The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-08-25
PREACHING IN
AUTOMOBILES
LAYMEN USE THEIR MACHINES
AND MINISTER'S CONTRIBUTE
THEIR SERVICES TO CAMPAIGN.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, July "a
Adaptation and cooperation, which
mark the deeper currents of American
church life, are illustrated in novel
form of modern religious activity
which the members of the Brotherhood
of Andrew and Philip and the depart
ment of service of the Young Mems
Christian Association have undertaken
in Philadelphia. This is an automo-
bile campaign of street preaching to
cover the city, the force of workers be-
ing volunteers and the movement from
beginning to end being maintained
without cost
The aim of course, is to reach nom
church-goers who are out of doors in
the summer and who are willing to lis
ten to street preaching of good quality
especially when accompanied by music
The Philadelphia plan, which is fully
in operation, uses the pastors of the
local churches for the preaching and
the automobiles belong to members of
the brotherhood, who also furnish the
workers to accompany each.
| WE'RE USED ON WALL STREET.
Machines first were conspicuous in
religious work on wall street two sum-
mers ago, when the preachers who
spoke to the brokers were carried Thu
Their and from point to point by auto
mobiles. This was part of the sum-
mer tent work of New York city. Sim
ilarly incidental use has been made of
the automobile in the summer evange-
listic service in Philadelphia and other
cities. The cities of Newark and
Elizabeth N. j., have undertaken street
preaching from automobiles with spe-
cially employed evangelists. In Ches-
ter county, Pennsylvania, there has
been talk among brotherhood men OF
using the automobile to carry lay
speakers for mems meetings in country
churches throughout the county Sun
day nights.
In the Philadelphia campaign either
the owner or his chauffeur goes along
to manipulate the machine. The mu-
sicians are volunteers and the instru-
ment usually is a cornet In securing
speakers 100 city pastors were asked
to indicate nights on which they would
serve and all who are to be in the city
responded. Aside from the postal
card notices and such matters, which
the Y. Nj. C. A. arranges, there is nj
expense to this propaganda The par
of the association is in organizing anC
directing the forces.
FORCES LIKE FLYING COLUMNS
Each of the preaching teams includes
from three to six men. There is nc
effort to get a crowd of Christian
workers. The endeavor is rather u
reduce the force to the lightness OF I
flying column. There are no hymn
, books and no collections and there
no need for ushers. Each automo
bile endeavors to cover three points il
one evening, averaging meetings abou
half an hour long. During the frs
week of July, despite the fact that IN
dependence day interfered seriously
there were fourteen meetings with al
attendance of 1000 persons, of whom
twenty-five signed inquirers' cards.
The automobile evangelists Away
, find it easy to get a crowd They hav,
the advantage of speaking from an ele
walton and toward the people on tn
sidewalk, for the automobile is draw
up close to the curb. How quickly
: crowd may be gathered was shown a
Broad and Arch streets, where an au
tomobIe stopped, with comparative
ly few persons passing, yet in four min
utes there were 200 hearers.