New-York tribune., 1912-08-19
DULL DAYS FOR CHURCHES.
Religious Ardor at Lowest Ebb
in Years, Say Experts.
MANY LARGE ONES CLOSED
Others, with a Capacity of
1000, Have Little More than
One. Tenth at Services.

Christian workers of New York of
longest experience and memories are
saying there never was a summer before
when New York in matters Of religion
and the outward expressions of 1t was
at such low ebb. One Of them, worker
in Fifth and Madison avenue churches,
discussed this yesterday while standing
in front Of the st. Nicholas Reformed
Church, Fifth avenue and 4sth street. the
oldest Reformed church in New York
and closed by the way.
For four years the New York Chris
tian public, in common with the rest OF
the country, has had campaigns filled
with more or less excitement. Tho first
was the I.aymens Missionary Movement,
and the second was the Men and Re-
ligon Forward Movement. A reaction has
come. There is WEAKNESS I'm well doing.
People want a rest and are taking It..
Then It happens that neither in England
nor America are any big events scheduled
before the spring OF 1913. With nothing
in particular on hand. little preparation
Is making. Finally, there is politics TO
distract"
Another man. OF equally long expert
ence and memory, was found who had
made the length of Fifth and Madison
avenues yesterday, and had visited
Trinity Church, in lower Broadway.
Churches in Fifth and Madison ave-
nues. with Trinity" he said, may well
be taken as tests for all New York. They
arc favorable ones at best, for here. as
nowhere else strangers over Sunday in
the city help out the numbers. In some
Of them strangers make up four In five
Of the congregations. There are three
types Of services this season. as always.
ST. Thomas's. Heavenly Rest, Incarnation,
St James's and few others merely keep
services going. with curate or assistant
minister TO preach. This morning at
Heavenly Rest there were twenty-siX In
the congregation. and at st. Thomass
forty Others had about the same.
Another type is represented this sum-
mer by the Marble Collegiate Church, the
Brick Presbyterian and the Madison
Avenue Methodist. They keep open on
Sunday mornings and get some preacher
other than the pastor 10 I'll the pulpit.
These had this morning 175, 205 and llO.
respectively. The churches can accom-
modate one thousand persons each.
Finally. there are Trinity. st. Bartholo-
news and the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
churches which go 70 heavy expense 10
provide services OF exactly the grade
they have in winter. with choirs at full
numbers and all seats free.
August IS the best month since
buyers from all over the country are in
New York. and many buyers bring their
wives, and their wives take them TO
famous churches.
Trinity had yesterday 900 st. Bar
tholomew's $50 and the Fifth Avenue
Presbyterian 80. Trinity's showing is
about the same as In former years, / am
assured. But St Bartholomew's has had
9C0 10 1000, and the Fifth Avenue church
! 500 to 900 During this entire season
tho Fifth Avenue church has not opened
its spacious gallery. In former years IL
has opened #. and had Il filed This
church has for a decade made a special
feature OF It's summer services, bringing
preachers from England and Scotland.
Not in years has the attendance been so
small"
The Reformed Episcopal. the Madison
Avenue Reformed. the Fifth Avenue
Baptist and tho St. Nicholas Reformed
four OF the largest churches OF the ave
MUGS namcd-arc closed. and the Heaven
" Rest will close next Sunday. At the
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church
week ago yesterday, and again yester-
day. even downstairs pews were not
filed.
The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian preacher
was the Rev James NJ. Black.
OF Edinburgh. His topic was The
Larger Life"