Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-17
CHURCH ADVERTISING
DISCUSSED BY ELLIS
Remarkable Development In Pub.
iicity Since Men and Religion
Congress Of 1912.
PUTS CHURCH BEFORE PEOPLE
Well-KnOwn Writer on Religious
Matters Says Paid Space Is Best
Way to Reach Those Out OF Touch
With Church Life.

v,
perhaps only in America, is such an
achievement possible as that which
may he recorded Of the cause Of scien-
tifc, organized Christian publicity. says
William T. Ellis in the Sunday School
Times. Within three swift years
dating from the work of the Publicity
Commission OF the Men and Religion
Congress In New York, In April. 1912
this movement has permeated both
church and press In North America.
and has spread TO the whole civilized
lively in some of the non Christian
lands. the missionaries finding that
paid advertisements of the Christian
Doctrine bring forth inquiries from
persons otherwise unreachable.
This entire movement is based on
tho fact that practically everybody
who Is able to read, even in Japan and
China and India, sees daily news
paper. The principle OF laying the
facts before the people themselves OBJ
tains increasingly in all spheres Of
life. including the organized church.
few general results. already dis
cerniole, of the new publicity move
ment may be indicated. before passing
on to mention OF methods. Many men
the more respectful and intelligent
consider given, since the Men and Re-
ligion Congress. to the varied aspect
of church work, by both newspapers
and magazines. Certainly the dailies
have carried more religious news than
ever before within the Same space Of
time in the worlds history. This is
of itself tremendous achievement
Significantly, the jibes and eneers at
Christianity and the church which fve
years ago were not uncommon on edi-
appeared. Tho publicity program has
evidently inspired new respect for
the church.
STRIKING DEVELOPMENT
OF CHURCH ADVERTISING
Even moro striking has been the de-
velopment OF church advertising. This
method has swept over the land. until
dozens or scores OF our cities have seen
campaigns OF display advertisements,
even to the extent OF an entire page.
in tho secular press. Some Of these
advertisements have literally stirred
the interest of whole cities. Tho re-
ligious press and the secular magazines
have commented upon this new eS-
preston of religious enterprise. The
| newspapers and their trade press have
dealt largely with the subject. and it
has also been discussed at the con-
ventions OF advertising men.
Possibly the greatest single achieve
ment of church publicity Is the two
| fold impression 1t has made on the
church and on the world. To the
church 1t has given new sense Of the
Importance OF Impressions upon the
public. The aggressivencss OF the
church in reaching out. by modern
methods after the uttermost man has
, stirred the Christian consciousness OF
| the possibility OF news ways OF preach
ing the old gospel. At the same time
| 1t has given the world proof that the
| church really is interested In all men
IN no rfyr
the street has been. Well II church
! people care enough to pay good money
to show us reasons why we should go
| to church. they must really mean IT."
| Paid publicity is an earnest OF the
church's sincerity and solicitude
PRESENTS UNIFIED FRONT
RATHER THAN DENOMINATION
| Personally, I rate very high the ex-
altation OF the church which has re-
suited from this publicity movement.
The display advertisements which have
been most widely used have been in
! terpretations OF the place and mission
! OF the church In the community More
| than once I have been deeply touched
! by the appreciation which pastors have
expressed or new arguments for
church going, and Of the fact that tn
laymen were pleading the case OF the
church and her ministry in the public
press.
Without any words about church
views, the publicity program has set
the churches OF n community working
together. and presenting a common
'front.' to the world. The slogan has
been THE Church." and not any par
ticular denomination or conversation
Scientific advertising principles require
this. Not any specific dogma or organ
ization, but the church as whole.
compromising every individual organ
ization. has been set before the people
| Because the message has to be that
which all the churches hold in COM
mon, the dividing line Is not between
Catholic and Protestant, but between
those bodies which accept Christ as the
only redeemer Of mankind, and those
who do not. To advertise the church
OF Christ 1t has been necessary to
advertise the Christ OF the church
AS an interesting development OF this
have seen the advertisements PRE-
pared by a committee OF Protestant
churchmen subscribed to in the press
by the names of all the clergy in a
community. including the Roman Cath
Ollie priest.
few principles concerning church
advertising have emerged from three
years of experience For city the
ideal plan is n weekly half-paEe dis
play in all the papers. il possible, and
III not, then in the papers Of largest
circulation. rather than in the paper
which the ministers themselves read.
Under this half-page should be grouped
the individual church announcements,
preferably of uniform size, to remove
the competitive element This plan
makes church men rather than Ser
mon-tasters." The one steadfast argu-
ment should be in behalf Of church
going. Social service arguments, and
vaguely pious dissertations and even
direct preachments, will not serve as
n substitute for convincing arguments
about the Church. Get tho people to
church. and the ministers will do the
preaching. IF an advertising campaign
does not commend the church OF the
living Christ. 1t fails OF Its first pur-
pose.
a word as to financing these adver-
tisements. or course they should be
paid for. else they lose their point.
Some generous publishers have offered
TO donate the space to the churches.
but this is mistake. If the church
has not interest enough in pressing
her invitation upon the attention of