The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-02-20
LET ROCKEFELLER
Do ALL THE GIVING
Rev. C. A. Brooks. Cleveland Mission
Worker, Complains of Apathy OF
Other Wealthy Baptists.

For n good many years Baptist
missions have suffered from too much
Rockefeller" declared the Rev. Chas.
A. Brooks, superintendent OF the Bap-
tist City Missions society. of Cleye-
land. to the Detroit Baptist Ministers
conference, Monday morning In the
Woodward-ave. Baptist church par
lors.
Don't think that | am criticising
John ID. Rockefeller" he went on, as
a gasp went up from his hearers over
an apparently astounding statement.
Not at all | am criticising the men
who have sat back and let Mr.. Rocke-
Teller give and give without ever TAX
ing a dip into their own pockets. In
Cleveland, we have scores of men who
could give $4,000 to Baptist missions,
right In their own city and who have
given very little, II anything.
'Of course, II Is well-known fact
to those who have been In touch with
the work, that there Is nothing in re-
ligious effort quite so easy TO get
into a lively scrap over as this lues-
ton of city 'evangelization, which Is
better and more truly significant
term than missions We have men
in Cleveland, who in years past, gave
literally to city missions who VIII
not give a penny now, and IL the un-
initiated venture to broach the sub
ject to them 1t is like the proverbial
red rag to the bull. This state cf
affairs is one of the results OF the
hopeless blunders that have been
made in the conduct OF city evangel-
ization, especially among the foreign
population. IL IL were not for the kind
Providence that watches over the
simple, no man Knows what would
happen to city MISSIONS.
The Euclid-ave. Baptlst church In
Cleveland, known far and wide as
Rockefeller's church, has one OF the
greatest problems of evangelization
OF the foreigner within It's parish con-
fines OF any church in the United
States. Its fashionable membership
Is very scattered. Its missions are
its strength II Il were not for Rookie
feller's money the Euclfd-ave church
would be a charke on the city mis-
sions fund and in spite of Rockefel-
ler's money, that's what 1t will be-
come one of these days, / firmly be-
lieve
IF the city missions society Of
Cleveland, had the money to work
with that the Euclid-ave. church has
wasted in ill-directed effort along the
same lines, 1t would be great power.
II Is simply a question of directing
energy through men who know what
they are about and the needs.
The society Of which | am super
intendent is thoroughly organized,
and, II do say IL myself. through
this society the Baptists in Cleveland
are doing more work along city evan
gelization than all other denomlna-
tions put together. We have the only
Protestant Slav mission in the world.
You, in Detroit here, think you have
large foreign population-you ought
to see Cleveland. There we have all
the tongues of the Tower of Babel.
The foreigner Is at once the great
est menace and the greatest oppor-
tunity Christian America has to face.
When the foreigner once accepts the
simple faith of Jesus Christ without
spectacularism or ecclesiastical
pomp he is the 'rarest' Christian Of
all.
Some Of the converted foreigners
with whom l am associated in Cleve-
land, are such beautiful Christians
they make me ashamed OF myself.
The best converts we have were cor
verted In the open air. There is
something about open air conversion
that preserves the Christianity SO ac-
quired so, say, all hail to the street
meetings"
Previous to Mr.. Brooks address,
reports were made by the various
ministers present as to what their
churches would do in the "simultane-
GUS evangelistic campaign" which be-
gins Shrove Tuesday and continues
until Easter.
Combination Of effort on the part
of some of our churches Is a splendid
idea, but hope that all combinations
will be broken Passion week SO that
Il can be said that during that week
the doors of every Protestant church
in Detroit, stands open, ready to vel
come him who passes by" said the
Rev. Maurice p. Fixes, president OF
the conference.