New-York tribune., 1906-06-30
CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES
4 CHAMPION OF INSTITUTIONAL WORK-OTHER
Affairs HERE And ABRO4D

>-,r beg1as the season when institutional church
.-,vls Ike that OF a purely evangelical nature
.r.s an open air turn. This summer with its
aer1v hot weather. has produced greater activity
.,sn ever in the direction OF fresh air. ice and
-.gE funds boys and girls camps. mothers out
,,es and ether Of getting the poorer denizens
- fse city into the country or making life more
,ole-able :or those who mus remain Every season
thcre are enthusiastic reports OF the great good
,,co-,psshed by these various activities
And vet the question persists among churchmen:
is institutional work the right methcd?' There
Sc three camps regards this question among
New YORK oergy-nen. Some make the Institutional
work OF the city church supreme Others subordi-
rate 10 The devotional activities Declaring il
only means the spiritual end OF the church S
being stin Others say institutional work tends TO
divert the attention from the real mission OF the
church and should therefore be abolished.
Considerable surprise was occasioned few weeks
aco when the Rev Dr. William n. Durwell Of
AL Saints Church who has spent all his life
working among the poor Of the East Side, came
prominent clergymen have expressed sim lar views
IN years. tin there seems 10 be the pres
e-t time almost reaction in circles here in
This form of church work which had its origin
in this city in the little Church ot the Holy Com
rnuriOn half century ago In strong contrast
10 these expressions comes the testimony OF the
Rev Dr. NJ A. Matthews OF the First Presby-
fer5an Church Of Seattle who is one Of the pioneers
II this movement that is just taking form on the
Pacific Coast In last weeks New York OBJ
server he says:
II is impossible 70 have a Church without Christ.
without Him the Organization becomes a religious
society OF club, having no right the title
church. An religious societies may have institu-
fional features. but they differ in purpose and
spirit from an institutional church In the re-
end sought; IN the institutional church. the work
& 1y e : oe means ans 70 spi5ua! n a end Christian
Rreaches Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only
TO introduce institutional features into such a
Church means the practical outworking OF the
illustration: christs mission into this world was
& ne FeoepRon & % OF me soul The pnrificaton Of The
so95 50 he requires every child Of His in every
thurch founded upon Himself to go about this
world doing good. The business Of the Church
old world better That being the church's pro-
grannle INSTITUTIONAL features are essential 10 the
Christs programme for the Church
IN sthsT WORDS % kindsrEsTea de- o class may never
VII be taught TO their hands ana brains to dc
whole story OF the church kindergarten The
Be o s4Se iS Ives 4 acogpshea &c I ny Iae reex nn
ena asslstants An unframed church worker said
Is il not q waste OF money maintain a kin
oeIga-ten with two teachers, seven assistants and
o il is imperative hat the thi4fyve % children
e a69eGea - Into kaoeTgaGten class for the PoT-
rhe seven assistants and five helpers" The thirty
cLliorSn receive al OSnentS the klndeFgar-
ten can osstow upon them and in addition the
children furn- an opportunity, a religious gym
nas!GTn as II were in which TO train the fourteen
people engaged n the work The greatest curse
70 the Church to-day IS idleness. There more
idle people IL the Church, speaking OF Il an
rgeazation, than in any other organization in the
world Suppose society had in IL many social
nendicants how long would IT. institution
Ftand2 Church cannot grow and perform its true
functions unless every member in II IS engaged in
some kind Of Christian Church work. Institutional
features essential IL themselves. but they are
60lS Slv necessary 10 the development Of the mem
ters q the Church IN which they are operated. a
Church that follows the programme Christ has laid
down for II will under the leadership OF the Holy
Spirit. establish and maintain II not all. Of
the institutional phases that properly belong 10 6
Christian Church