Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-04-04
READ PAPER AT BAPTIST
MINISTER'S CONFERENCE,
Rev. Joel 3. Sloeum, D. D., on The
Church and Social Service.

The April meeting of the Baptist
ministers conference of New London
and vicinity was held Monday at the
Montauk avenue Baptist church. New
London. The moderator, Rev. Joel B.
Slocum, D. D., of this city, was in the
chair and the attendance was large.
After routine business, the order Of the
day was taken up. This was a paper
by DR.. Slocum entitled The Church
and Social Service
Among other things the essayist
said: There is a pernicious fallacy
abroad that the world is already mort
gagged to the devil and that in fear of
a foreclosure the church should act as
a sort of insurance society and write
up as many policies as possible. 1t is
it is not a mere life saving station
whose function is to pick up as many
victims as possible from the wreck
but that it is rather a lifeboat that
goes down into the offing and by a
ViGilant patrol prevents disasters. Bet
ter still, that instead of forever acting
as a sort of Red Cross society to patch
up the wounds of the social order, it
should take the field, conquer the en-
envy and thus eliminate the whole
miserable business of inflicting wounds.
In other words, the church must do
more than administer relief. 1t must
reconstruct society.
The paper then went on to discuss
briefly the alienation of the masses
from the church. DR.. Slocum said that
the church has not Voeen entirely with
out fault in the creation of this appar-
emily impossible gulf; but that he did
not believe that all the sins of society
should be laid at the doors of the
church.
Resuming the argument, the paper
developed the idea that the spirit and
teachings of Jesus must be the basis
for social CaF-xriPa GiT10r11xr h1porrSa
is no other basis in sight. All other
ground is sinking sand-quicksand that
engulfs. Wherever real progress has
been made in improving the social or
der, the credit is due very largely to
the methods and ideals of Christianity.
In word, social service needs Christ
and Christ longs TO permeate with His
spirit the entire social order
The reason that every social move
ment must have Jesus Christ at its
heart lies in the fate at the bottom of
all social disorders is sin. And sin is
also at the top. Wherever il is, it's
plain, ugly name is sin. Hence any
social movement that leaves out the
religious aspects of a mans life might
just as well leave out everything. All
the machinery Of social reform is pow
erless without the dynamic of religion.
Society needs nothing so desperately
as it needs social and individual sal
walton.
Accordingly, the church should so
institutionalize its ideals that when,
for instance, it breaches that the sa-
loon is an unmitigated evil. the men,
bers of that church should arise and
put the saloon out ofScommission anc
out of that community. But the saloon
Is only one of the many enemies OF
social righteousness. The paper con-
cluded with an appeal for a united
front on the part Of all moral and re-
ugious forces in view of the common
need.
An interesting discussion followed in
which the clergymen present expressed
themselves in hearty accord with the
views of the essayist.
The ladies of the entertaining church
furnished dinner