The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-19
WITH THOSE WHOLABOR
IN THE LORDS VINEYARD
by v. l.. FRANCIS

New York. June 1S.-(Special IL sup
pose it is hardly proper ito suppose that
any of my readers have failed to ponder
subject of the Christian ministry during
the course of his address at the Ohio
Northern university.
1t was Surprise to me to note the
tender, If somewhat sad, interest Mr.. Taft
has been taking in the ministers of the
gospel of the past generation. 1t certainly
is gratifying to find that he Is hopeful
for the future The President said II
regret to say that during the last gener-
alton the strongest young men do not
seem to have been attracted to the minis
try. The inadequacy of the compensa-
ton. the change from the commanding
influence that the ministers had in the
early part of this century to that which
they now occupy, has influenced men who
in early days would have taken to the
ministry, to pursue other callingS. Never
theless the influence of the church in our
community is still deep-seated and relig-
ion forms the inspiration of the great
body of our people. A minister, to COM
mand the sonstant attention of a great
congregation, must now be man oil
power. The mere office does not carry
with 1t either the sacredness or the in
fluence that was once attached to 1t.
look, however, for a reaction in this
matter. I believe that In the near future
men of greater native force will enter
the ministry. We are all familiar with
the enormous influence for good that a
powerful minister of the gospel exercises
over his congregation and in the commu-
nifty in which he lives, and we may well
expect that, after the wild rush for
wealth that has characterized previous
generations shall have ceased, the OPP
portunities for great usefulness offered by
the practice of the profession of the cier-
gyman will furnish a temptation to the
strongest of the young college men to as
sumo the CLOTH.
Religious census bulleting are now
coming thick and fast as the prepara-
ton of the volumes advances. One or the
latest of them makes some interesting
comparisons between the relative strength
of the Roman Catholics and the Evangel-
ical Christian churches in the great cities.
the lesser urban centers and the rural
districts Comparison by numbers. as the
bulletin expressly states, Is misleading,
but comparison by percentages is instruc-
tive.
Thus it appears that nearly IS per cent
of all Roman Catholics are found in cities
of over 100000 and more than 81 per cent
in places of over 25O00; while on the other
hand more than four-fifths of the pro
testanta" are outside the cities, and only
It's per cent in cities of over 100000, a
ratio barely one-fourth of the Roman
Catholic. OF course this represents large
| ly the result of recent immigration, as
does also the SO per cent of Jews in those
cities of the first class.
Elyidaptlu the Evangaica1 nrODa anda
has been more effective in urban than in
rural conditions. To some extent this
would seem to be true generally, for
while in 1890 there were in these citiea
25.7 per cent of Christians of all names,
there are now 800 per cent.
| In proportion of communicates to pop
ulation Boston leads among the larger
cities with 626 per cent. Other percent
ages are, ST. Louis 46.6, New York AL
Chicago 407, Philadelphia 1873.
| The number of communicates or men,