The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-04
FILL THE CHURCHES
Cleruyn1en. East and West, Tell
How 1t Is Done.
Full Houses Rule in Seattie-Edifice
Filled Eleven Years With Audi
ences Nearly Seventy Per
Cent Men

Cent Men
Chicago.-Every earnest pastor is
anxious to know how successful min
listers fill their churches. This ques-
ton was put to several pastors OF
large churches by the Christian Her
aid, and the letters were all printed.
They are so valuable and Illuminating
that a few of the replies are given
here. The Rev. DR.. W. A. Andrews or
Seattle gives the following reasons for
his full house." He says In part:
Il. This church has been filled for
nearly eleven years. Most Of the time
it is crowded and scores and hundreds
have been turned away. The evening
audiences number anywhere from
$500 to $500. We can only seat about
5000. The rest have to stand or be
crowded out. The audience has In it
from SIS to 70 per cent of men. 2. The
| results accomplished are entirely due
| to the operations of the Holy Spirit
| We pray much, expect much and get
| much. 3. The pure, simple gospel is
| preached. Sinai and Calvary are held
up to the people. The vicarious atone
ment Is emphasized; the sacrifice of
| Christ is presented daily: his deity
and his mediatorial work are kept be.
| fore the people. The whole gospel,
and nothing but the gospel, is preach
ed. 4. We make the gospel apply to
every condition, circumstance and
point of a mans life. We deal with
| his social. domestic, commercial, po-
litical and civic life, with the gospel,
| and only the gospel. 5. Every serv-
ice is an evangelistic service. We
| never preach the gospel or finish a
| sermon without making an appeal for
| immediate decisions and confessions
of Christ. At every service we urge
men to accept Christ and join the
church. 6. We do not have a SER
monette after a long musical pro-
gram of questionable ecclesiastical
music. Every member of the choir
must be used, but that program is
kept In its minor place. The sermons
are not dictated by the clock, nor are
2 they closed at the suggestion of some
man who would like to hurry through
the service. Time enough is taken
, to present the case of sin, produce
conviction in the hearers mind and
ask for the work of the Holy Spiri,
to produce conversions. Z. Every
man, woman and child in this church
: Is supposed to have something to do
: and is required to do the thing as
= signed. If the churches of the coun
try could be lifted from their blight
4 of materialism and could get from un
der the control of Goddess trustees
Indifferent and lukewarm church of
{ ficers, and could be made to under
u stand that it is their business as in
:, dividual Christians to evangelize thu
q world, the pews would be full and the
: pulpits would be on fire with the Low,
S of God and an undying passion TO
> souls"
Rev. J. H Melish, rector, Church
: Of the Holy Trinity, Brooklyn say
! very wisely in answer to the sam,
question: Some time ago a SUDDEN
= of religious life in London asked him
self the question which you have pu
to me and then he set out to find tn,
q answer. He went from church t.
u church, churches of various creed
J and different types. some evangelical
,, some ritualistic, some rationalistie
IF others engaged in no social activities
: And this was his finding, that ever
J. type had it's failures and its SUE
# cesses. 1t was no one type as sucl
more than another type which sue
ceeded In interesting men. Men d
- not go in for evangelistic preachin
u more than for ritualistic ceremonies
for social service more than rationa
c istic teaching. In every case it wa
n the man in the pulpit who drew mer
4. Where men were found there wa
- found a real personality in tn
- preacher. In every case among a
j. these varied types the human facto
in in the ministry either drew or faile
q to draw men" In this connection
-. should be stated that DIR. Matthew
:, very modestly says nothing of hin
self, of his own personality, bu
those Of US who know him realiz
that he is in many ways an unusus
= man. He is a natural born acto
very dramatic, q veritable genera
If and surrounded by magnificent bod
- of men who uphold his work an