The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-12-29
MINISTER QUIT PULPIT
TO DON OVERALLS

the most prominent ministers in Den
yer, will retire from the pulpit in
January. He has made this announce.
ment and rendered his letter of resig-
nation as pastor of the First Congre-
gational church. He also will retire
from the Peoples Tabernacle and ex-
poets to take up industrial pursuits,
perhaps returning to work in a ma
chine shop.
To some of his close friends this
action on the part of DR.. Tanner will
not come as a complete surprise. His
heart is with the common people, and
the present day attitude of the or
ganized church does not groove with
his ideas of Christianity.
About a dozen years ago he re-
signed a pastorate in Pueblo and went
to Toledo, Ohio, where he secured en-
ployment in the shops of Golden
Rule" Jones, joined the Machinists'
Union and was delegate in the cen
trail body of that city.
In giving his reasons for quitting
the pulpit, Dr. Tanner said:
"The church either must get back
on human plane or get out of bust
ness. 1t must cease teaching technical
Christianity, and teach the law of
/ love, Christs fundamental idea and
the idea which is fundamental of
Judaism and Mohammedism and all
the religions of the world. Ministers
study God too much and human be-
ings too little. They preach too much
of the heaven beyond instead of the
love which should make a heaven on
earth"
And one of his objects in freeing
himself of the responsibilities of a
church is to get closer to "the prob
lens of humanity" And to achieve
this part of his mission he will go into
the industrial centers of the East,
donning overalls to earn his living
with his hands.
"The minister in his pulpit he
says, "can know little of the problems
of the men who toll in the factory or
shop. He cannot understand the labor
problem until he understands the la.
borer He cannot understand him by
reading about him in his library"
DR.. Tanner will be the second prom.
inent Denver minister to leave the pull
pit within a year. The Rev. G. B. Van
Arsdall, pastor of the Central Chris
tian church, resigned last spring to
enter business life.
When DR.. Tanner joins the in
dustrial army it will not be the first
time he has donned overalls to get an
inside view of industrial problems.
He went to work in a machine shop
in Toledo, Ohio, several years ago and
became skilled enough to join the
union. While living in Toledo he was
friend and co-worker of Golden
Rule" Jones' 1t was he who preached
the funeral sermon of Toledo's famous
mayor.
81 no doubt shall return to the pull
pit" DR.. Tanner said, discussing his
plans, $50 | prefer to speak of my re-
tirement as only a temporary thing.
When | am free l shall do the work
which l turned aside twelve years
ago, feeling l was doing an injustice
to my family Now circumstances are
such that l am able to carry out my
plans.
81 told my congregation at the First
Congregational church that for the
seven years and more l have been
with them | have been teaching clear.
ly just one truth: That Christianity is
simply the study and practice of the
law of love as taught by Christine
truth which the world certainly needs
above all other truths. My congrega-
ton understands this truth and / shall
leave to it the responsibility of stand
ing for it in Denver while preach it
elsewhere. | hope to scatter this truth
by writing and lecturing. After l am
relieved of my pastorate, I shall dc
some writing have long hoped to do,
but never had the time to do. Then ]
shall probably go East, first to New
York.
81 do not care for money, and if
cannot earn my living by my writings
and lectures, l can earn it with my
hands. / plan to put my overalls on
again and work in a machine shop
l shall perhaps try working in fac
tory for a while, and, perhaps, in the
mines. l purpose to study economical
and social problems at close range and
shall follow wherever they take me.
81 especially desire to study the
teachings of Christianity as applied t.
industrial conditions. And l shall
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