The Detroit times., 1908-04-28
GREATER INTEREST
] BY MEN IS NEED
OF CHURCH
REV. WASHINGTON GLADDEN.. De.
LIvERs STRONG ADDRESS AT
OPENING OF CONGREGATIONAL
BROTHERHOOD CONVENTION.

The keynote OF the problem which
the Congregational church Is facing
was struck by the Rev. Washington
GLADDEN. Of Ohio. who gave short
talk Tuesday morning at the opening
session of the first national conven
ton of the Congregational Brother
hood. In which he said that at Is high
time that we began to see that the
kingdom OF God is not feminine In
stitution."
It was this thought, brought out by
DR.. GLADDEN.. that has been forcing It
self upon both the clergy and laity OF
the church and which led to the form
alton of the committee Of 10 that ar
ranged for this. the first national con
vention of men In the church.
DIR. GLADDEN. spoke extemporaneous
ly, saying in part:
I'VE have been leaving the spirit
ual work OF the community almost
wholly to women. The men OF Am
erica have been giving their strength
to material interests and interests out
side the spiritual life. When the
church was instituted 1t was not 9
feminine institution. The IL apostles
were men and there was no woman
present. However, / thank God thai
the women have been brought in and
their power utilized. 1t is magnifi
cent. We have not too much OF it
We want to have more, but we want
men enlisted for. the spiritual work OF
the denomination.
I'VE want Christianity properly rep
resented to the world. II is not prop
erly represented when two-thirds OF
mans right arm and right leg was
half as long as his left arm and left
leg. 1t is a mutilated Christianity
which we present to the world today
We must have men represented In
all our work. We must have them
in equal proportions. We must BRING
the male membership of the church
up to the female"
Some OF the objects Of the brother
hood we're enumerated by President
tLfH. T. Main. of Grinnell college. Ia.
who presided at the convention and
who said that the church should be
made more Of business institution
more a popular institution than It Is
today.
We should develop lay ministry
declared DR., Main. and make 1t plain
that the business man. the profession
al man II minister. We should EN-
.phssisss sin. his~eonxent .th<
layrnan IL minister. that the lay
man and the minister are Working for
the same thing We must get the idea
that religion is right living and that
the prime purpose OF life is the saliva
ton Of men,"
When the meeting was called to or.
der In the First Congregational
church. there were about $50 men
present, representing nearly every
state in the union. The Rev. Gaius
Glenn Atkins, d. D., pastor OF the
church. offered the prayer, and greet.
ings were extended the delegates as
follows: From the local church, w.
II. Strong; from the churches of De.
troit, the Rev. w. j. Jacobs :, from the
city. of Detroit. Controller, Frank Dor.
emus, representing Mayor Thompson;
from the Presbyterian Brotherhood,
w. r. Farrand: from the churches OF
Michigan; the Rev. w. H. Warren, and
from the commonwealth Of Michigan,
Governor Fred M. Warner.
The addresses OF the afternoon were
delivered by the Hon. T. c. Macmillan,
OF Illinois. the Rev. Ernest Bourner
Allen. OF Ohio. and the Rev. H. G.
Herring. Of New York.
The brotherhood banquet will be
held Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock In
Harmonic hall. when the following
themes will be discussed: THE ethi-
cal opportunity of the press" James
Schermerhorn, Detroit: THE needs
OF the nation" Gen. o. o. Howard,
Vermont. and The twentieth century
city" the Rev. Frank @. Smith. ILL
nois.
The convention will continue until
Thursday night, all the sessions of
which will be held In the First Con-
gregational church. The meetings are
open.