The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-06
We Want To Double The Average Attendance On Go-To-Church Sunday Says Dr. Henry Pearce A Atkins
Fly DOLLY DALRYMPLE

In these modern days when the mid dle name' of the world seems to be Illus tie" there are great many people who appear to take Mark Twains view of Sun day-if we are to judge by the way that they don't go to church. The redoubtable humorist said if you recall:
 T believe the rest of the week was made for man to rest up from Sunday"
 That statement implies great deal
 IL also leaves great deal to the im- agination. One of the things that it does imply is l that Sunday is spent by many people in a manner which betokens anything but a religious attitude. We hear lot about the Monday morn ing face,' with it's sour. 'grouchy" ex- pression, the result ofaa strenuous Sunday, CTS used to sing
 Every day'll be Sunday by and by'- isn't shouted forth in loud Hosannahs now with the same meaning that they used to give 1t.
 Sunday by many is looked upon as day when they can sleep late; have breakfast in bed read a half dozen of the big Sunday papers and all the magazines that have accumulated during the week; take an automobile ride in the afternoon and dine out in the evening.
 Sad,
 But
 True.
 And
 Few there be who can deny the state- ment
 Modernity and the many attractions it offers is undoubtedly responsible for this, because in the good old days people spent practically all day Sunday at church.
 Now
 A lot of people think they have done their whole duty when they go to the morning service.
 Have you happened to drop in at-well, say any of the many churches in Birming- ham on Sunday evening?
 If you have, there's no need to tell you that there a "bakers dozen,' in many cases, makes up the attenCance
 A prominent minister told me recently that last Sunday evening he had 5S In his congregation, six of whom were paid.
 q presume they composed the choir.)
 And yet
 This godly man breaches the gospel of light and life with a heart attuned to grace and gentle spirituality, putting his best efforts into the preparation of his sermon the message of love that he would like to deliver to hundreds. instead of paltry half hundred. Another minister told me a rather amus- ing thing:
 He's a newcomer herein a measure and at first he didn't quite grasp the sit uation. He had come from big church. going town (you know there are towns that have that reputationl. where the men, a well as the women, went to church, and he was greatly surprised to see how few men there were in his congregation here. He puzzled over the situation until he was worn out and tired, and finally said to one of his deacons: I've never seen a place where there were as many widows there are in Bir- mingham' The deacon looked at the minister askance, not knowing exactly what he meant, and presently asked him why he made such a remark Why" the minister replied frankly l my congregations made up almost entirely of women. and I seldom see a man with them l concluded they must all be widows" The deacon smiled and told the minister that there was a ask for him to perform to make those women's husbands come
  to that aim ever since The "go-to church Sunday" movement which will have It's premiere in Birming- ham next Sabbath. is attracting wide spread attention everywhere in this dis trict
 It is a splendid i6ea
 It ought to be redoent of splendid re- suits.
 All the ministers of the city have CO., operated cordially in the movement, the Rev. Pearcy Atkins, the Rev. ]. w. John son, the Rev. Willis G. Clark and the Rev. Thomas P. Hay, the publicity com mittee, have given untiring efforts toward it's promotion, and in every way have lent their energy, time, and prayerful at tention to it's success There ought to be such a revival Of church-going in Birmingham as the re- suit of this idea that the Magic City would be known all over the south as the greatest church-going town In this sec- ton of the country.