United labor bulletin., 1910-10-06
THE SOCIAL WORK OF THE CHURCH
(By the Rev. Charles stelzle.)

For years the evangelists of the church
have been telling us that the world is
ready for another great revival. They
have been prophesying that soon we shall
see great awakening" But these
prophets of a former period and expo
nents of a waning method have seen only
part of the future glory of the church.
In this awakening there will be much of
the so-called evangelistic preaching but
the greatest emphasis will be placed
upon the social gospel, for which the
church has been SO long preparing.
This gospel will have to do not SO
much with a spectacular philanthropy
but which is supposed to express the
kindness of the well-favored toward the
poor, but it will also demand justice and
right dealing toward all men. 1t will
deal fearlessly with the question of the
exploitation of little children, of helpless
women and of downtrodden men. 1t will
demand that mems bodies shall be saved
as well as their souls. 1t will not say
less about heaven and its glory, but it
will say more about earth and its duty.
1t will seek to convert men socially as
we'll as spiritually. 1t will destroy for
ever that miserably false conception that
a Christian man may practice un-Chris-
tian principles in his business life, sim
ply because his un-Christian competitors
find it more profitable to do SO. 1t will
insist that every community composed OF
Christian people must also be Chris
tian community.
Recent developments in the church in
dicate that it has already taken its place
as a larger social force. This has been
manifested in part by the resolutions
adopted at the various national conven-
tions of the leading denominations
throughout America, in which are pre-
sented clearly and forcefully the present
economic and social conditions of the
people, making certain specific recon-
mendations as to what the church should
do in view of this situation.
In every instance In which these de-
nominations adopted such resolutions
with regard to the social and economic
questions of the day, they always pre-
ceded them by an Introductory statement
with reference to the conditions which
called forth the actions suggested. Each
of the aforementioned denominations
have appointed either commissions on
social service or have established de-
partments of church and labor, or sim
liar organizations, whose object it is to
lead their denominations in social educa-
tion and in broader social service
1t is sometimes asserted that the
churches are not doing anything in the
work of caring for the unfortunate in
our great cities who are outside of the
church DR.. w. D. Bliss of the American
Institute for Social Service recently sent
a QUESTIONABLE to a large number of So
cial workers throughout the United
States inquiring as to the particular
kinds of social service which they were
rendering. 1t was learned that, out OF
about 900 responses which came to DR..
Bliss, 401 were connected with the work
of the Associated Charities, 339 were in
settlements, 227 were connected with va
rious national social reform agencies. In
uuiring as to the relationship of these
workers to the church, it was discovered
that out of S76 who replied to this ques-
ton, 1853 were church members. Even
though the 134 which did not reply were
counted as non-communicants, it would
still leave rs per cent. church members.
1t is altogether likely, however, that
many of the 134 were in some way iden-
tilted with churches. OF those engaged
in the work of the Charity Organization
society, 92 per cent. were found to be
church members; in the settlements SO
per cent. were church members and in
the other reform agencies, II per cent
The church membership of this country
is only about one-third of the entire pop
ulation, but the church furnishes rs per
cent of the social workers.