The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-01-09
xTHELt;.
FQUIET~'
CHURCH TO COMBAT
FORCES OF EVIL

~ UR English exchanges report
n Len q. Broushton as having
made a diagnosis OF the arrest
ed progress OF the Nonconform-
list churches In Great Britain. His con.
clusion IL that much OF the trouble 10
due to lack OF proper emphasis upon
the Importance OF the church He
feels that instead OF spending time Ia
the discovery and criticism OF faults
in church organization and life we
should devote ourselves to the
| strengthening OF organized Christian.
ity.
/ While the denominations In America
have made larger proportionate
growth than they have done In Great
Britain during the last few years. con-
ditions here are by no means ideal.
We are compelled to face the fact OF
lessened interest In the church on the
part OF Christian people. Only In eI'
ceptional cases 10 there the loyalty TO
the church which marked the religious
life OF 80 years ago. This decadencs
may be explained. in part. by the
growing devotion to pleasure: the mo-
tor-oar and the golf links have not .
little to do with the decrease In at
tendance upon the services OF the
house Of God. As we have increased
in wealth and ability to supply our
selves with various forms OF recrsa-
ton. we seem TO have decreased in
devotion TO the great interests OF the
human soul
Need for Return to Church.
Whatever other reasons there may
be, however. for the decrease In
church attendance, Il seems clear that
the removal OF emphasis from the
church as an essential factor In the
work OF the kingdom OF God has had
not q little TO do with the change that
has taken place. For some years. now.
most OF us have been busy In max
ing II clear that salvation does not
hinge upon ecclesiastical relationship.
and that II IL possible TO serve the
cause OF Christ without using the
church a. q medium OF expression. We
have laid stress upon the immediacy
OF relationship between the believer
and his Lord. something which always
needs emphasis. and have measurably
neglected to set forth the necessity
Cor cooperative effort for the extern
sion OF the kingdom OF God In our
desire to promote the essential unity
OF all the followers OF Jesus Christ.
We have. perhaps. unconsciously to
ourselves. conveyed the Impression
that the world would get along very
well without Christian organization OF
any kind. Those OF Us who believe
and teach that Jesus did not organize
. church may have been understood a.
holding that the organization 10 IN
necessary.
Must BE Organized Work.
II 10 high time to open . campaign
on behalf OF the church: to undertake
the task OF making It clear that life
must organize In some form OF sxprss-
sion. The nrst thing to be done 10
not 90 much to convince people Of the
importance Of any particular form OF
church organization. a. to put beyond
question the necessity for organize
ton. We a. Baptists have our con-
victions A. TO the proper constitution
VI tuc ~ buc pTNotut utuo tuo
question seems TO be not 90 much a.
10 the specific form which the church
shall take, but whether or not We shall
have . church at all
In conversation with q young man
recently who had Just returned from
. conference OF Christian young men.
he said that he had been impressed
by the Indifference. not TO say con
tempt. for organized Christianity man
ifssted BY many Of those whom he
had met Beyond question. the Chris
tian forces OF this country must pre-
sent an unbroken front In the conflict
with the forces Of evil Il will be
suicidal. however, for Us to injurs
ell organization and to depend upon
guerrilla warfare. Independent and
isolated activity on the part OF the In
dividuai cannot be depended upon to
produce the results which We desire.
We are weak enough. at the best, and
Il 10 only In associated effort that We
shall be able to accomplish the ire
msndous tasks which are before Us. A
new sense OF the importance OF the
church and . larger and more un-
selfish devotion to It's interests are
greatly needed In the religious life Of
today Standard.
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