The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-05-31
OUR CHURCHES TO DO
GOOD MUST Be AWAKE
ReV. hawkins SAYS ARomoRE
CHURCHES MUST WAKE UP ANo
COME TO THEMSELVES.

heN. =. " ilAN hllN. bI hI-Nlf0lfl,
secretary OF the Christian church
board in oklahoma, spoke yesterday
&, the congregation OF the Christian
church here and his address might
have been heard with profit by every
church in the city. gi'ng as &c did.
some of the elements that go 20 make
bigger. better and mory powerful re-.
lgious lodics.
Rev. Hawkins took mo- text Tor his
talk and said in part:
There are certain essentials that
needs be- had in a church organization
to make it factor for GOOD and pro-
grcss i'm any community You in Ard
more have local conditions to consider
that the churches In Nuskogcc. Nc
Alostcr' Shawnee and other places
would not be burdcnrd with. while
these same towns have conditions pc.
cularily their own that would not con
cern you here.
There is one prime essential to the
growth and life OF any church and
that is it's local member There must
be certain number who are abso-
lutely loyal | believe it would be pos
sblc to maintain church with ~
others eliminated but the good look
ing members, then again I am sure
that the church might still hold its
own with just we homciy fellows.
think It would be- possible for a
church TO maintain It's existence II
all were excluded but those We are
pleased to call old fogeics.' ! don't
like to use that word-somo call them
mossbacks-I would as soon be called
one as the other You have none of
them here in Ardmore, however.
but the loyal members are the
ones 10 rely on. And 10 be- loyal one
must understand something or govern.
ment. must understand the fundamen-
tai principles. at least, of what his
church stands for. What would Amer
lean citizenship be today II We were
TO say that the governments Of Chins,
Russia and others were as good as
our government.
Then there must be convictions,
for without these there is no use. 4
man must believe that the government,
of his country is right and he must
no loyal and patriotic enough TO fight
for II when occasion demands. What
would our government be If we had
not men who had convictions. II |
did not believe with all my sou' that
the church with which | am affiliated.
the Christian church and that 1t was
nearest the plain and simple teach.
ings of Christ, would get out at
once and find another.
Then there must be unity of ac.
tion. OF course there will be ten thou
sand differences of opinion. All will
not agree. That is necessarily so as
We are of different minds as We are
of different faces and figures. But
there must be compromise along
these lines. and especially ~ the
church whore questions that have no
bearing of the scriptural principles
arc concerned Such must as truly be
the case In the government and in the
home. or there would be no govern
ment and no homes
would put much stress on organl
zation. for there is really the secret
of power of any institution In the
church most of all Complete and ef
ficient business organization in every
department will insure strong
healthy growth h:very member
should have knowledge OF
the affairs and be- able to al once
tell who are the elders and dcacon'
and who are the officers of the Sun
day scholl, the Endeavor the G. W
B. NJ, and all the other departments
ANIL all these must work in harmony
and unity
Then as the incentive 10 put al
these great forces into action would
say wake up-comc 20 yourself-gr
your opportunities To be powe
in the community YOU must get thing
coming your way get people talkin'
about you, be bapt'sing them into th'
church by the scores, and YOU will /
you are working an your forces In
systematic manner and are alive an'
wide awake to what neeus 20 30 dom
h. around you, No church will ever ac
complsh it's mission that is half aslee
All the time, and too selfish to see tn
+. need OF others and to give of tim
F., and money. You remember the sfor
H of the Prodigal son who found him
self feeding with the swine, But h
awoke-he came 10 himself when h
thought of how sumpNously eve