The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-13
Religious Movement.
CHRISTIANS OF eREEKVILLE ORGANIZE
FOR CHURCH WORK.
An Example for AbbeviIIe, and the Les
son Of the Story Of a Layman's Ser
mon,
(COntributed,)

In the city of G%reenville, church people
of both Protestant and Catholic denOmina-
tons are to take a religious census on the
22nd instant, which census will place or 10.
cate every mans churchly connection OF
preference.
This reminds ME Of a little story that
heard years ago Of the Baptist Church in
Greenville. 1t runs something like this
A layman named G.. j. Elford took great
interest in caring for those who were neg
lected or who were not being cared for by
others. He went into the streets or into
the humble homes, and sought to bring
waits or unnOticed children n grown
folks, too, into the Sunday-SchOol. Some
of the children had not clothes which they
regarded as nice enough to wear to the
church. In such cases there were men
money. The result Of Mr.. Elford's labor
was that a great multitude of poor and
unnoticed children and neglected men and
women came to the Baptist Sunday
School.
Some Of them in after years became pill.
lars in the church, and the church because
Of their added strength, grew to be the
leading church in the city. ] ,
I have not the least idea how I heard
this story, or where may have read 1t,
but I give in brief as I remember it.
lue IeCeHI Hlo'eiAeuI Lledllo LuuCI W
both the people and the churches OF
Greenville.
Abbeville today has perhaps as many
souls as Greenville had when Elford took
up his crusade or began his labors. And
if any city of as great a number OF nice
churches as Abbevilie had a smaller per
centage of attendance on divine worship, l
am not informed of the fact, 1t is fair to
presume that Abbeville has not less than
$500 white inhabitants. The attendance
upon the Sunday morning service was
counted at each of the churches last
spring, and the average was, say, 450, in
Guiding little children, whose mothers
could not or would not leave at home.
l believe all u churches are greatly
are greatly concerned about foreign mis-
Sions, and large sums are annually collec-
ted from our people and thrown away on
the impotent effort to interfere with some
body's religion in a far-off country. This,
too, when so little effort has been made
to bring our own people within the sound
of the preached word. We hear much OF
our duty to carry the gospel to others,
but 1 have heard exceedingly little Of any
itual welfare Of those who never darken
the door Of any church.
We have in the city Of Abbeville plenty
Of material to fill every pew in every
church. But there has been little effort tc
encourage non-church-goers to come. ]
know nothing of any attentions that have
been paid to any who do not voluntarily
go to church. Do we not manifest more
interest in the spiritual welfare Of those
about whom we know nothing, than about
bringing our own neighbors into the
church at home.
1t has been said too, as an excuse fol-
our neglect Of home people that the
churches are open every Sunday and oul
derelict neighbors could come if they
wished to do so.
I have also heard it said that at least
some Of our neighbors would not go tx
church, ever if asked. If, then, men ant
women who. were born and reared In {
Christian country will not go to church, il
it reasonable to believe that negroes
Indians and white men Of doubtful char
acter in distant lands would more readily
hear our missionaries speaking a strange
tongue than wonld our own people heal
gospel.
If more energy was exerted in bringing
people into the churches at Abbeville, the
churches might prosper more, and thu
members might be taxed less.
If the secret is ever let out as to how oul
money is wasted in distant lands, the PEG
pie would exercise better judgement II
the expenditure Of their money.