The Detroit times., 1915-04-17
b|blECLASS
movement
SWEEPSU.S.
More Than 1000, 900
Men Are Now
Enrolled
HERE'S PRACTICAL
CHRISTIANITY
Organization Injects
New Element In Ma
tons Politics
" rHE aELIcloUs RAMsLER

loug NoTk Assumes new ioAmS sne
aspects, and that without conscious
direction or leadership, - strikingiy
shown In the rapid rise OF the adult
4 BIble class, which has grown 50 rap.
.ilIy IN the past few years that IL
nov sunersedes all other forms OF
meas work In the church To-day
there are nearly . million aad .
quarter men enrolled In these or,
ganissd Glasses In this country. with
a Increase that continues a. the
rate OF 200 classes and 1000 mem
bers every week. More than $1,000
oeparats organizations Of men. scat
tered al over the land. are now ON
ciaI1y enrolled with the lnterna-
tional Sunday School headquarters.
y Counting the classes that have not
reported. the number Of men must
amount 10 more than 2.eoo.ooo-
AIong with this amazing numeri-
81 erowth. which probably outstrips
any oecret society or frzternal or
der. there has gone an even more
sueosstive tendency 70 participate
~ u practical Affairs Of politics
ana social service. Some shrevd
polll1ciaas are saying that this new
urblo class movement Is today pow
eecnl enough 20 swing any election
49, whtcA n concentrates its at
tenticn. That remark 10 portentious
49, 4 Is remembered that moral
lsopes ars to the fore In many places
q the campaign issues.
On . ossinsss Dssls
TIE growth 81 the mems Bible
Z classos has been BY the WORK Of
~ uen themselves. who have APP
ma buainess methods 70 orsAniz-
NJ ana Increasing the membership.
The old-fAshicnsd Bible class cen
~ ah0uf the feechef. and was
loruoly little more than q meetins
Win lecture By the teacher. Nov
~ orUanisation Itself. with III ON.
cers M committees. ID an essential
thing. the teacher being chosen By
the orGnnisafion.
tn men actually canvass their
noishbqrhoods ~ n they were after
votes or life insurance. making
Go1ntte reports 20 their leaders.
Ihere are many cases on record Of
mea's Bible clazses, which year
80 numbered . score Of attend
onas. which now have a member
1nlp a. . thousand- Signs, like the
lo1lowfng. In front Of churches are
comnon: Mems organized Bible
e1nos meets here every Sunday at
10 o'clock. we need two more men
70 make the enrolment 500" These
ngurss change % the membership
grows.
n some cases the mems Bible
I e1asoos are really larger than the
uombership Of the church itself.
They % in for al kinds OF social
ana internal enterprises. In some
in1ustriaI eenters they have organ
ioed ~doings- every Saturday night
% kosD the men with their full pay
env1cbes away from the saloon and
olhgr evfl centers. II IL q common
o(6fS that pool rooms and clubs
hsvs been put out Of existence By
to vitality Of these new mems BIZ
he CLASSES with their ingenuity for
oDod times and hearty fellowship.
One Incidental effect Of the Bible
class movement has been 10 secure
r. the teaching Of these classes the
strongest laymen In . community.
lawyers. business men. educators
and other professional men have
& found this IN celebrating field Of
service. As an illustration. the men
o. Holy Trinity chapel, Philsdel
phla, have since the Sunday cam
Z paign. organised . Bible class Of
obout 1000 members, and George
wharton Pepper the distinguished
lawyer. has agreed to become ia
Teacher.
Great oosls Cor . Great Force
+ The rise OF this mems Bible elias,
movement has created problems
the principal ones being an adequate
objective and an adequate leader
/ shiD. TIE men feel their strength
ana want 20 do something practical
They are not content to SIT and
rpeculats on Sundays. Most Of tn,
closses study the Bible in tie socia
eorvics aspects.
Clever politicians. discerning IN,
power Of this new force. are ma
nouvering 20 control II for theil
ovn en6s. Sunday school leader,
ors giving serious attention TO thi
ohase o. he work. FOR they want 3
1lrected IN moral Issues by non-psr
tisan and disinterested and compe
t>nt leaders.
n the past two or three year
there hes been q serious decline d
~ numerical strength and activit
q me various denominationsl broth
orAoods. nibIe study is needed h
o1ord Z sufHcicnt dynamic. and %
~ service 70 provide adequate e,
1rccn>or stress n now laid on IN
c1l cAnrch a. the center Of IN
11's organization. each beinI
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