The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-19
CHURCH NEEDS.
TOGOFORWARO.
AS ONE FORCE.
p. Marion Simms Calls for
Progress by Use of Experts
and Buildings With Eff
cheney.

cheney.
"A divided Protestant church cannot
evangelize the world. The cnurcn IL
generally along behind the tall emo
Of the procession of progress, staying
just within denouncing distance. me
jack-of-all.trades in these days can md
q job nowhere except In the Protest-
ant church. The church of America
must become unified and efficient or
It will never be able to perform the
task which it has before It..
1t was In this fashion that P. Marion
Simms spoke to the large chautauqua
audience last night on "What Must
The Church Do To Be Saved?" Con-
scious that he was treading on thin
ice and liable to step on sore corns,
the popular Iowa lecturer never raj
tered but delivered his message on
church unity and efficiency straight
from the shoulder.
His address was preceded by an
hours concert by Runge's Orchestra.
"Our own boys" grow more popular
each day with chautauqua attendants
and their numbers were warmly ap-
plauded at last nights performance.
Like Miss Large.
During the intermission the two
parts of the orchestra program, Miss
Large, the chautauqua elocutionist,
gave fetching reading from "Rebecca
of Sunnybrook Farm" She was encOr-
ed.
What Must The Church Do To Be
Saved?" It was to this question that
Rev. Simms devoted his lecture. He
said: These are critical times. The
church never before faced such prob
lens in her history both at home and
abroad. What shall we say of her for
ces as she cOnfronts them? l am sorry
that we can say nothing better than
this that she Is divided and weakened
by denominationalism and that on ev-
cry hand rs waste, friction and compe-
tition, envy, jealousy and ill-will. Pro-
testantism speaks without authority.
Millions of the masses are alienated
from the church. What must the
church do if she Is to fulfill her mis-
sion in this great crisis?
For one thing, the church must well
come modern progress. Hitherto she
has resolutely opposed it. Every ad-
vance of science she has fought bit
terly. The church opposed surgery for
fear 1t would embarrass the resurrec-
ton; 1t opposed stained glass win
dows, fire in church buildings, musical
instruments and many other things.
A divided Protestant church cannot
evangelize the world.
Needs To Advance.
"This is an age of progress. In farm
ing, housekeeping. printing, travel,
communication, business, education,
in all sciences, we have witnessed won
derful transformations. Shall the
church with her theology and methods
be an exception to this, the only ex-
ceptiOn? The church ought to be the
most progressive institution on earth
The methods of yesterday will not
meet modern conditions; neither will
the theology of past ages meet the
needs of the modern man.
I'VE need revised theology for ev-
cry age. Theology is only mans effort
to make reasonable, believable and I'M
derstandable the great facts and doc
trines of Christianity. AS new facts
are discovered, we must change our
theory system or theology to make
place for them.
"The church must busy itself with
this world rather than with the world
to come. People demand a religion
that proves its worth here and now.
Christ came to redeem the whole
world with its arts, treasures and bust
ness. His mission was not simply to
save mems souls. He came to save
their bodies and their environment
also.
Therefore, the church must minis
ter to the whole man, physical, social
and spiritual. Jesus did so and ex-
pected the same of his church. He him
self was so sociable a being gossip
called him 'glutton' and a 'wine-bib-
ber.'
Use Church Expects.
1.-THE church must put every depart
ment of it's activity under the direction
Of an expert. This Is an age of ex-
perts; business efficiency everywhere
demands it. AS things are in the
church, however, the pastor must be
preacher. pastor, business manager,
musical director and the general
all along the line. In anv
other institution in this world his work
would be divided among half q dozen
people.
1.-THE church should be opened daily,
to the whole man and to
he community. We need institutional
churches. The Y. M. c. A. and the
Y. w. c. A. should never have been
eparate institutions. The church ought
% care for the poor. 1t never made
l greater mistake than when it turned
charity administration over to the
state. State charity pauperizes people,
Christian charity cures their pauper-
sm."