Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-12
EFFICIENCY GREAT NEED
IN WORK OF THE CHURCH
Average Christian Not Making Any
Definite and Systematic
Effort.
WELLS USES BETTER TRAINING
He Sets Forth How Christian En-
deavor Society Is Prepared to Do
Its Part-Constructive Stages in
Fight for Prohibition.

CHICAGO. July 11.-At to-day's SEES
sion Of the world convention OF Chris
tan Endcavor Workers. DR.. Amos r.
Wells. editorial secretary of tho United
Society of Christian Endoavor, spoke
with zest on the need of efficiency In
church work.
IF n man must be trained to run n
locomotive. why not to run a prayer
meeting" he asked. rs the way to
heaven less important than the way
to New York?
"A man must he trained to teach
Roman history. why not to teach n mis-
sion study cless? Are not missions
transforming the world more than the
Romans ever did?
I'VE insist on efficiency on the
worlds work; why not in church work
Is it not plain that the concerns of
our endless life are Infinitely more
important than the digging and delv-
ing. the buying and selling, the losing
and gaining Of this instant on earth;
and is 1t not the height Of folly to
educate men deliberately for the las
and not ut all for the first?
Yet in general. even now. the
average Christian Is not doing any de-
Unite and systematic work for Christ;
and the Christians that are working
definitely and Systematically. stumbled,
the most of them, upon their work.
and hlunder along blindly for lack of
training.
If the average Christian were
trained in giving. the mission boards
would need to advertise that thew had
more money than they could use.
If the average Christian were
trained in temperance work, a saloon
would soon be as rare as the kettle of
cannibal.
III the average Christian were
trained in lookout committee work.
"a ~
land would he kept busy enlarging the
churches and building new ones
The world puts us Christians to
shame. All occupations are crowded
hut the highest of all occupations.
Professional schools are lengthenin;,
their courses and stffening their re-
quirements, but Christians rebel at the
simple elementary requirements of the
Christian Endeavor pledge"
In continuing his address, DR. Wells
set forth how the Christian Endeavor
Society was prepared to meet the
needs of training school for the
church.
WHAT SHALL TAKE PLACE
OF SALOONS IN AMERICA
With the Saloon Out What Shall we
Put pa topic on to-nlght's pro-
gram-was discussed by Daniel A
Polling, presidents associate and citi-
zenship superintendent, of the United
Society OF Christian Endeavor.
I'VE have reached" he said, lin the
war for national prohibition, the con-
structive stages of the fight. To-day
our sins of commission in social well
fare are very apparent. The saloon
has been able TO take advantage OF the
serious neglects of society as concern
ing the social needs Of the people
The saloon has captured the laboring
man by cashing his pay checks, by Civ
Ing him assembly overhead, and
lounEing room furnished with dirty
playing cards and an evil smell. in
front of the bar-but it has gwen him
these. And with his working CLONES
unchanged, because he was dead tired
and did not have time anyhow, the
laborer has felt free TO come and go
In the saloons when he was very sure
that he would feel out of place in any
other institution of the community
The fairest truest. most helpful
friend of the laboring man must be the
Church Of God"
One of the speakers first recommen-
dations was that every church should
conduct an employment bureau. IT
should also meet the crying needs in
the cities for lounging rooms with
newspapers. baths and cheap lunches.