The San Francisco call., 1909-04-25
By Anna Pratt Simpson

AS Rev. George W. Stone OF
II Santa Cruz solved the problem
OF the modern church? Has he
found the cure for empty
benches2
This distinguished Unitarian is mod
est enough TO say that he is presenting
an experiment" for the consideration
OF the perpIexed ministry and the re-
ngiously apathetic people. The criti-
cal layman, after studying this "ex-
pertinent" OF Mr.. Stone. would say.
without hesitation. that he has already
achieved q startling success.
\ Reduced TO specific terms, this .ex-
feriment' consists OF a church and a
church home-All Souls church CUni-
tarlan) and All Souls church home. The
former, zealously dedicated to the
spiritual services Of the parish, is open
Sunday mornings or whenever needed,
while the latter, dedicated to the hu-
manities, TO every pleasure or interest
OF home and family, is open morning,
noon and night With the architec-
tural unities preserved, this church and
church home are good to look upon.
but what they stand for invests them
with peculiar significance.
Quite unconsciously, Mr.. Stone laid
the foundations for this work over six
years ago. when as field secretary in
California for the American Unitarian
association, he built All Souls church
FOR the Unitarians of Santa Cruz Al
though always holding far more than
a passing interest in this little church.
1t never occurred to him that, with all
his larger opportunities, he would
some day select Santa Cruz for his min
istrations and for the exploitation OF
did. being free to choose. No place
called him as did beautiful and historic
Santa Cruz by the sea; no church field
seemed to hold better possibilities.
When the day came for Mr.. Stone to
take over the responsibilities of Ali
Souls church he preached his own in
staIlation sermon. It was then that he
emphasized his belief in the gospel
that would have the church do things
rather than talk about them" It was
then that he welcomed every one in
sympathy with the work OF All Souls
parish, without regard 10 theological
opinions, saying:
with US. theological opinions are
private personal property. Our bond
OF union is one Of purpose. not of opin-
ION The question is, What do you
want 10 DO? Not what do you think?
How DO you regard the men and meas
llres OF today; not what do you think
Of the people who lived in Judea 1000
wears ago. IN other words. this is q
church OF the twentieth century. with
a forward, not a backward, look We
N1eed to confine ourselves to the work
rSearest at hand; in popular phrase, to
mind our own business Our work is
10 do what we can for humanity here
IN Santa Cruz. to study conditions here.
TO minister to present needs. do not
mean by this that our work is ma
ter.ial only; by no means. II is mainly
snirftual, but IL is idle to look for
spiritual results in the midst of poor
social conditions. Satisfaction may
dwell in association with poverty. ig-
uorance and vice, but not happiness,
and Ibappiness is what we seek to bring
20 society
with this general affirmation Mr..
stone commenced an analysis Of the
conditions obtaining in the churches of
today and said, among other things;
I am conscious OF many changes in
my own views concerning the relations
between the church and society gen
erallv. IN the stormy evolution
~ the present, whatever remains sta
ffonarv is overwhelmed. The church is
no exception TO this. Manifestly. the
church as it IS is not adapted TO the
general need. It has no vital relation
10 the formative work going on in
society As a rule. it stands committed
to theories that have been outgrown;
~ IDEAS no longer prevalent"
Prefacing the statement Of what the
church home should be. Mr.. Stone held
that a bigger and better concern with
the vital things Of life deepened rather
than Iessened reverence for God Of
the church, Mr.. Stone said:
This house in which we are as
sennbled has been dedicated to the
worship OF God and consecrated to the
service OF mankind. So far as can
have my wish, it Will continue to be
used fo{ that alone. In this busy world,
with its hurrying and its harrying. il
IS well to have one place where the
Feftfments have supreme sway, one
place where the cares OF this world
er6 the hckleness of fate may be for
gotten: where the Imagination may
give US moments OF exhaltation and