The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-06-20


pendent of doctrines and time hon
ored systems knocks at the portal
of humanity" seeking ito make plain
to b~enighted understanding the way
of salvation We believe that this
day is upon us and now is the &C
cepted time.
The thoughtful will read the fol
lowing serious reflections and will
weigh and consider. The needless
will go on and continue to walk in
the beaten paths, have no glory but
that of unprogressive custom till time
small bring them at the throne of
Truth where sooner or later fall
must plant themselves
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
One of the things that is being
membership in Churches. True
enough they all boast of increases,
but an attendance at any of these
will discover a lack of verifcation
when n sees the meager audiences
that greet the Minister. This is aver
agely SC, which leads us to conclude
that large memberships chiefly con
sist in so much ink used in writing
down names. Also that there is
something fundamentally wrong m
where. May it not be in our lack Of
power to demonstrate the spiritual
over the material or the unwilling
ness of the Churches to insist on a
higher standard of life? An eXamina-
ton of their mode of securing mem
bers will perhaps reveal one of the
Church's errors" in trying to gain
qualified Christians to its ranks.
First a frenzy is worked up in the
emotions, then Gospel of intimidation,
then the invitation which nets gem
orally two or three converts" Then
all are asked to stand. those who are
members of the Church are command.
ed to sit down and the sinners and
non-members are requested to remain
standing, this makes them the direct
object of persuasion, remonstrance
and coercion. Willing to please and
be led they go up without any pre-.
Vloust thought of the step. (often) and
not of their OWN VOLITION. Their
names are taken with dispatch and
short mumblings of IAN experience"
and the thing is over with. This may
be diplomatic, but it is not Christ.
like; it may be effective but il has
no permanency. This is shown in the
lack of understanding on the part of
the "enlister," his subsequent indif.
terence to his church, and his general
un~fruitfulness. Why not make the
Church so beautiful in love. So far
reaching in spiritual good that men
viii be attracted unto it by virtue
OF their neen and the ability of the
Church to supply it. This is best
brought about by seeking in mem.
bership.
QUALITY AND NOT QUANTITY.
The Negroes tenacity in holding on
to outgrown beliefs is at once admir-
able and re%prehensible; admirable, be-
cause there is a fine grain of loyalty
in his make up and to his teachings
R~eprehensible, because of his unwill.
ingness to advance when reason leads
the way. This is none the less r
OF all races. Reason shows that quail
ity count in membership more so
than quantity. One hundred LOYAL
Christians seeking that mind which
was also in Christ" can do more good
than one thousand Indifferent time
serving and ''fgure-head members
And by a spiritual understanding
a high moral standard and a well Or
dered business method of self taxa
ton in financing. the hundred can
spiritualize the COMMUNICATIVE the
morality of its people and promote
the material welfare of the Church.
and they won't have to beg to do it.
How can these kind Of members be
secured? My answer is: By insist
ing on certain reasonable qualinca-
lions and these should be intelligent
and moral to the extent that an ap-
plicant would know just what was ex.