The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-09
SUCCESSFUL CHURCH
MUST Be AGGRESSIVE
Should Go Out I'm the Highways and
Byways to Bring SIM
ner In.
SHAKE HANDS WITH wRETCHED
Encourage the Downtrodden and Hold
Up the Observation-Disclosures Dis
course by DIR. Kemper.

At the Hanover Avenue Christian
Church yesterday morning a large
and much Interested congrega-
ton listened to a strong sermon by
the pastor. Rev. DIR. George w. Kern
per, who had for his subject, The
Successful Church." using as a text
the words of Jesus as recorded in
Matt. 1915: Behold, 1 send you forth
as sheep in the midst of wolves; be
we therefore wise as serpents and
harmless as doves"
DIR. Kemper said in part: the
twelve apostles of our LoSd were fac
ing a gigantic task. Jesus%;ends them
out, ena bling them with power TO
do miracles and gives them their
charge While the prospect to them
must have seemed somewhat gloomy,
they began their work with an eye
single to His glory and with hearts
filled with His love. With this scene
before US, i want to outline and BRIEF
ly discuss some of the leading points,
which, in my humble judgment, are
to characterize the successful church
of the present day.
First of ALL am thoroughly con-
WINGED that the truly successful
church must wage unremitting war
against sin. The strong words of the
prophet Joel, as rec 1rded in the third
chapter of his prophecy, must be
heard and needed by the church today.
Sin and righteousness must be allowed
no alliance--the church must know no
flag of truce. The church must be
felt in affairs of the world. 1t has
found out and established the gen.
al fv-is
and now, clearly defined, its mission is
the salvation of the individua. and The
publication of the world.
Then. the successful church must
be more aggressive in it's fight Its
conse 'vatism Las been the joke of
the world. We will never gain the
respect nor WELD the power we de-
serve until we take more active in
terest in all things pertaining to moral
ity and truth. Let the church resolve
to do something in shaping the des-
TIMES of the world and 1t has largely
solved the problem OF respect, for
no man, however, he may differ with
us, can fail to respect us, when, in
a righteous way. we make ourselves
felt.
Church Should Be Battery.
The successful church must also
reach the masses. Visit the churches
of our city, see the audiences. talk
with people and you will soon be con-
vipced that somehow there Is mighty
breach between the church and the
people. Nor is it their fault We
may expect them To be indifferent.
The church of Jesus Christ should
be battery. charged with life-giving
power. 4 stationery battery. however
fine, however well manipulated. is
of no good to the man lying paralyzed
on his bed. IT must be portable. 1t
must have legs; its means of relief
must be applied in direct manner
So with the church. II must not
spend its energies in fine houses and
good equipment and then rest 1t
must take the blessed Gospel to the
people and not allow 1t possible for
any one to say, No man cares for
my soul We must hear and heed
the cry that comes UP from the great
masses, and who do not get the bene-
fit that comes from much of our
present-day bcnevolence.
The successful church must solve
the charity problem. In every city.
town and country district, there are
heartaches and distresses, which
should make our hearts bleed. We
never dream of the suffering In the
world until we go to look for Il.
WIDOWS ana orpnans, helpless and
hopeless women. some with unSavory
characters. who want TO reform; and
others. az pure as the driven snow
Everywhere. They make the bottom
raii. of our civilization and I ne fountfa-
ton of onr government. They are
part of that great body known as the
masses They appeal for our help.
Weep With the Wretched.
The church must enter that field.
for Jesus has commanded II, and it
is pre-eminently the work of the
church. We must weep with those
who weep. visit the sick, care for the
widow and orphan. and 1t must all
be done in the name OF Christ. The
waff on the street must be taken up:
the homeless housed the orphan.
fathered and mothered, the poor, fed
and encouraged; the sick, furnished
with physician and nurse: the outcast
given chance In life, The great un.
churched and unsaved masses must be
reached by the church.
The successful church must also
be nonformal. We are living TODAY
In very practical age. Creeds and