Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-10-17
Discussed in Boston by
Congregationa|ists.
Labor Problem Treated BY
Chas. Ste|z|e, New York.
Interesting Meetings All Day Ia
Different Churches.

Boston, Oct. 16.-Services at local
churches, in many of which the pull
pits were filled by visiting preach
ers, constituted today's program for
the triennial meeting of the National
Council of Congregational Churches
and it's affiliated bodies. Prominent
among the service was that held in
the Old South church, where Presi-
dent William Douglass Mackenzie of
the Hartford Theological Seminary.
delivered the annual sermon at the
communion services of the American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions. The services were last to
be ncld by the board in connection
with the observances during the past
week of the centennial of the found
ing of their body. Attendants at the
National Council meeting shared the
service. President MacKenzie's theme
was "Christianity, the Religion Of the
World"
In the evening, the National Broth
erhood of Congregationalists held a
symposium. christian Leadership
for America Problems
Charles StelZle of New York, super.
intendent of the Presbyterian depart
ment Of church and labor, discussed
The Christian and Industrial Pro-
grams"
No serious minded man will ques-
ton the fact that the social prob
lem is the most important that con-
fronts us. Thousands of people be-
lieve vainfy that if they can abolish
the labor union, they will have solved
the labor question. The labor union
is not the labor question. If every
labor union in existence were wiped
out today, the labor question still
would be present.
important as the labor movement
may be it is a mere incident In the
industrial evolution which we are
passing. Some day it will become a
question as to whether the church will
capture the labor movement or wheth-
er the labor movement will capture the
church.
THE working people almost uniyer-
sally honor Jesus Christ as their
friend and leader and believe In His
Divinity. The tendency of the Ameri-
can workingman today is toward the
church. rather than away from 1t. I'm
fortunately, however, the vision of the
church has sometimes been too mar
row."
Mr.. Stelzle declared that evangelis-
tic work in reaching the masses must
be augmented by other things. III
the church would make good with
labor the working man must find in
the church an absolute sincerity" he
said. Sometimes the very men who
have betrayed him in political and in
economic life have been prominent in
the work of his church.
Others speaking with Mr.. Sickle
was President Henry Churchill King
of Oberlin College on college Men
and the Christian Church"
Attendants at the meetings of the
Congregational Brotherhood listened
this morning in the Park street church
to their annual sermon, delivered by
Rev. G. Glen Atkins Of Providence.
r. |.
In the afternoon, at fremont Temple
union mems mass meeting was held
by the Brotherhood Fred B, Smith
of New York. general secretary Of the
Y, M. c. A.. addressed the gathering.
In the evening at Symphony hall, q
service for inspiration ,and consecra-
tion was addressed by Mr.. Smith and
by Rev. Frank G. Smith of Chicago.
The latter discussed ""Some of the
Factors and Forces in the Great Re-
vival of Tomorrow" ~