Milford chronicle., 1905-06-23

scientific school of Princeton" Yet th'
strange fact remains that, thOugl
church work is the most important Oi
all work. the leading Christian men Of
a city will get up almost en- masse and
walk out Of these halfway churches
Thus they will practically say to the
minister who is struggling there
young man, fiji your session with a
lot of young people who are utterly in
experienced Grab right and left for
your Sunday school superintendent and
teachers, no matter whether they know
the Bible or no. We want to go and
live on the aristOcratic boulevards and
go to a stylish church. You must get
along as best you can" Thus these
leading men, seemingly without the
least compunction, desert their gospel
ship when it is in danger Of sinking.
Don't Desert II.
Is 1t surprising that these halfway
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
its powerful consecrated church lead
ers. The next year have another ff-
teen depart, and so on year by year.
Would not the spiritual work Of that
church be doomed? Yet this is just
what is happening to our halfway
churches" The greatest difficulty fac
ing such churches is not that the null
titudes are not near by to be reached. |
These multitudes by the ebb and flow
of the boarding house element" come |
and go. but there is always a multitude |
there. The greatest trouble is that the |
leading positions of those churches are |
not filed with experienced men and |
women, with gospel veterans who stick
there for the works sake. These half
way churches" have not the spiritual
eaveners TO leaven the church loaf
Christian workers, be ye men or wO-
men. you have no right to desert that
halfway church, There you are need
ID fifty. hundred. times more than you
ire needed upon the church of the boule-
ard. know of what I speak. It is sim
'ly an impOssibility for any clergyman |
o make a success Of one Of those impOr-
ant halfway churches" unless some
f the Christian men and women who
re now sitting uselessly in some of (
UT weather. uptown churches are
eady to go down and help them. Again
nd again in these old halfway
lurches" new session Of nine mem
ers has been elected, and within six
lonths half of them would be gone.
These halfway churches" must have
ne right kind Of men and women
1r their official boards More than
lat, they must have money sufficient j
)r their work Some of this money {
lOuld be collected from their own /
eople. Most of this money, however \ 1
lOuld and must come from outside c
'urces. These churches need it and '
ust have it in the same way that a a
tile child must have help from a t
ther- Supposing l should say to my '
boy, "SOn, you must now s
rn your living" You would answer L
G: 'That is absurdl Your boy in t
ne will be able to earn his own liv- v
I
alfway church" in one sense is the
lid. 1t can do a little for its own
pport, but not enough to be inde- q,
ndent of help. But, though our nj
ards Of home and foreign missions h,
nd their representatives to many diff o,
rent classes, they neglect, for the II
)st part, these halfway Churches" a
lere every dollar invested for Christ If
Il bring the greatest returns ever II
lnd in Christian work. n,
They Need Looking After. S
The importance of financial aid for al
sse halfway churches" can best be W
by describing the classes Of ct
ople to which these churches appeal. pl
ey are not dead BEATS" loafers and &c
tcasts; they are, for the most part, Al
1ng men and wOmen-students, te
rks and young married people. th
ere are many who have known what isl
tier days mean, but have been
ced on account Of misfortune to cd
* the cheaper lodgings of a town. en-
all they not be looked after? he
Iere is one ease: l am a farmers of
2. "GOodby, mother" l say as 1 4
NIB into the village stage which ar
es me to the city. "Goodby! Good tn
p Brothers and sisters wave as I bo
appear over the last hill, which shuts sI
the old home and the familiar sp
nes of my bOyhoOd. l am now ex
ding for the city to make my way to
The world. Where will board? In wi
fashionable part of the town? OF db
rise not. My salary is only SO a sv
Elk. must live within walking dis fin
ce of the store. Besides that, each to
tx must send a little money home au
help father hire another hand to de
e my place on the farm. 1 cut oh
yn my expenses by sharing my room at
h a fellow clerk or l hire a small is
m in the boarding region under the or
dow of the halfway church" If ON
t church does not appeal to me l tor
never go to church. Mark thatl vo,
emand as a young man good music, en-,
d preaching and Christian fellow go,
, in that church lest l drift into the I
hs of sin. as thousands do yearly. 90,
! yet as a young man can give, or, tbe
my rate. will give only a few pen TTo
Ill. g.. "a