The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-30
TOO MUCH LOST ACTION IN THE
CHURCHES~~CHARLES STEELE
Specialist in Religious Work Says Slogan of Build Up
the Church" Should Be Revised to Read Build Up
the People"

definitely just what some of the on |
ditions are in this big city which the
churches should understand if they
intend seriously to better them.
We'll, l have lived in a good many
parts Of the town, and ave had more
opportunity than most men Of living
side by side, on an equal plane, with
varied strata of our population. YOu
know l spent the first twenty-five
years of my life in an east side tene-
ment. and as a youngster worked in
an artificial flower shop, as did my
sisters. Later on I became a me-
chanic. a machinist. and today am a
member Of the labor union. Feeling
as 1 did. that the average CHURCH
in New York knows very little indeed
about actual conditions facing it, |
was more than glad to accept the
commission, and wrote the book, tell
ing the exact truth as 1 saw it about
the field for church work here"
when was this book published?"
Result Was No Publication.
cit wasn't published" Mr.. Stelzle
replied, with a smile. 1.-THE organi-
zation which ordered 1t refused to
print the book until 1 materially al
tered chapters dealing with the sa-
loon: said I had made the saloon so
attractive that they couldn't think Of
bringing out the volume unless all
that part was changed. l told them
that ] q described with exact truth
the reaVconditions of various types Of
New York saloons, n refused to al
ter the descriptions so as to give a
false picture Of them. And the book
never has appeared"
Mr.. StetZle showed no trace Of re-
sentiment, even Of criticism.
THAT is the trouble, the great
trouble" he continued. THE churches
l arc afraid fO faro tho f1ptC EVorV
man who knows his New York under
stands that the alOOnS are attractive;
that they form about the only place
where hundreds Of thousands Of
working men can go for al evening Of
rest, recreation, cheerfulness, good
fellowship, feeling sure of a hearty
welcome as long as they have the
money to buy drinks at intervals. II
only the church people know as 1 do
what life means to most Of our people
here, life In a few tenement rooms,
with their crowded family conditions,
the noise Of young children. the alb
sence of rest and gayety. of light and
companionship, the church people
would not wonder why thousands OF
men possibly flock to the saloons
nightly. But" he added, and this
time regretfully, "the average church
is afraid to face the facts. 1t has
not the courage to face them man
fully and try to apply a remedy. And
then it wonders why its influence does
lot grow more rapidly.
"More important than classes 70,
instruction n SO on is the actual
facing of the peoples problems an6
talking them out to a finish, as We
have done for 50 many years at thu
Peoples Forum in the Labor Temple
Down there at Second avenue anl
Fourteenth street men and womer
OF all classes, nationalities, creeds ant
religions, discuss the conditions O
city life. industrial life, home life. ant
other phases of life. which face then
daily. These are talked over by al
| in the audience who have anything t,
say, and an effort is made to brin.
about practical results Of betterment
, The people whose daily existence
hour by hour, is directly affected b,
4 these conditions understand them an,
e the necessity for remedying them ia
a better than any others.
e The old slogan that the first reQui
8 site is to build up the church mus
give way under modern conditions Q
life. It is the church's business t
n build up the people, In other word:
l regard the church as merely
mean to an end-as an agency 70
e serving the needs, spiritual, menta
z physical, Of men and women an
e children. and of doing so PRACTICAL,
thoroughly, definitely, and with in
telligent plans.
d Suppose all of the one thousan
a Protestant churches of New Yor
1t were to reverse their usual attitud
y this autumn; suppose all of these on
n thousand churches were to revers
II wholly the old attitude, and instead
spending the winter in efforts
n Build Up the Church. We're to spen
it in honest striving to Build Up TT
People each in it's own parish. Woul
to it not be worth while as an exper
is ment, if undertaken in lea earnes
I'd as the boys say"
to do you think that the people
lg the average church really are in 'dea
is earnest'?" Mr.. Stelzle was asked.
is Mr.. Stelzle smiled. Then said h
t Berger's Explanation.
r Let me answer by telling a lit
re story. and a true story-not at all
I'd parable. Some time ~ 1 asked vi