The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23

VIC hCNOA'Y - n
gestions as To the best way TO get people
to 20 to church he told this story:
the other day l was talking with an old
real estate man who complained that he had
to employ a bigger force Of clerks now than
n score Of years ago to do the same amount
Of business.
In the old times said ne, when l had
a good piece Of property to sell perhaps five
men would drop In to see me about It. To-
day when l have a likely customer In sight
! generally have to send Ave clerks after
him before the business is closed
That illustrates very well, ! think, the
difference between the average minister's
task a quarter OF q century ago and to-day,
and il suggests that he must use different
methods now from what he used then.
MY congregations are composed 90
per cent. Of non-churchgoers. but the fact
that the men and women in them can get
the gospel without even crossing the street
has undoubtedly a good deal to do with
their size. Like the ministers who preach
in the prisons and reformatories, / am
generally sure of a good sized audience
when I preach in the hotels
Up TO THE USHER.
Ah my OBAbAOh JIG rhN IL III hA1hJ
respects one Of the most important factors
in determining the question whether
strangers will visit more than once the
same church. II. for example, he says
oheerfully. Sorry to have TO ask you to
wait q few minutes or Have you any
preference as to where you win sitf' and
oontrives to make tho visitor feel that he
is a welcome guest the latter will probably
enjoy even pool music and . common
place sermon and be almost certain 60
come again.
IF, on the other hand, an usher con-
trives to make q stranger feel sighted
the latter will start in feeling annoyed
M stay annoyed from beginning TO end
Of the service. The finest music and most
eloquent sermon will fall on deaf ears and
he is not likely to revisit that church.
AS for street and newspaper sdvertis-
ng IL is one OF the necessities, although
there are times when It seems to fail OF
big results. One of these occasions. I re-
member, was about nine or ten years ago
when Mr.. Moody was to preach n after
in the Broadway Tabernacle.
Mr.. Dickson, who had charge Of the
advertising, had posters placed on the
fences in that locality and conspicuous
advertisements inserted in many Of the
papers. in all spending about $500, and the
church was only about three-quarters
filed when Mr.. Moody arrived
CONGREGATIONS JUsr As LAnoH."
The Rev. DR.. Robert S. Macarthur, who
with one exception is dean OF the New
work pulpit, having occupied the pulpit Of
Calvary Baptist Church for thirty-ave
years, and whose evening congregations
are among the largest In the city, is among
those who do not admit that fewer people
go TO church nov than in the days when
the church did not have to contend with
Sunday concerts, lectures and theatrical
performances. weekend parties, golf clubs
and the automobile.
The Sunday evening lectures draw more
people away from the churches than the
theatres or concerts he declared, "for the
reason that many non-churchgoers, boz
cause Of early training maybe, balk at q
place OF amusement but attend an illus
trated lecture with q clear conscience.
But after thirty-six years OF continuous
service in New York l feel that I am qualified
to Judge Of the relative size Of oangrega-
tons past and present, and this Is my con-
ousion and belief:
when I first came TO New York congre-
cations were usually so small they were
counted, and ministers were then moaning
about a past golden era when people came
in larger numbers. In all these years
there have been few larger Protestant
congregations than we nave to-day.
The late DIR. John Hall, the late DR..
William NJ. Taylor, the Rev. Stephen II.
Tying possibly were among the very few
who years ago drew large morning and
evening congregations, made up, however,
mainly OF Christian people.
The Rev. DIR. Hepworth established a
record a score Of years ago which I do not
believe has since been equalled, preaching
In a church which was q cross between
a Mohammedan mosque n a circus, to
between 1850 and 5000 persons every
Sunday evening, and without the aid OF
either a fine choir or an elaborate ritual.
The congregational singing, led by a Mr..
Thatcher, who was a wonder in his line,
Is spoken OF with enthusiasm to this day
by persons who attended the services,
which certainly illustrated this point. that
church attendance does not always hinge
on a fine choir and novel features.
On the whole, I believe congregations
are larger to-day than formerly. The
evening attendance here is four or Ave times
larger tnan at my old church twenty, years
ago., and three-fourths Of it are n~on-church-
goers, persons not yet identified with any
congregation.
Il must admit, though, and with very
great regret, that it Is more difficult now
to attract the ~unconverted to a church
than is was when I first started in
the ministry
sURPLICED CHOIR, QUAINT TEXTS.
Have you not altered your methods OF
late years.
Yes. I o have a surpliced choir OF
than 100 voices so well trained that
is nothing in ecclesiastical music
they cannot accomplish. They enter and
at the evening service singing a pro-
cessional and occasional, and | give much
to planning topics which will catch
the eye and esr and give a new setting to
the good old truths.