The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-01-22
Religious Work
The Travelling Chapel.

10 Iurlnef the mlSSlOnury Work Ill
country and isolated districts where
there are no Protestant churches the
Baptists are about to institute an
evangelical method of preaching. which,
try, will be an innovation in %itinerant
preaching and open up many districts
comparatively unknown, especially in
the western and southwestern parts Of
the country. The 'traveling chapel!
which has at intervals been used by
different denominations, will solve
many Of the difficulties now encounter
ed by the missionary in sparsely set
tied districts and will enable him to
establish church %centers, which were
a practical impossibility when depend
ing upon the limited chain Of railway
systems. Districts which have never
seen a church will be Travelled over
and organized into congregations, and
rural sections which have had church
es but have forgotten them because Of
the impossibility in procuring ministers
will once more be provided for and
kept in touch with the government Of
the church.
The ''traveling chapel" while not
new in this country, is comparatively
unknown because Of it's use only in the
least populated states, and the difficulty
OF procuring the money and mission
aries. 1t is said to have had its incep-
ton i'll Russia, where the Greek church
has established several chapel cars on
the Siberian railroad. Seeing one of
these cars, Bishop Walker Of the Epis-
copal church was the first to use one
In this country. and he turned it later
into a roadside chapel, which ultimate
ly became a permanent church.
The chapel car look quite like her
workaday sisters of the day coach
t family and is always neatly painted in
order that it will not detract from the
appearance OF the trains Of the rail-
road companies, which usually let her
l form a part without any charge. AS Il
: rule, the railroads welcome the com
J, ing Of the car, for they have learned
by experience the moral influence it
yields. They not only carry the car
free, but frequently give the service
VI ~ NAoAA \AEN AL ~ A<AChl1lS LIZ
cleaning. But the chief difficulty Of
: the chapel car system has been the
! lack Of desirable workers, who were
discouraged from this sort of itincrant
preaching because of the announcement
mode of living which 1t engendered.
Ministers who would have made a
phenomenal success as e%vangelists
could not be induced to undertake the
II car tour, and much of the possible
j. good Of the system was lost through
y incompetent preachers.
To overcome this difficulty the Bap
le fist church will in instituting its new
moving chapel make an innovation
2. which is regarded as the most success.
: full effort in rural preaching. The old
type of chapel car will be abandoned
for a splendid coach Of unusual length,
which will consist of two sections, a
J we'll equipped chapel and quarters for
the preacher, which in point Of con
fort md practical usefulness will far
outrival anything OF the kind ever
built. Instead of living in the rude
camping out style the evangelist will
now have palatial quarters, living
room, parlor. bedroom, library, kitch-
en-, pantry, etc, with a hot water sys-
tenn to keep the car warm IN winter
and an acetylene gas plant to light 1t,
permitting him to take with him his
wife and family.
The chapel also will have a number
of improvements. Fine seats will re-
place the old fashioned benches, there
will be a preaching platform and pull
pit, and much Of the singing will be
accompanied by a large monograph
by which also the country folk will be
taught the popular hymns. The new
cars will invite the services Of the
most fastidious e%vangelists, who cal
remain in comfort In their own quar-
tiers until they reach a town with 9
civilized hotel.