Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-11-13
JOINS WORK IN
SOCIAL UPLIFT
REV. H. C.. REHM DECIDES ON
STUDY COURSES.
Local Pastor Makes Address at
Milwaukee District Meeting
Also Presents Resolutions
The Movement May Exercise Big
Influence in Church Work.

Steps to aid movements for the
people were taken by the Milwaukee
district convention Of Congregational
churches Thursday morning at the
Grand avenue church by the adoption
Of resolutions, presented by Rev.
Henry @. Rehn of this city. The
resolutions provided that the churches
strive tor an intelligent and sympa-
thetic interest in and understanding
of social and economic problems, on
the part of pastors and members, by
means of lecture courses and social
group study, and for the appointment
of committee TO arrange them. 1t
was also provided that the convention
devise means Of encouraging aud aid
ing churches to come into closer and
more sympathetic touch with social
and economic conditions ana move
ments in the different communities.
The resolutions presented bv Mr..
Rehm, who was Milwaukee news
paper man before he entered the min
istry, followed his report as chairman
of the conventions committee on
economic and civic problems, in which
he set forth the c.lty of the church to
lend the power of it's ideal to every
worthy object of social endeavor, say
ing that the church could not identify
itself with any programme or move
ment that could possibly be outgruwD,
it did not follow that the church
should ignure tkeir existence.
The function OF the church he re-
garded as educational and inspiration
al along broadly ethical lines, and it
is not necessary to define it's economic
programme in order to exercise q po-
tent influence over social conditions.
Then Mr.. ReHm proceeded to criti
else TIE conventions prog armme,
chaEacterizlng it as lacking IN practl
cal heIpfulness to the ministers. Rev.
L. b. Thompson, assistant pastor of
Plymouth church, whu was chairman
IF the programme committee, rose to
its defense, and Rev. S. c. Haskin of
Pilgrim church, evidently misunder
standing Mr.. Rehm's position. said
the church was in danger of going too
far along the line proposed and neg
leuting it's true mission. He spoke
of Carl D. Thompson. his college
classmate, Was 'royal ard splendid
fellow" and one whom he still
loved, but declared that he had gone
way out Of range in his work along
sociaIstic lines. eff we are going
to be Socialists in the best sense, We
must first be Christians he said.
Mr.. Rehm answered back that he
had no sympathy with the Socialists.
save as they uplitt the condition of
the Ioor, and then the resolutions
were passed without dissent.
"We all honor the womanly woman
but who burns incense before the
womanly mani" asked Charles Nc
Kenny president of the Milwaukee
normal school in his address on the
general topic of ministers and lsymen.
1.-The greatest danger that confronts
minister is the danger of becoming
feminized and say this with all due
reverence for women. The minister
will meet the women of his church
anyway, but he must make special
effort to reach the men. He needs
the give and take that exists among
men in the business world.