Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-18
CONGRESS PLANS
TO REACH MEN
VITAL WORK AHEAD OF THE
C0NGREGATIoNALISTS
First Day Of the Pacific Coast Gath
ering Marked by Large Attend
anee and Stirring
Addresses

Ihe first day of the third Pacific
Coast Congregational congress at the
First Congregational church was
marked by large congregations and
much enthusiasm.
Each day during the congress a spe-
cial subject will be discussed and II
is expected that much interdenomina-
tional good will be the result of the
sessions. Many of the Congregational
clergymen in attendance on the con-
gress Will speak in the churches of
Los Angeles Sunday.
At the evening session Rev. George
G. Adams of San Francisco addressed
the congress on How to Reach Young
Men" He said in part:
On Young Men
II have been asked to speak on the
topic reaching young men. have had
good success in reaching young men,
for / have six daughters and / am
favorably impressed with the young
men.
II think that young men are better
reached by young men. There is moth
ing more pathetic to my mind than an
old man who Is trying to be a young
man and working in fellowship with
young men. He is a failure and they
soon find It out.
TT is much better to send young
men out to get young men. They are
much more congenial. In this way
much can be accomplished. The min
lister who accomplshes the most is
the one who gets others to do the
work.
''I have made it a rule not to in
terfere with my Christian Endeavor So
ciety. All such societies are capable
of taking care of themselves. mere
ly let them alone, and yet advice is
freely asked of me and it is just as
freely given and yet / seldom attend
their meetings, leaving them to act
according to their own discretion with
my advice given on the outside when
requested | believe it would be much
better if we ministers had the sense
to let them alone.
How to Preach
I'm regard to preaching to young
men, some preach away over their
heads and others away under their
feet. Many old-fashioned people think
we ought to hammer away on old dry
sermons and fight science. We must
realize that the world and people are
constantly changing. A man who uses
science agreeably with his religion is
all right and is doing valiant service
to mankind.
"If we have the common sense to
preach the gospel of Jesus Christ there
10 tiO tlOuUiC Will i1G Consequences.
There is much accomplished in the
institutional work, as is .attested by the
work of Brother Bartlett, but as for
me / had much rather preach the
gospel outside of the institutional
church.
''In regard to the Temperance ques-
ton, 1 think there is more fussing
about 1t than necessary. We should
treat it kindly with the spirit of God
guiding us as the basis of our op-
erations.
LET us give the young people a
chance for their liberty in the field Of
Christian labor"
Rev. George r. Wallace of Spokane
delivered a graphic address on Con
gregationalism," dwelling upon it's va
rious attributes and the good that it
has accomplished in the world.
The morning session opened with an
address by Prof. e. l. Bosworth of
Oberlin on Jesus Teachings About
God the Father" He was followed by
Rev. w. w. Scudder of Seattle and
Rev. Raymond Brooks of Oakland on
tionalism Develop" Discussion by Rev.
w. C. Gilmore of Hood River, Ore,
closed the morning session.
Afternoon Session
At the afternoon session the first
speaker was Rev. e. l.. Smith of Seattle
on "Interdenominational Union" He
said in part:
Interdenominational union is in ac-
cord with the spirit of the times. That
spirit, which today rules in all depart
ments of life industrially, financially
and politically. The ecclesiastical move
ment has begun and is we'll along to-
ward something practical. In Scotland,
Canada and other foreign countries the
aI,x .oI,A kaa1 .s..- A
lea the Presbyterian and Methodist de-
nominations are beginning to seek to
gather UP some of their scattered frag-
ments, not without protests from many
who have no desire to be one, but pre-
fer to go on their divided ways as long
as they continue in the flesh.
There are those who declare them
selves hereto upon this proposition in
spite of every indication of the spirit
of the times, and raise many objec-
tions. 1t may serve to stimulate our
interests in this discussion If such OBJ
jections be heard early.
Some have an idea that this move
ment is the desire to be big and roll up
numbers, fancying that they mean in
fluence and power in the nation, but
the fact has been proven that the great
est influences have been welded by the
smallest numbers, devoted to a cause
There are no denominations in any
country whose heritage can be COM
pared with ours and hence let us be
united in this cause of interdenomina-
tional union"
Rev. Washington GLADDEN. Speaks
Rev. Washington GLADDEN. was the
next speaker. He said:
Il suppose as one who has had some
thing to do with this interdenomina-
tional union work 1T is we'll for me to
express myself upon it. When we met
three years ago 1t looked to be a dubious
task before us to accomplish anything.
/ cannot say that there was no jealousy,
but the prevailing Christian principles
made us feel that we We're Christian
brethren together in a good cause. We
felt in order to accomplish anything we
must be filled with the spirit of Christ
When we began to negotiate we had
very difficult problems with which to
contend. Committees wrestled with
them while others spent the time in
prayer. In those ways we made a re-
port outlining a plan that we might
come together, first to meet in three
years with the Methodist conference,
next with our own denomination and
then with the United Brethren