The Washington herald., 1912-06-29
LAYMEN DISLIKE
CHURCH DOCTRINE
At Meeting Ministers Are Asked to
Preach Practical
Sermons.
REV. DR. wooD HOEORED

Church sermons ghould De pfaGucA
and to the point and doctrinal dis
courses from the pulpit to the congre-
CATION should be omitted.
This was the prevailing sense Of the
speeches Of a number Of prominent lay
men. including members OF Congress
and prominent business men Of this city,
made at a luncheon given by B. H
Warner at the New Ebbitt yesterday
afternoon in honor Of Rev. Dr. Charles
Wood, pastor of the Church Of the Cow
enant, previous TO his departure for his
summer vacation at jamestown, r. l.
Mr.. Warner presided and most all the
ministers OF the Presbyterian churches
Of this city were present. paying close
attention to the wishes Of the laymen
as regards the kind OF sermon they
thought would be most beneficial and
attract men to the Sunday services.
B. H. Warner said that business men
want direct preaching and do not want
lectures "A man that wants ntera-
ture," he said, ''can get It at the library.
Business men want sermons that carry
the gospel in a most effective and sue
cessful manner We want to feel that
the preacher IL anxious 70 make US
better people" Mr.. Warner said that
millions OF dollars are expended by all
sorts OF amusement enterprises to draw
thing should be done to counteract this
influence.
Senator Chamberlain Of Oregon. who
called himself a proxy Presbyterian
because he accompanied his wife 10
church sometimes, spoke in favor of
practical sermons and suggested that
doctrinl sermons be omitted. The
speaker advocated that ministers preach
politics and matters pertaining to pub
NF-N- LIE
call attention to existing evils in the
community.
Representative Talks.
Representative Padgett Of Tennessee
said that those churches had empty
pews whose ministers preached about
something neither they themselves nor
their congregations knew anything about
Col Charles Lyman said that the ser
mon, like everything else, had expert
enced an evolution for the better, and
Levi Cooke was OF the opinion that the
ministers should preach sermons Of the
kind that are needed by their respective
congregations and not the kind that are
wanted by them. Mr.. Cooke said that
all sermons are good and that a min
ister like a physician knows best what
Is beneficial for those who come to them
for either physical and spiritual treat
ment, respectively.
That sermons should be delivered with
out referring to notes was the opinion
OF Edwin Csllow, who also deplored the
fact that churches do not attract men !
He spoke in favor Of attractive musical
programmes.
Henry B. F. Macfarland paid a high
tribute to Rev. DR.. Wood and said that
by being responsible in securing him |
for this city he considered that he had |
rendered a great service.
Rev. DR.. Wood spoke OF his hobby" !
which he said was the raising Of the !
debts resting on a number Of Presby- |
terian churches Of this city. He said !
the total amount Of the debt was SCI, 100 |
and that the whole amount with the ex- |
ception Of $3.50 had been raised. and |
that he hoped that this small sum would |,
he secured before the end of the year. |
thus making every Presbyterian church |
in the District free Of debt.
Those at Meeting.
Among those present were: B. H.
Warner, Rev. Dr. Charles Wood, Rev. |
Paul R. Hickok. Rev. J. H Durham. |
Rev. A W. Spooner. Rev. S. A. Bower, |
Rev. ]. Russell Verbrycke, Rev. George |
II. Cummings, Rev. Donald c. Macleod,
Rev. Hubert Rex johnson. Rev. Bernard |
Braskamp, Charles L Du Bots. Judge |
Charles B. Howry. Judge Thomas H. An
derson, Fred L Moore, Fred A Fenning,
W. ]. Flather. Representative Lsmuel P.
Padgett, Fred McC. Smith, William N.
Terrell, Irwin B. Linton, E. 3. Grandin.
H. B. F. Macfarland, W. A Leetch,
Lewis N. Thayer, Marshall T. Hyer. DR..
Millard F. Thompson, J. W. Townsend.
Edward E. Clement, E H. Jemlson, Full
ton R. Gordon, H. A. Cobaugh, George
E. Roberts, Bates Warren, Rev H. E.
Brundage, Thomas H Mckee, James L
William H. Saunders, Louis p
Shoemaker, Clarence G. Allen, Fred F. |
bennett, Gen. George NJ. SternberE.
Harry K. Willard, Thomas S. Hopkins,
Dr. George P. Du Bose, Senator G. E,
Rev. ]. W. wIghtman. c.
A. Aspinwall, H. A. Seymour, Col. John
McElroy, DR.. W. NJ Davidson, A. T,
Stuart, Levi Cooke, Rev. W. F. Crafts.
Percy Myers, John Joy Edison, Norton
NJ Little, Col NJ. A. NJ Winter. I,
James A. Emery. z. R. Marsden, George
Z. Emmons, Hamilton Warner, A. Phil
lips Warner, L Cabell Williamson. A
2. L Leckie, Judson c. Clements, Anton
Heitmuller, r. ]. TraceweII, o. E. Oar
nall, r. B. Faust, Rev. A. r. Bird. Col
Charles Lyman, Charles w Warden
Rev. Henry Runner, Court F. Wood. IT
Mcqueen, C. E. Granger, Gen. D. S.
Gordon. U. S. A, Capt. s. E. KimbaU
Rev. Edward NJ. Bliss, L H. Linton, and
others.