Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-09
THE
AID. MANS
CORNER
-%+%**%%*%++***+~<%*%A+%
CHURCH ADVERTISING.

! CHURCH ADVERTISING.
The question as to whether or NOT
churches should use paid advertising
space has been long discussed, has been
answered in the affirmative, and one
church in Salem is now using a small
amount of newspaper space in its ap-
peal for increased attendance.
Once the pastors nave accepted the
press as proper means. of conveying
their invitations to the public, they
should realize that to use newspaper
display space advantageously they must
use the methods which have made that
space valuable to other enterprises.
Many of our most prominent clergy
men elsewhere believe that the press
is a proper and profitable medium for
paid church publicity; but they are not
positive as to how copy should be writ.
ten. I quote the following from an
address delivered by Mr.. Jas. A. Wood.
a member of the Seattle Ad club
"'The true purpose of church work
is to reach the hearts of men, to get
them into a better way of living and
to keep them there. The build
ing of a church is to bring people to-
gether; the surroundings the cere-
monies, the music, are designed to ap-
peal to those assembled so as to bring
them into proper frame of mind to re.
ceive the lessons of the Scriptures, the
prayers and the sermon of the preacher.
"The first essential in this sequence
of effort is to get the people to church,
there to be impressed and to be taught.
Getting people to church is, in some
respects, like getting them anywhere
else. There are always the loyal bands
of church workers, the faithful follow
ers who can be depended upOn but
there are many others who will not 20
to church except they know something
about what they will find when they
get there. There is just one way to let
them know, and that is by advertising.
"The first form of church advertis
ing, of which, as DR.. Major said the
other day, Philip was the original ex.
ponent, is advertising by word of
mouth, The greater number of the
churches are advertised in this way by
their members and loving friends, and
until recent years they have depended
altogether on this sort of advertising
Then came preachers of such power
and thought as to compel attention be.
yond the limits of their congregations,
and finally, not so long ago, came
newspaper recognition of the element
of news value in what some of the
preachers had to say from their pulpits
"Other preachers were not slow in
seeking similar recognition; congrega-
tions gradually came to look upon it as
a right and to show resentment if Their
pastor was too long overlooked by the
press. Some preachers-and this b
said without criticism, for it was the
humanity natural result-got then
selves into the practice of talking NOR
for general publication than for The
effect upon those who heard then
speak. And so were brought about
present conditions, when nearly ever
newspaper of size in the country mns
give wide space to formal adyanR
notices of what is to happen in t'
churches and to reports of sermoi'
from various pulpits. All this has ben
free to the churches, but given at gei
aggregate of cost to the newspapers.
"The tremendous extent to whH
this free publicity for the churches M !
developed is due to recognition of th
fact within the churches themselve
and among those responsible for tha
financial welfare that publicity
necessary if they are to increase tha'
attendance and their revenues, Ii'
proposition might be less bluniF
stated, but the unabating demand io
the right kind of publicity speaks I"
itself. Every sec1lr
attraction advertises extensively 3D.
pays for it; they have proved adv'f
tising to be worth while. The churcAe
also know it to be worth while, "
nearly all of them continue to deP'N
OIL the good will of the newspapers
Commercial and other advertise
find it an essential complement to t'a
publicity that they make good BY W
delivery of what they have offered
advertising. Delivery of the u"
Thing offered by the churches IS
evitably delayed until past the tn
for general comparison Of its NEW
with the merits Of anything ID
might have been found elsewhere
"But meanwhile the churches Ia"
much that meets the needs Of N@
day life. The rules Of conduct
scribed by all Of them make for 8
citizenship; high purpose and scha.
ship are found in many pulpitsi u.
is a fine uplifting influence II