The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-29
ABANDONMENT OF
DOWN TOWN CHURCHE S
SUBJECT DISCUSSED FOR TIE
JOURNAL BY JOHN ANDERSON.
Plea Is Made for the Building Of New
Church Buildings on Sites of Old IF
Those Sites Are Centrally located
Question Put Up to Churches About
to Build.
70 the Editor Of The Journal.

There is cause for regret in the thought
Of the abandonment of any of the so
styled downtown churches to commercial
uses. This regret is aside from any
ing the churches in more advantag eous
more are feft to the n1 men and n Women n
who have the interests Of the various
churches most at heart, and who must
Nook on all phases Of the Individual
greatest number resolves into taking
fhe. churches to the people if the people
will not betake themselves to the
ehurches, as they are now located.
But the idea of abandoning temple
within whose walls praises to the living
God have resounded for years; where
tmen and women have pleaded for the
passing Of bitter cups or .rejoicesd in
Ihe manifold bounties Of a benefcent
providence; at whose altar young men
land women have plighted their troth;
lat whose font their babes have been
tehristened; and at whose chancel in
aater years their children have received
their first communicable idea is re-
pugnant. Ground once consecrated
becomes a place for barter and trade;
the altar fires 60 out.
Is It All Sentiment
Remove not the ancient landmark
lis it all sentiments
The question of the downtown church
Us one that perplexes every religious
denomination. Churches, like the Sab
bath, are made for man, not man for
the churches. The church, after all,
thru which man renders to his maker
the homage required Of all men. Our
pioneer fathers worshiped in a cabin
IF there was nothing better, in a school
house if they had such convenience,
pr in 9 barn; and many soul has has
rude 'mOurners' bench' Of camp
! meeting, under the trees of the primeval
forest, guided to accept the Truth by
the off-hand sermon and exhortation of
d circuit rider.
Still, shall the downtown churches
be abandoned because the ground on
which they stand has become more
valuable for storage warehouse or a
retail grocery store than house of
the Immaculate Conception there is
every reason why a new and larger
church should be built, in a location
more accessible to the large membership
and where sufficient room can be had
for the church and it's proper environ
ment. Fortunate as the present loca-
tion might have been in the early days,
1t is unfortunate today.
To one not directly interested in
either of them, there appears less ex
cuse for the abandonment of St. Mark s
pro-cathedral and of Plymouth Congre-
that the writer yields to the member
ship of those two congregations, or
their agents. the right to decide on the
questions Of expediency. That is
matter which they are abundantly
qualified to settle for themselves, par
ticularly since the burden Of supporting
She churches and their allied interests
there is a satisfying sense Of the fitness
of things in pointing to two strong
churches, well equipped with clergymen
I who stand among the leaders Of their
/ respective denominations, and whose
membership is composed of the cream of
business and professional men, and
located in the heart Of the business
section of the city. - s.,
I The old Centenary Methodist church,
\ now a stable, 'haply may soon be re-
4 placed by business block, just as the
( ruins Of the burned Westminster at
i Seventh street and Nicollet avenue
were torn down to make room for
/ modern retail store. In both cases,
+ however, new churches were constructed
I SO near the abandoned locations as to
! serve well the purpose of downtown
/ churches. go. ts..,-- ~ .
Different In st. Paul.
One does not hear much Of the aban-
Comment Of downtown churches in St.
Paul. There are st. Pau1's Episcopal
Rnd the First Baptist, located in the
heart of what was once the fashionable
/ residence section of the city, but now
growing gray with the few oldtime
Citizens who prefer to live in the homes
of their activity in cold Town. and
\ former mansions now transformed into
fhird-rate boarding houses and poverty
] stricken tenements. Both are towers
pr strength. A member of the First
i Baptist said few years ago, HIt looks
like an act Of Providence that the mem
beers of this congregation built so large
a church in this locality at time when
& this was the part Of the city. At a
later day perhaps we would not have
had the courage, but now we have room