The Washington herald., 1916-01-02
WHAT CHURCH PEOPLE
ARE SAYING AND DOING

I conditions in the United States. but con-
oittons here. apart from the war, have
affected them rather more. While IL has
been a year of unusual hardship for
churches, 1915 also has been year of the
most extraordinary progress they have
realized In q generation. Unusual feat
ures Of the year have been new emphasis
upon work within the United States.
without any abatement Of effort abroad
/ big strides forward in the matter OF
membership; vast sums of money con-
tributed both 10 churches and 10 relief;
| the making for and sale of Bibles TO Eu-
rope and other Bible markets usually
supplied from England: the cutting OF
! Of the supply OF church music from Ger
many and most OF Europe and the quick
response by American composers who
! came forward with new music quite up
! TO the European standard; and the upris-
ing Of men. shown conspicuously among
Protestsnts in work for missions. among
Catholics for lay cooperation In behalf
OF many forms Of progress: and among
| Jews in great growth OF Zionism. Re
ligIous leaders hope America may md in
! 1916 such year as has been 1915 but they
! fear they may not.
Whether It be the war and the sacri-
! fee, or whether the cause. church mem
/ bershlp in the United States IN Is15 has
I grown apace. Reliable figures will not be
| available in full before February. and
| they win be published by the Federal
1 Council Of Churches. Figures are IN
hand, however. for most of the principal
bodies, and they show an increase OF
4 10000 In a total for nine large bodies OF
! g. sco0oe, out of grand total last year
of IS, s,T5,O0o. Indications are that when
/ data are all in the Christian church
membership IN America will show ap-
proximateiy 1000. .oO0 II It does not quite
reach that figure II will be near 70 IT,
provided the smaller bodies have made
progress equal TO the large ones.
! Presbyterians North have gained In
1915 somewhat more than $4,000, the lsrg-
est years growth In their history. Meth
odists North have gained 10000, Disci-
pies almost 5000, Baptists OF the whole
country l45,ooo, Lutherans 5000. Episco-
paians $500, Roman Catholics, popuis-
tion and not mere enrolled numbers, ~
600. These are figures above the normal
in almost all cases, and indicate an even
E.oo.ooa it would seem, when the full
data are at hand.
A large factor in these growths. on the
Protestant side at least, is the new &C.
dvity Of men. Delegates to Laymen'I
I Missionary Movement conventions In
4 thirteen cities In 1915, as compared Will
4 lSe, show an increase Of S5A. That Is
1903 figures stood at 12,7oo. and 1915 stsnt
at somewhat more than ZOO. Lay
mems institutions for the training Of vot
unteer lay workers have been started n
several bodies in 1915, a wholly new de
II velopment.
In lay effort, almost wholly men, tn,
year 1915 has seen perfected In severs
| Protestant bodies well defined and wei
backed plans for the introduction int
the management OF the temporal affair
OF churches something of the scientih'
management that is in evidence in indus
trial. commercial and governmental AZ
fairs. The recognition that lsymen hav,
a proper part, that church plants can b
made more productive. and that none,
contributions. can be made 70 accom-
plish more, alone make 1915 memorable ir
Christian affairs.
1t appears that disquietins rumor,
OF native uprtsings in India, recently
current in this country, have no foun.
dalton in fact India Is as quiet to.
day as IL was a year ago" says a
Methodist missionary of Lucknow ir
letter just received by Bishop Frank
W. Wsrne at New York.
1t is not perhaps widely knowr
that Buddhists in India have copied
much from the Christian people. Ger,
tain Buddhist priests of CeyIon. fol
instance, have adopted the titles Of
\ reverend" venerable" and "higf
priest" writes a Methodist missionary
In India They have Buddhist carols
on the Buddha's birthday. also Bud.
dhist Young Mems Associations, Sun.
day schools. orphanages and the like
Bells summon people to their temples
In which lighted candles are placed
and In one cemetery a chapel has beer
erected for the conducting of funeral
services. Also they have tombstones
erected over the graves"
1t is announced that there is to b,
a meeting of the House of Bishops OF
J the Protestant Episcopalian Church
soon. The call is issued for the selec.
ton of a missionary bishop for South
Dakota, but It is well known that thi,
matter is not urgent enough to de.
mand attention before the next reg.
ular meeting. The bishops are doubt.
less going to consider the matter OF
the relation of the denomination "a
the Panama Congress which has pro-
duced the most serious controversy
among the Episcopalians Of anything
in recent years. The Churchman in.
terprets the situation editorisIly in
this fashion: The church has been &C.
customed to aggressiveness on the part
of those who differentiate themselves
as Catholics For the most part their
activities have been met in the past
4 with good-natured indifference by
those who are satisfied to call them.
selves PrOtestants.' But IL is not SC
now. There is today among those who
call themselves ProtestRnts a stronE
feelIns-stronger. perhaps, than is
J recognized-thst the endeRvor to i'm.
4 part Catholic kultur to those who DC
} not desire 1t must be opposed. The
j situation is one that should give pause
} to our leaders. 1t is useless TO hide
from the fact that the church ha.
} on its hands a controversy that may
easily result in lasting injury. II 4,
time that calls for calm, dispas.
sionste judgment and delfberation- Ir
the present mood of the church thi,
would be difficult to secure"
Conditioned upon the church rails
ing twice the amount during the next
year, George w. Watts, of Durham
N. C., a wealthy member, has offered
to give SsS,000 to the Southern Pres
byterisn Church Endowment Fund foi
ministerial relief
II DR.. Henry II. Sweets, of Louisville
KY, secretary OF the board which ha,
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