St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-12-16
Brotherhood of Churches
The First Mems Meeting Sunday Night

| brotherhood Of Churches, and IL was an
inspirational sight to see $50 men "al
with one accord in one place"
p. F. Hazen, the chairman of the move
ment, presided and music was furnished
by the male quartette and gospel hymns
sung by the audience. Rev. DR.. 5. G.
Barnes read the scriptures and offered
prayer, after which Mr.. Hazen address
ed the meeting and gave the history o.
this mems movement. Mr.. Hazen's ad
dress here follows:
Many OF those present are conyersant
with the history OF what is known as the
brotherhood of the Churches Move.
ment," but it is due those who are not
familiar with it that brief statement be
made.
Some weeks ago less than dozen men
met at the Y M. c. A. to consider the
ACCESSIBILITY OF engaging an evangelist to
come to St. Johnsbury TO hold a series oil
meetings. During the discussion some
one suggested that if so members of our
churches aroused themselves to a united
Christian work during the winter
months, the results would be more sub
stantia and enduring than to call in a
stranger Tor temporary work. 1t was
then and there suggested that further
meetings be held with this end in view,
and such meetings have been held weekly
at the Y. M. {. A., eliminating in this
meeting here tonight.
AT one OF these meetings an informal
organization was formulated consisting
OF a chairman and an executive commit
tee OF seven, composed of one member
from each of the Protestant churches.
In addition to this subcommittee otnot
less than tive or more than 10, were to
be formed in the several churches, the
chairmen OF which were to be the men,
bers of the executive committee, the
several subcommittee to form one large
general committee. This cOmmitte CON
sists OF As members.
The object OF this association was,
(1) To stimulate the male members of
the various churches to greater activity
IN the work of the church.
(2) To bring men outside the church to
feel more responsibility in regard to the
church and its work.
(3) To arouse feeling of greater re-
spunsbllity among men concerning the
young people OF our community.
az To strive for higher moral plane
in our civic life.
1t will thus be seen that this move
ment was spontaneous, without any pre-
vious planning on the part of anyone. SO
far asl am aware, and it seems to me that
# any movement was Ordered.o God, it
was this one.
We are living in time of undenomina-
tional, aggressive religious movements.
Take Tor example the College Volunteer
Movement stimulated by Moody in
1886, with today 1900 Christian organ
izations among men and women college
students, having membership of 10000
in the United States and Canada and ex-
tending to the other side of the Atlantic;
the organization OF the Forward Move
ment Committee of New York, for the
purpose OF raising funds to aid the
smaller churches in local evangelization
campaigns the Laymens Missionary
Movement in Greater Boston, during
which at a meeting held in Trinity
Church, addressed by Episcopal, Presbv-
terrain and Baptist Speakers, Bishop
Lawrence referred to the great gratih-
cation it would have given Phillips
Brooks to have had in Trinity Church a
service where, by the official action Of
the Church, two laymen of non-Epi>co-
pal Baptism, were 70 speak before
gathering representing many denoniua-
tons and the declaration bv Sllas Nc
Bee, editor of the Churchman that
"Uuty is the basis and foundation OF
our Christian faith.
Among our Catholic brethren the same
spirit and activity exist as evidenced by
the centenary OF the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Boston, where a great
meeting in Symphony Hall was adj
dressed by Gov. Curtis Guild and Mayor
Hibbard, and the Roman Catholic Mis-
sionary Conference held in Chicago in
November, the first Of its kind ever held.
and its object being to devise methods
of extending the missionary efforts of
the Catholic church.
The name brotherhood of Churches -
also seemed To come of itself and to be
in keeping with the spirit of the times
Someone has said, If modern preach
ing follows the example of the prophets
Christ, it will insist on human brother
hood and on practical exhibitions OF it,
John d Rockefeller is quoted as saying,
There is more important work than
making money, and there is much for
me to do. | belong to the brotherhood
of man"
Now the object Of this meeting is to
ask you Christian men to take a more
active part in the life OF the church with
which you are connected. | happen to
know that while the relations between
pastor and people in our churches are
most cordial and pleasant, yet some Of
the pastors feel that the men of the
church do not support them as they
should in the work that they as pastors,
are trying to do.
] Campbell White, Secretary of the
Laymen's Missionary Movement in Bos-
ton, says, ''If business needs more re-
ligion, religious affairs need more bust
ness"
To you who are not connected with
churches, we ask you to consider that
the church in all it's weaknesses and in
constituencies, is an institution worthy of
your active support and cooperation;
that it needs you, and that you are not
doing your full duty in keeping aloof
from it, | care not what creed you en-
brace nor what your shades of belief
may be, if you are honest in those be-
lefs for we are a unit in believing in
the great Hereafter. The only channel
for Christian work is through the
Christian church, and it is your duty to
connect yourself with whatever branch