Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-02-18
CENTRE CHURCH MEN DlNED.
About t5o at Banquet rendered by C. L.
Johannesburg Message by Or. Philip
S. Moxom and Local Speakers.

S. Moxom and Local Speakers.
An excellent menu. stirring speeches
and renewed expressions of support to
church and pastor made the compliment
tary banquet given by George L. Durham
to the men of the Congregational church
Tuesday evening something more than
an ordinary success. Tdc fact that Mr.
Durham used the lure of good dinner
to get the men of the parish together
does not take away from the significance
of the gathering as an exposition Of the
power for good which this church, or any
other church, is in community. 1t was
a significant gathering from many points
of view. Rev. DR. Philip 5. MoNUm, pas
tor of the South Congregational church
in Springfield, Mass. and one Of the fore
most COngregatiOnalists in the country,
declared to Mr. Durham after the gather
ing that he could not have done more for
the church or for the community than
me did by giving this banquet
Before the banquet was served in the
Brooks House dining hail the Congrega-
tionalists gathered i'm the parlors for
social hour. Fully $50 men Of the church
and invited guests filed into the dining
room shortly after s o'clock, and the next
hour was spent in strict attention to the
menu. During the banquet Mrs. G. NJ.
Brazer and G. NJ. Dugan played numer-
Gus piano and violin selections which
met with hearty applause. The speaking
which followed the banquet was inter-
spersed with selections by Il male quar-
tet consisting of w A. Gilbert, +. G.
Adams, T. II. Crane and A. l.. Clapp
and solos by Mr. Adams and Mr. Crane.
After the tables were cleared Mr.. Dun
ham took charge as postmaster and in
few brief remarks expressed his APP
probation of the large gathering in re-
Spouse to his invitation. After a selec-
tion by the quartet he introduced T. G.
| Crosby as the first speaker. Mr.. Crosby's
subject was The church and the bust
ness man." and he outlined the need
which the church has for aggressive
| young business men and the need which
| the young men have of the church. 1t
was an earnest ana stimulating message.
Mr.. MOXOm gave scholarly address
| on The realignment of the church"
| the main subject being pointed frequently
| with pithy stories. Dr. MoXoms theme
was the fundamental law of life that all
| things must grow or die. This is as true
| in the church, he said. as in individual
| living organisms. Unless the church
| grows to meet the needs of the people
| some other precipitation will arise and
| take the place which the church has
| filed. The Christian churcd has been Il
migty factor i'm the social development
| and intellectual development of mankind.
| but it must continue to grow and con-
| tnue to meet the newer needs of hui
manity. DR.. MoXom brought his message
! home with a convincing straightforward
| ness and elOQuenCe, and those VINO heard
| him will not soon forget his address
| Judge James NJ. Tyler had for his sub
| ject Church attendance today and yes
| terday." He characterized the Congregl-
| tional church as a living progressive or
| ganzation that mad scraped off the bar
| nacleS of bigotry and Intolerance and was
| sailing smoothly toward a port of ever
| higher efficiency. He did not believe in
| the modern talk of the passing of the
| r1v.fF 10. 4 Cot hsa
| in the future as in the present the church
| would stand for the wider principles Of
| brotherhood of man and fatherhOod Of
| God which finds expression in every day
J life If church attendance was not quite
| what it might be today the loyalty to the
| church and her ideals was strong and
vital. In an interesting way he alluded
| to the time when families carried their
| dinners to church and stayed all day.
| Clarke c. Fits spoke on The church
| and civic life" and he improved the oc-
| casion to sound a warning note in re-
| gard to the license question 10 come up
in the town meeting. We have II
churches in Bratteboro and no saloons
| and we ought to keep the saloons out.
| There is a distinct relation between the
| license question and the church. Liquor
| licenses and crime flourish in the COM
munities where the church is weakest.
| Mr.. Fits declared that the power of
| the church was sucn that it could get
| Just about what it wanted in civic life
if it really tried for it.
Rev Roy NJ. Houghton, pastor Of the
Centre church, gave a rousIng message
on Men and the church" to close the
program. He spoke in appreciation Of
| thes generous response which had come
to the effort to get the men of the church
togther and OF the great possibilities with
| such a body of men banded together.
! He declared that the men, not the minis
| ter made church and that the church
was not an end in itself. but means
to the great end. The kingdom of God
on earth means the reign of the best
things the spirit of righteousness, of
brotherhood. of singleness Of purpose
which makes the life Of the individual
and the life Of the community life of
joy.
Before the gathering broke up Dennison
Cowles moved that a vote of thanks be
| given Mr. Durham and by rising vote
| the men expressed their appreciation.
After singing America the gathering
| broke up.