Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-29
CHRIST CHURCH TO HOLD
AN EXPANSION CONGRESS
President Sharp Will illustrate Use
of Movies in Services to Build
Up Congregations. .,

HAMMOND, Ind, August zS-The
second national churrh efficiency and
expansion congress is to convene in
Hammond tomorrow, bringing together
clergymen and leading 1aymen of the
Disciples of Christ Church of the
United States and Canada The con-
sress. which will oe in session until
September g.. represents a departure
from the delegate church convention
that the disciples have heretofore pat
ronized. 1t is estimated the attend
ance this year will be $500 Reserva-
tons have been made for. more. than
that number.
The congress will be divided irto
five schools. P. H. Welshimer Of Can
ton. Ohio, is dean of the school of
gis of Mansfield, Ohio. is dean of the
school of singing evangelism; W. s.
Buchanan of Union City. Ind. is dean
of the school of church efficiency. and
+. j. Meacham of Cincinnati is dean
of the school of Christian education
Rev. Cecil ]. Sharp of Hammond is
president of the congress. Hammond
was selected as the congress city be-
cause of the great activity of Rev Mr.
Sharp, who came here twelve years ago
as a college student. Mr.. Sharp patched
the roof. washed the windows and re-
paired an old. dilapidated church build
ing about to be abandoned by the few
remaining members of it's congrega-
ton, and set to work removing the
| third, second and first mortgages. He
built the congregation up to a mem
| bership of 1900 after having preached
on the first Sunday to two men, six
women and their children. He, adopted
the motto, plant a church a year."
and the Hammond church is parent to
nine other congregations in the neigh
boring cities and communities as a
result.
Minister Hustler.
Rev. Mr.. Sharp established a Sunday
school base ball team and acts as man.
| ager: stages an opera every year;
operates a building and loan associa
real estate exchange for members; has
a barn raising" crew, which goes
| forth and builds church building
complete between sunrise and sunset,
and when the congress is in session
will show the ministers the virtues of
the moving pictures in church services.
He introduced the movies several years
ago, and to this attraction added a jit-
ney service to anu from Sunday school
from distant parts of the city.
| Three special trains will bring con-
| gress attendants from Cincinnati,
| Ohio: Kansas City, Mo, and Des Mones,
| Iowa. respectively. Parties have been
| formed in Canton. Ohio: Springfield.
| Ohio. and special cars will be reserv d.
There will be sixteen simultaneous
| sessions of the congress every hour of
the day except at times set aside for
assemblies and lectures. For the latter
three churches are to be used.
F.. W. Burnham of Cincinnati, Ohio.
/ is to speak on Our Plea and the World
| Crisis" Other lectures and topics fol-
| low: Foreign Peoples in America,
D. Z. Olson. Minneapolis. Mimi;
| preach the Word" J. A. Lord, Milton.
Ore: THE Call of the Country Church"
Oscar L. Kelley, Terre Haute, Ind
The Restoration Movement" R. ]. Rad
ford, Eureka, Ill.
/ There are thirty platform lecturers
and more than a hundred classroom in
structors.
| c. ]. Sharp of Hammond. Arthur
Highly of st. Paurs Episcopal Church.
Canton, Ohio and J. H. Smith OF Little
Rock, Iowa, will speak Thursday fore
noon. and the congress visitors are
then to be taken in 500 automobiles to
the steel mills at Indiana Harbor and
| Gary for a tour of inspection.
| Mrs T w. Phillips of Newcastle. Ind,
widow of the millionaire oil operator;
Mrs. A. r. Atwater of st. Louis. Mo.
president of the Christian Woman's
! Benevolent Association. and other
prominent women will be present.