The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-06

terrain church, Denver Colo. SAYS:
instead of seeking first the kingdom
OF God and His righteousness, instead
OF making their supreme concern the
promotion Of the religion of the cross,
IS it unkind~ to- say, in view of these
needless and unchristian divisions,
that their chief anxiety seems to be
TO maintain and advance their dis
tlnctlVe doctrines, policies and sac
tartan faiths? When we see a small
town Of $500 people with six different
churches, every one of which is Door
and weak and efficient, it is impos-
s1ble not to raise the question as 10
the1r inherent honesty. Is it zeal for
Christ or zeal for something else of
lnfnlte less Importance hat causes
such a waste of energy, a waste of
money and a scattering of forces ?
These are the conditions in 10.
other towns throughout the country
Ministers starving - too feeble &C
make any impression upon the people
nothing attractive in their preachine
or their services. when if they were
wise enough and heroic enough and
unselhsh enough to unite their re-
sources, they might have one centra
place of worship and Christian &C
tlV1ty. They would not then be in y
continual death struggle to keep thei,
heads above water. In a~word, this
unfortunate and unnecessary con.
d1tion is because the emphasis Is an
the wrong place.
DR.. Newell Dwight Hills states.
Business men realize that it is un-
necessary, Illogical, puerile and wick
ed to duplicate many churches IN
small communities, involving enor-
NOUS waste and lessening efficiency
1t is poor economics and worse re-
llglon. The Christian forces must
: unite or the churches will perish and
one-half the ministers die or resign
with broken hearts.
DR.. Henry Van Dyke sadly remarks,
The story of the Visible. Church is
Etoo long and too sad to be. told. II
may be that the conflict with evil must
grow deeper before the churches open
their eyes to the absurdities which
divide them. 1t may be that the
shame of forsaken temples and a van
llshed Sabbath and of education with
out religion must grow deeper be-
fore men see the need of church union
The New York Christian Advocate,
the leading Methodist organ in the
United States. says editorially in its
issue of July 10, 1913: "'The rapid
growth of federation sentiment among
i~ - CIlG GOl Lie IuOSLf en-
,couraging facts of our day. The de-
nominations are not to be disbanded,
but Christ and christianity are to be
exalted above church and creed"
DR.. J. M. Walters. of the First Meth
odlst church of Fargo, speaking on
rural conditions in North Dakota at
the State Sunday School association
meeting at Grand Forks. gave as his
opinion several reasons for the weak
church conditions in rural districts.
One is that the country and small
towns are overcrowded with churches.
Missionary money is solicited from
churches in the east to help thosein
the west. when those paying are no
more able to do SO than those re-
|ceivins the money. 1t lis a wicked
waste of Gods money to use It Ia
trying to keep UP too many church
organizations. when fewer could do
the work as well. DR.. Walters adyo-
Gates fewer ministers, fewer churches,
and better ministers and better. bigger
churches. PeoDle are not calling for
or wanting ministers to be %agricultur-
lists to tell them how t raise stock
G' grains. but to preach the gospel Of
I6as1ls Christ. We are not particular
sas94ugh about our ministers. but are