The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-03
BRYAN IS TURNING
 ID CHURCH WORK Nebraskan Will Devote Efforts to Helping Mankind
NO PAY WILL BE ASKED
One of the Plans Mentioned for Bryan Is the Occupancy of Great Au- ditorium in New York for Car
 rying on Religious Work
By ROBERT LEE CARTER

| New York; April 2.-(Special.) )-William trip and will devote more of his time and energy to church work. This state ment is made on the authority of close l friends of MT. Bryan, with whom he has | been in recent communication. He has become convinced that he can be of more service to the church if he should devote a greater portion of his time and conse- crate his talents to a greater extent than heretofore to spreading the truths of Christianity among the millions of men throughout the country.
 Just what plans MT. Bryan will make cannot be definitely known until his ar rival but I am informed on high au- thority that he will work with the Chris tian Endeavor society, the Youni Mems Christian association, the Laymen's Mis- sionary movement and the other inter- denomnatonal instrumentalities and ab- soutely without remuneration.
 While Mir Bryan Is a strict Presby- terian an elder in the church, he does not intend to conflne his work along dehominatonal lines. His idea is to get at the great mass who either have no church affiliations at all or whose church ties bind them very lightly. Friends of Mir Bryan and active church workers who are familiar with his idea predict the famous Nebraskan will become one of the greatest and most effective lay preachers in the history of the church.
 Praise From Shaw
 William Shaw, general secretary of the United Society of Christian Endeavor who has just returned from trip around the world with Rev. Francis E. Clark president of the Christian Endeavor so- ciety. said to me in this connection:
 "Dr Clark and I both believe that MT. Bryan would be a tremendous power in arousing the masses and particularly a man with the enthusiasm for the work in the churches.
 "Mr. Bryan was one of the most ac- ceptabe speakers at our last Christian Endeavor convention at St. Paul. He declines to take any remuneration for that kind of work.
 He told me that in the future he in tended to give more of his time to ad- dressing religious gatherings. It will cer- VI righteousness to have MT. Bryan in terested in the fight with all his splendid abilities and great energy
 Broad Gauge Plan
 MT. Bryan does not intend to contine his efforts to America. Already he has prom ised to go to England this summer to deliver several addresses to the Young Mems Christian associations and other similar bodies. It is possible he will go to Paris and Berlin, also. If MT. Bryan looks upon the proposition favorably a great auditorium will be built for him in New York A number of very rich church men and women have had such a proposition under consideration and are ready to act Among them are said to be John D. Rockefeller, William Huyler, Mrs. Russell Sage, Miss Helen Gould Mrs. Kennedy and others. The idea is to build at central point in New York city a great auditorium capable of seating not less than 10000 people and place MT. Bryan at the head of it. the service/ to be along religious lines, though not accord ing to any set forms. While Mir. Bryan would not be an evangelist, remaining a layman. it is believed he could be tre- mendous power for good and the work would appeal to him.
 Church Needs Workers A well-known churchman who is con versant with the situation, in spea/hg of the prospect, said today:
 There Is no disguising the fact that the church so far as New York is con cerned has lost touch with the men of the community. The whole thought of the church today is directed towards re-es- tablishing this touch. Accepting the fact that the men will not come to the church, it is imperative that the church should be taken to the men. No man in Ameri- ca is better qualified to do that work than William J. Bryan. There are tens of thousands of men in New York, and hundreds of thousands throughout the country who can not be induced to go to church. but would flock to hear him speak He could arouse them as no other man could and the good he could do is past calculation. Now, MT. Bryan IS an intensely religious man, and when this matter is presented to him, as 1t will soon after his return. we are hopeful he will see 1t his duty to accept and under take the task. ..t,, "While under the plans as now partly formulated, New York would be head quarters for MT. Bryan, his activities | would not be confined to this city. He would be free to go wherever he found | there was need of him and he could dc good work
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