Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-05
CHURCH ATTENDANcE AND INFLUENCE

ChUhCH ATTENDANCE AND INFB UENCE
Bishop Satterlee of Washington and
Rev. Thaddeus A. Snively, rector of
st. Chrysostom's Episcopal church
of Chicago, have both taken rather
radical positions within the week on
the question of church influence and
church attendance. In an address to
a conference Of Episcopalian clergy,
Bishop Satterlee made the astonishing
declaration that the influence of the
church is on the decline, but that the
influence of Jesus Christ was steadily
increasing, due not so much to the
churches as to the Bible, which is put
into the hands Of the masses, who are
doing their own thinking. The bishop
cited the decrease in church attend
ance as evidence of the decline of
church influence. DR.. Snively did not
go as far as Bishop Satterlee, but he
resigned the pastorate of his church,
one Of the richest in Chicago, with
public statement, in which he said:
Inc plllSlpdl IbdSOu why L dHl ltdNlHB
is because of the appalling drain on the
attendance caused By the social fsds Of
the hour-automoblling, golfng and coun-
try outings generally. Everybody knows
there is a steady decline all along the So
cial fabric in church-going and the enthu-
slasm for church work. 1t seems that the
whole world is becoming pleasure mad
Where or when 1t will end nobody knows
First it was the bicycle fad, then Sunday
ball playing, then golf, and now it is au-
tomobiling, plus golf and Sunday house
parties. Whether my parish has been
harder hit by these fads than other par
ishes or districts is more than 1 can say
with absolute certainty, but am strongly
inclined to think so.
Students of social conditions in Amer
lea will be slow to agree with either
Bishop Satterlee or DR.. Snively that
the decline in church attendance re-
fleets a decline in church influence.
Statistics show that in the United
States today one of every five persons
belongs to the church. One hundred
years ago less than $4,000 children
were enrolled in the Sunday schools
of the country, whereas today the Sun
day school army numbers 10000, 900
children, with 100000 officers and
teachers. Add to this the hospital
work and charitable associations under
church auspices, the Young Mems
Christian associations and Young
Women's Christian associations, with
fha Elnuyarfh "a
deavor and the scores of similar or
CARNATIONS directly associated with
the active or supplemental work of
the churches. and the alarm expressed
by Bishop Satterlee over the decline
of church influence must be set down
as exaggerated.
The matter of church attendance is
another story, affected by conditions
that may in no way be connected with
church influence. The spirit of the
times may impel men to see what they
can get out of the church instead of
what they may give to it by their wor-
ship. Their failure to receive more
NhNh NANS 6ANO AAAy oSNOhhb AOA idGh
Of attendance upon church services
without In any degree lessening their
respect for the church or their aid in
extending its influence. DR.. Snively's
complaint is more easily explained.
The rush, tension and artihciality of
city life forms an almost irresistible
stimulus for the city dweller to rush
back to the soil on the Sabbath, his
only day Of freedom, to get away from
the daily grind and association with
familiar faces, TO get the recreation,
the recharging of health and buoyancy
that comes from contact with nature,
to attend church in the groves-Gods
first temples-and find the way Cup
through natures heart to natures
God"