The Washington herald., 1912-07-28
A BUSINESS MANS IDEAS ON
MODERN CHURCH EFFECTIVENESS
Specialization in Church Methods Output
Return for Larger Expense -Laymen Must
Aid in Church Advance

Unitarians Of New England in confer
listened to an address on "Layman's
Day." by Mr.. Emerson ID. Harris, OF
Montclair, n. ]. Mar. Harris Is presi-
dent Of the New York Unitarian Club,
and represented the Unitarian Laymens
League, whose dinner last spring at the
New willard Hotel in Washington gave
voice to similar ideas o. advance Tor
this church. Presenting. as he does, the
ideas of a business man. he is disposed
to study church problems from purely
practical point Of view.
Mr.. Harris, accepting as his topic the
Layman's Responsibility, asked, nrst'
what should justify a layman in devot-
ing one-tenth of his time, ability, In
come-that marginal tenth over which
man has some option-to investment In
church. A great many never make
that investment, and those who do, need
to be assured OF the value of the prod
uct of the church and its efficiency In
producing that value. before deciding as
to their own wisdom. Business is very
Interesting thing: churches are not al
ways interesting. Speaking not as a
preacher nor as an imitation OF preach-
er, Mr. Harris, while he believes that
business is not nearly so sordid thing
as many think. felt that the sense OF
need enters every life. no matter how
successful in business man may De.
Men may not know what religion is. but
tHey know what II ought to give. namely,
a motive, an ideal OF what life Is for.
All men want life, more satisfying life.
and sometimes come flashes OF vision
that imply something beyond the tran
sient affairs of the day. 1t Is up 10
religion to supply that need. and when
these flashes come. and men are ready to
listen TO the claim that life has spirit
ual basis, II is the challenge to religion
to utilize them, just as we have learned
to utilize flashes of lightning, and ap-
ply to our own lives the power in these
erratic manifestations OF light and en-
ergy. Mr.. Harris interest in the church
is less because of what II Is than of
what II may become, like an investment
in futures.
Church Must Specialize.
Mr.. Harris would have the church learn
from industry how to seize on the forces
Of nature and distribute them to the ends
Of the earth. With all the wonderful in
crease ir Industrial efficiency and reduc-
ton of the expenses of transportation.
the church has been idle. Industry has
settled the question that no business is
efficient unless it creates wealth. Once
reople thought that what one man gains
another man must lose, but We have
learned now that the war Of competition
and gambling risks are merely incidental
in business not an essential part We
have learned economy and conservation
in industry, and II is time for the church
also to begin to inculcate and represent
these virtues. For one thing, the church
must specialize. Its function 10 the gen.
Grafton of religion. II those spiritual
forces, of which we have giimpses in our
moments of insight, are genuine, and II
We are to take the claims of religion
seriously, then the church has the power
to transform life by generating the cur
rent that puts man into direct commu-
nication with the life Of God That is
what the church exists to promote The
current is one and the same in all men.
hut its application to earthly uses comes
in a thousand diverse ways.
We differ in regard to temperance, or
the tariff, or Socialism. We cannot all
work together in practical methods. be-
cause We differ conscientiously regarding
them. Some people are wholly devoted
to- Socialism, others to individualism.
(Personally Mr.. Harris considers both
as equally insane, because he thinks
that the word Socialism universally ap.
Piled would become absolutely meaning
less. since ii it absurd, undignified. un-
democratic, to run public utilities by pri-
vate ownership, while IL is equally alb
surd to think of socializing a business
dependent on individual initiative and
vision). In regard to all these things