The Washington times., 1915-01-17
Applied To
Religion, Sunday'sP Plan
And Even His Harshest Critics Admit That He Has
Made His Plan Tremendously Effective
BY J. R. HILDEBRAND.

Efficiency applied to religion. A big
job in religious salesrnanship. Evansel-
ism reduced to an exact science. A tre-
mendous awakening Of spiritual feeling,
conducted "decently and in order
These are some Of Billy Sundays
ideas about great rvvivE
You remember the old-fashioned kind
The preacher came. to town. church peo-
pie hired hall and occupied the front
seats. IL the crowds went the news
papers began to take little notice. Tho
preachers counted the converts. the
evangelist advised them to keep on
going to church. and in a few weeks. in
many cases. the services were forgot
ten. and the business men were called
on 70 pay a deficit.
If Sunday Came Here.
Suppose Washington were to in"ite
Billy Sunday to come to the Capital
for a campaign beginning ono year from
today. Here are few things that
would happen:
Sundays advance agents would reach
Washington I'm a few days to talk
over with local committee arrange
ments for forming an organization to
get pledges to erect tabernacle and
cover other expenses of the, revival.
Tho city would be divided into dis
tricts (therc are twenty-five in Phila-
delphia) and preparations would be
mado to hold prayer meetings nightly
for month before Sundays coming.
Sundays men would be on the Job
here from timo to time to help the local
committee make its plans.
No press agents are employed ~ MT:
all this activity would demand space In
newspapers. and all Mr.. SUNDAYS men
are instructed to answer all questions
from newspaper men.
Prayer meetings would he held. not
only in churches. but in stores. indus.
trial plants, and in tho vicinity of
Government department buildings.
Machinery Would Start.
With Sundays arrival the great, com
plicated machinery of his campaign
would besin its steady. wcll-olled whir.
After his going, ministers would find
themselves in possession OF catalosued
names OF every trail hitter" belong
ing to their denomination. and every
minister would be handed these con-
verts in the vicinity Of his church.
And clcrgymen would be asked to
keep, for q year at least. exact re-
suits Of how many OF the Sunday con-
verts stuck to their Jobs"
Collections taken daily during the
campaign would be used to, cover the
antors. Only the last collection would
so to the evangelist. and never yet has
a guarantor been called upon to pay q
cent Of the amount he pledged.
The collection At tho last meet
would go to Mr.. Sunday, and to leave
wish to. know what he carries off
with him." he would publish the exact
amount Of this collection.
These arc few of the big wheels OF
Of course. wheels within wheels. and
the whole is 80 perfectly adjusted. b,
long experience and careful attention
to detail that there is a minimum OF
friction.
Wants Sundays Efficiency.
"Id pay Billy Sunday more than he
is making now" said tho head OF one
great corporation. NOT for his person
ality. but Just to sit inside fonr wall.
and introduce the efficiency into m,
plant that he has worked out In hi:
campaigns
Mechanical? That. or chaos. sunda,
would tell you.
1t is hard to grasp. at first glance
an Idea Of the magnitude OF 4 cam
paiGn like that Sunday is conducting IL
Philadelphia and in Pittsburgh. Her,
are a few details that may help:
1t takes two tons Of coal a day t.
hnn
weather in Philadelphia has been mild.
More than $4,000 invitations were SEN
to individuals to attend the tabernacl,
meetings In Philadelphia
In tho Quaker City 100000 prayer lists
containing from 10 to 100 names each
were prepared.
Window signs numbered 5000
From Sunday headquarters 1000 in
dividual letters concerning the worI
went forth before the first meeting wa
held.
At the Cafeteria. built especially I,
feed the tabernacle crowds. 500 pound
of hot Dogs and G.o00 gallons OF baket
beans We're laid in the first day.
Nearly 1000 meetings will be con
Quoted during the ten weeks campaign
in Philadelphia by members of the Sun
day party.
Including tine building of the taber
naclc It is estimated that nearly LOO
have been given paid employment
| through the campaign.
Through the prayer meetings. and OF
Sanization of personal workers, ii l.
estimated that more than 5000 volun
teers arc helping Sunday bring Phlla
delphia closer to Heaven and "swa
the Devil in old Bill Penn's town."
A choir was organized, numberinI
800 voices. and q corps OF 200 usher
| was enlisted.
Meetings Only Main Feature.
Mention a Sunday campaign, and 70,
first think only sf the great taber
| nacle meetings. They form the mai,
| feature, OF course. They are like tn
| face of q watch. By them Sunday cal
best judge what o'clock it is in hi
campaign.
But when You own delicately bal
anced, finely regulated Swiss watch
you might be tempted to open the bacl
and liSen to the steady throb Of tn
| wonderfully constructed machinery.
| The evangelist will tell YOU that j.
| this mechanism. backed by the devo
| ton and loyalty OF his workers, lie
the secret OF his remarkable success.
| Oh. yes, there are human interest
stories galore about Sundays workers
There Is Jack Cardiff ex-pugilis,
trail hitter" and now Sundays train
/ er. There is Homer RodeheaTer, tha
| picturesque figure who daily has tn
big problem In psychology of focus