The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-01-08
CHURCH UNITY.

Emmett doesn't need seven churche
any more than il needs seven school
houses, We think we are doing tn
Lords work, but what we re really do
ing is wasting his money,
The foregoing item printed in las
weeks Index has set many people t
thinking over the church situation il
Emmett In his sermon Sunday even
ing, Rev. c. L. Bent touched upon tn,
subject and expressed himself in ia
vor of church union. In another col
umn appears an article deprecatinp
the overchurching prevalent in this
city, as well as in many other places
and advocating a union of churches
1t is written by jealous church mem
Der.
At a convention of the Congrega-
tional Council, held in Kansas City a
few months ago, the refusal of the
Council to exclude the Universalists
from fraternai greetings sent out to
other denominations, and the applause
with which every mention Of church
unity was received in the sessionsl
show the modern tendencies in reli-|
gious life.
Men and women of all denomina-
tons, who are working to advance theI
common interests of humanity, arg
emphasizing their unity of purpose
far more than ever before. Theil
differences are being relegated to a
subordinate place.
Twenty-Five years ago the differ-
ences were stressed and their COM
mon aims were ignored. People were
very particular about their own indi-
vidual brand of theology. Tho min
lister who merely preached faith, hope,
charity, the love of God and the mes
sage Of Christ, did not cover the
ground If he failed to conform to
one of the 80 articles, the congrega-
ton knew it before he did. Another
church across the way was the result.
There were double bills TO pay, while
the contribution was no bigger.
In religion, as in all else, you get
what you pay for. The church with
only half a revenue is only half
church. Where all the energy goes
into competition, there is precious lit
tie left for Christian work.
From a financial standpoint the
church situation in Emmett is deplor-
able. Several of the churches to our
knowledge are carrying a burden of
debt that is grievous. Their faithful
pastors are poorly paid. The women
folks scheme and "work their heads
off, to raise money to help the cause.
But il is uphill work and discouraging.
Many lines of work, which belong to
the church, such as mjnistering to the
sick and unfortunate, providing read
ng rooms, gymnasiums, recreation
rooms for the boys and girls and the
stranger in our midst, are out of the
question. When the saloons were
.losed in this city, the writer asked
me of the resident pastors what the
hurches intended to do to provide
loafing" place for the man without
home. He replied that while he rec
gnized that it was the duty Of the
hurches to provide such place and
hat such place was a necessity, the
hurches were too poor to even at
empt such thing Church compe-
ition is to blame for the failure.
The real and underlying purpose of
Il denominations and creeds is path
'ay to the life eternal. The faithful
ilgrim is not compelled to enter to
is reward through any particular
Dor He may choose any creed he
Jay desire. But if the heart be pure
nd unsullied and the soul is at peace
it'll its Maker the end of the journey
the same. Creeds and denomina1
onal doctrine are the invention of
an and the acceptance or rejection
any particular set Of them does not
can salvation. That is the belief of
is layman.
That there is strong sentiment
favor Of church consolidation is
anifest. In the interest of greater
iciency, larger service, more devo-
IN and lifting of the burden under
are today groaning, let
hope that consolidation may soon
come reality.