The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-30

That is the question put 10 CnarieS
Stelzie, perhaps the most widely
known specialist in practical religious
work connected with the Protestant
churches of the United States, says
the New York Times.
What could the churches of New
York do this winter il they got to-
gether In one supreme effort to minis
ter to all classes Of people. in body,
mine and spirit"
ut is a pretty large question:" said
Mr.. Stelzle, land in trying to answer
It I must confine myself entirely to
the Protestant churches, with which
1 have always been identified. Our
Roman Catholic neighbors and the or
CARNATIONS under Jewish auspices
have their own conditions and prob
lens which they are meeting In their
mately 1000 Protestant churches in
Create New York, and they have a
field which few Of them comprehend.
The difficulty, not alone in New
York. BUT IN EVERY LARGE
AMERICAN CITY. is not with the
church as a whole. but with the
churches as individual organizations.
1t is doubtful whether, at present, the
one thousand Protestant churches of
New York could by n means what
ever be brought into a united effort
OF smooth, systematic partnership
work. owing to differences of doctrine,
policy, custom. temperament. But
the one thousand churches, as indi-
vidual parts Of the Protestant Church
of New York. certainly Shoul be able
to make individual efforts along def
mite lines; and the practical results
which is what practical men and
women look for-would prove what
this united could accomplish.
Where the Weakness Lies.
1.-THE trouble IS not with the church
- a whole" he repeated, but with
the churches as indivic- The ave-
rage church does not XII w the city
it is located in. 1t does lot know it's
ever know its own parish. AS a nat
ural consequence the great mass Of
people do not now the churches.
Let me illustrate what l mean by
An actual experience / had not SO long
ago. One rainy evening / stepped out
of a train in a New Jersey town Of
1 0 1000 inhabitants. where l was sched-
uled to make an address in a large
church. 1 had never been there be-
fore, so I went from the railway sta
ton across the street to a drug store
and asked the proprietor II he could
tell me where the First Presbyterian
church was. He thought for a mo-
ment. and then said, I'm not sure.
but l think it's a few blocks up the
main street Then he called to his
clerk. atsthe rear Of the store, Say,
Charley. do you know where the First
Presbyterian church is located The
clerk appeared from the back OF the
shop. Cant say for sure he replied.
but il you keep on going up street l
think you'll find it,
Then continued Mr.. Stelzle, 81
left the drug store, walked up the
street two blocks. and saw a woman
and a little child standing On q corner
waiting for a trolley car. ! approach
ed with some hesitancy, and asked
her If she knew where the First Pres
byterian church was. She also was
not certain, but advised me to keeT
on up the same street. l did so, an6
a block or two further on met q mar
to whom / put the question. He
looked out from under his umbrella
and pointed across to a corner whert
stood q large edifice. Il believe that
the First Presbyterian he answered
Anyhow, it's some church or other
n IT'S open. The ok there cal
probably direct you to the FRS
church even if that isn't it,
Il crossed the street. and found tn
church to be the one / was loOkin,
FOR, and natural curiosity impelled m
soon afterward to find out nov lon!
1T had been standing on that corner
one of those identified with it sal,
with pardonabie pride. that it was
historic and mo.ls church and the
II. had been on that corner for %
years. OF course. that may be AXE
as an unusual instance in a sma
town. but it is a fact, and probably
could be duplicated a dozen times i
any large city.
Must Comprehend Conditions.
II Is not enough for q church t
make a house-to-house canvass of il
vicinity, taking a census of adults an
children. finding out where they go
church. If anywhere. and invitin
tnem TO attend service. All that
OF value. in many instances, but it
only a beginning. The most impor
ant thing is for the church to ascel
tam what agencies in its parish al
breaking down community life, ar
what agencies are building it u
Manifestiy il Is impossible for
church to cope with evil conditio,
unless II understands them, or to e.
courage conditions making for COY