The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-07-14
mission Of THE
!, RDRAL CHURCH
y Il
saHarGIp BE UNIVERSITY OF RE-
lIGIoUs LEARNING.
esazssE Christianity to E~vanselIze tho
World.
ia Rev. .,Jno. A. Rice, D. D.
St. John M. E. Church. South.
St. Louis. Mo.

4 Es Rev. .Jno. A. Rice, D. o.
NH,sssa-! ST. John M. E. Church. South.
e st. Louis. Mo.
ssSssrzE years ago, the question was
aaassusI.- What is a college? The at
7sazzsu. 70 aanswer it shook the educa'
SssssxxN world in America from center
MS circumference. Another question Is
;Ynor ~nteginning to be asked: what IS
-x 4..Sarch? Without undertaking to
q definition of it, let me ask, IN
a&Nsa.g initial paper, the churcn
III $gTs The New Testament reveals
:xisuess distinct tasks to which 1t Is
s4-rscEDIltted.
Szrst. that of evangelization. The
.z!EI--cs Is divinely commissioned TO
Eez4x Cor the lowest and the least
azczx siR the least land and offer MIN
.saSsssi5p to the Eternal God; offer him
~. swTane power, which lifts him out
~ f&4 bog and places him upon the
,sasisspsst levels of human life, where
%sSsI and the soul are in fellowship.
sEE3as alone were an immense priv
.1nszzA
-:TsaehIno the Art of Living.
TIE church Is commissioned also
TSra mach and train those who are
w5eR with it's e~vangelistic message.
eyEyas, term, Religious Education, has
@zzsus to mean a specific thing IN our
.s-sanEEy, namely, the training OF the
ssaasSss in the local church in those
cSknss gnatters which pertain to the
zxx az Giving. I am not now speaking
saE xae work of education In schools,
SsznIleges and universities, but the WORK
>ssa %ducgElon at our doors, in the con
Ksesztia- Every agency In reach
skizrzssd be employed to the utmost IN
:asNs important mission. Indeed, the
yfrsf church could be made a SORT OF
,~azzisscsity for all the people, in which
xsas, sample, practical arts and virtues
II ssEsryday life should be taught and
ia.zsmced Only recently has THIS
.sssssai. phase Of the church's work re-
,c1fHsd anything like adequate atten-
sIxL The New Testament word 1or
70 Is Publication.
School Of Religion Needed.
"soP course, the Sunday School is the
<-eNasT for all this work, although the
~zSsaysiss of the church should extend
?Ssxxxrgh,t the entire week and the Sun
..Say School should cease to be SO
%aaewsxA- 1t should be called the School
OF Gsigion or the Church School or
.a~seSsesihing else that indicates it to be
crET saAthe-week activity. During this
.as.sy various and sundry clubs, classes,
:nz1Nacai organizations, culture courses,
-, 4<eu as distinctly religious meetings,
s:Is4prssA be held. Tricky settled neigh
.GgamrhDuts, as we shall see, oner hne
"a~ywgSrfunities for the development OF
ueSarse1 spiritual.
Tss third task to which the church
ar.anammftted Is that Of C~hristianizing
fsas social order; that of infusing the
sayaSsS <of Jesus into every nook and
S=xgau 1s pur life. Nothing Is foreign
20 ahe interest Of the church.
.. .Neiahborly Love Essential.
HI religion ~pervades and colors the
-uShshe life then ours is serious busi-
>1zaszs, for it will let nc corner OF the
~szu5z2d escape it's influence. The sooner
~&s learn that Christianity is not a
c:ts1xszS 30 be practiced in a corner the
>:ssss.aR.' ;for' the world. The question OF
ezis1. eighteenth century, touching Chris
'"aazassy, was, Can it be made to square
-xSa.x the human reason? Of the nine
Eesnth, Can it be made to square with
.ISSas results Of scientific research? OF
.2gns. twentieth, What can it do? We
UnsH learn to enforce not only love OF
Ssn&, whom we cannot see, but love to
Ter 'aeighbors, with whom We are living
57ao ssonstant contact. Neither without
:e5asa5.her is Christianity whatever else
IA z1sy be. Everything that interests
!:iEa gneighbors must interest him, II he
LIZ. l. genuine follower of the Christ.
b. Is the mission Of the church-the
rzxA as we'll rs the city-to evange-
'sa,x SAe whole world, to train to the
.Nnsenest degree of efficiency those
-sFta1gEn it evangelizes and to seek to
1zczne the spirit of Jesus the absolute
lrnae in all human relations.