Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-28
CITY CIericS
KnOzv Value OF
Advertising
Not Ready to Adopt Backward
Step of Orange Pastors in
Neelecting Public Prints.

Does advertising of Sunday themes
for clergymen aid in arousing in
terest in their services?
Rev. DR.. Charles Townsend, pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church, Or
ange, evidently is of the opinion that
1t does not, and will discontinue
weekly announcements OF parish
notices which tell the sermon topic
and also mention the music numbers
for the Sabbath.
I'VE have concluded that the publ
cation of topics and themes, etc, is
largely a waste of time and energy
and is productive of nothing in par
ticular," is the way the officers of the
oldest church in the Oranges feel
about newspaper publicity. They
have decided that a simple notice of
hours of worship, with an invitation
to the public to attend, is sufficient
in the regular routine of Sunday
service.
Newark Doesn't Agree.
This policy is directly opposed to
that of the pastors of Newark and
of the great metropolis which SO
nearly touches this city. When the
pronunciamento of DIR. Townsend was
shown to certain representative
clergymen of Newark they smiled.
one, the pastor of a prominent Broad
street church, said.
EVERY church must be a law unto
itself in its methods of publicity. But
this decision of the Orange clerics
must be regarded as a backward step.
The newspaper today is q far more
powerful agent than the pulpit. I'M
fortunately, and to ignore its influence
or to refuse to enlist its aid is the
policy only Of those who are behind
the times.
Church Needs the Newspaper.
Everyone reads the newspaper and
the church needs it's cooperation in
it's activities. Rather should the pas
tor of a church welcome the bestowal
of the best position in the public print
which the editor Is willing to give it
for the display of church news or ad
vertisements than decline to seek it
or accept ii.
advertising is as much the life of
The church, outside its strictly relig-
ious sphere, as it is of the vast de-
partment store which could not live
for a day without it."
Others spoke in the same strain, but
all preferred to speak in general terms
rather than to be directly quoted.
There are many ways of advertising
the cleric or his church, and some
clergymen are pastmasters in the art.
Among these there are some in New
ark, but the home of the true clerical
advertiser is New York. 1t is the
fashionable pastor there alone who
understands the value of the personal
equation in advertising.
Many will remember the afternoon
stroll of DR.. John Hall, the Presby-
terrain giant, down Fifth avenue of o
pleasant afternoon, in the height Of
the season, his vast and voluminous
frock coat Tapping i'll the breeze and
his tall silk nat towering heavenWard,
uplifted every minute to return the
salutes of fashionable men and women
in the crowd.
Then there was the Rev. DR.. Robert
Stuart Macarthur, known far and
wide for his superb presence and sane
timonious mien. But easily in the van
in personality and the grand manner
of the patricians among ecclesiastics
were DR.. Hoffman of the seminary in
Chelsea Square and the Right Rev.
DR.. Henry c. Potter, Bishop of New
York. To see the latter alight from
his brougham at the entrance to Grace
Church, in Broadway, his footman
holding the door of his carriage with
an indescribable air of Difference was
sight once seen never to be forgot
ten.
IheN Diunt t0rget newspapers.
But this question of personal bear
ing and public display did notssatisfy
these men; all were eager for news
paper exploitation and display as if
they had no more asstimed position
than the humblest curate in the city.
But it is certain that Newark cler-
gymen will never initiate the pastors
of the Oranges in deserving the adj
vertising columns of newspapers.
The First Church, of Orange, will
attain its second century in 1919, hav-
ing been established in 1913 by the
early settlers of what was the wes-
terly section of Newark. DIR, Town
send on his parish corner, in the
heart of the business section of Or
ange, Main and Day streets, Displays
a daily bulletin, announcing the
church activities.