. Baker p. Lees
sermon, the responses and music vncar and
instrumental. at their own homes
"A presbyterian pastor in Ohio tells how
the problem of the second service is solved
IN MS church. 1t is very simple plan and
can De solved In other churches as well.
ms is the plan The members of our
church come to the evening service. with
the pastor IN mis- place IN the pulpit ready
to conduct bright, wide-awake service.
ana each member of the church in his place
IN the pew, the house is full, often more
crowded than at the morning service. The
plan works charmingly. The people of our
church do the drawing" When the neonIe
make up their minds to do their DUTY and
support the second service the problem &c
solved Others are readily gathered. and
the pastor Is not drawing a heavy load
grleVed, worried, almost heart broken. Lei
the simple plan be tried in your cburnb
and you will have a full house het
Ter preaching and a happy pastor-Tha
Central Presbyterian Inv
The Church Economist saws. Oyer to,,.
n1ths OF all conversions take place under
twenty years of age. Over four-ffths of
me protestant Church comes from the Sun
DAY school, L. e. they come into the church
fellowship while they are still In the sun
DAY school, The revival. does not reach
men and women as 1t did several wears ago
very few of the Protestant adherentc Re-
come christian workers II they are not
Ieo 10 the work before they are twenty I
Inc nope of the Protestant Church is in
FORMATION, not reformation. In other words,
the future Protestant Church is the nras
ent Sunday school. In the superintendents,
conference at the Ohio state Sunday school
convention in Canton, Ohio, June 6 and
printed slips were passed out containing ten
or twelve questions Two of the questions
We're as follows: During the past wear
how many persons came into your church
on confession? How many of them We're
under twenty years of age?" There were
l6' superintendents present in the confer
ence one hundred and forty-four of them
answered the above questions. Fifty-one of
the IA said that all of those who came into
their church on confession during the past
year were under twenty years of age In
the majority of the other cases over so per
cent We're under twenty years of age There
Is nothing so eloquent as facts The above
facts speak for themselves.
A current religious publication prints the
following:
The annual summary which Rev. DR.. w.
II. Roberts, stated clerk of the Presby-
terrain general assembly makes of the
progress of that denomination Is ALWAYS
stuoied with special attention, not only be-
cause or It's admirable care in preparation,
but also because 1t is a sort of barometer
of general religious growth during the
year. This summary has just appeared,
and, as usual, Is worthy of notice.
Without going into details it NAV be said
that the tabulation again illustrates the
singular regularity of church growth in
America. This feature is most Impressive
The religious papers throughout the year
are full of local reports showing special
services marked REVEALS, or possibly re-
ligious apathy. but the totals average up
almost the same. year after year
The net increase In Presbyterian mem
bershp for the year that closed April 1
was slightly less than for the two preced-
ing years, and also a fraction under the
average for the past five-that Is, a trife
under per cent. This is a little dsap-
pointing in view of the evangelistic activ-
ity which has marked the year in various
important centers. But the ratio Of loss
is not serious.
Rather more disappointing is the slight
net decline in Sunday school membership.
This dropped about five thousand during
the year; and we presume that the decline
would have been greater but for the growth
of the home department., which, however
excellent, does not stand for as much as
rgular attendance at the school Infant
and adult baptisms were almost exactly
the same as last year.
The receipts of the Presbyterian Church
from all sources amounted for the year TO
SIS, 63S 750 nearly a million in excess of
last year, and % per cent more than five
years ago
The Northwestern Christian Advocate
says:
The purpose of the Methodist Sociological
Society. organized at Manchester, England,
a few weeks ago and designed to be a local
movement, has made a profound impression
upon many Wesleyan ministers and laymen
and steps have been taken to organize a
correctional society. This will probably be
done during the conference session at Brs-
tol this month.
The intention now is to form a general
society with large and influential council
and executive The council when elected
will encourage the formation of district
centers which will do the work of commit
tees in the way of seeking information on
social subjects of local and general inter-
est. The facts and information thus gath
cred will be reported TO the executive of the
general council quarterly and the results
made known to the general body of men,
bers. The first great need is considered to
be a knowledge of social facts and the So
ciety will keep this end In view and gather
Information from all up and down the coun-
try. The knowledge thus gained will be
passed on in the shape of reports, ETC., to
all the members, and 1t Is hoped that the
press will be utilized also in order that what
Is of general interest may be made known
to even a wider circle. The general council
will become affiliated to such organizations
as the British Institute of Social Service
the psychological society, the society for
some valuable information should be Sc
| lxx,tft Toll ha Nj