The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-01
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Sunday was truly 6 glorious day and the Sunday school attendance un- der the inspiration of Rally Day caused thousands to flock to the various churches.
 went to the First Baptist and re- mained through the opening exercises. heard the orchestra, looked in on some of the classes and then took in some of the downtown Sunday schools on the run and out to the churches at and around Five Points just to get some idea of the situation.
 Rally Day demonstrated the fact that the various Sunday schools while keeping their organizations separate havo learned how to cooperate and put Sunday school work upon the hearts of the people. While there was some friendly rivalry over which school would carry off the cup for the best attendance there was spirit of friendliness running through all the schools which might well be taken | over Into the business world. ss
 Whenever the business interests of Birmingham can get together in as close working organization as the Sunday schools of the district we will be able to go after big things and l get them. for business must learn as churches have learned that if one | suffers all suffer, and that 1t pays l to unite in an effort to spread the l teachings of the Master. The day is coming when the Golden Rule will have larger place in commercial af- fairs.
 1 For years there was bitter rivalry l between the various denominations and even many of us who arc now living can remember the bitter re- l the communities over doctrinal points,
 but those days have passed save in a few backward sections where narrow
 ness has never given way to the gos-
 pei of "sweetness and light"
 |
 Now, this does not mean that the denominations are teasing to do work
 upon the lines which differentiate them from one another. The evangelical progressive as ever, only they have
 to come to realize that they can do their best work by cooperating along
 broad lines where petty differences
 are sunk in the interest of the general cause.
 In no line of Christian work has l this spirit been in moro evidence than
 in Sunday school work. The work of
 the Interdenominational Sunday School association Is one. .<of the marvels of
 the religious world Already they have fhad held world conventions at Lon
 don, Rome. Jerusalem and the next one Is scheduled for Tokio. remem- Der attending the ones at Atlanta and
 Washington.
 But even the interdenominational
 work does not prevent the forming and lcarrying on of Sunday school work
 by the separate denominations through associations, conventions and confer ences. In fact there seems to be in some
 quarters 8 growing demand that this
 Is the best way to push Sunday school endeavor On the other hand where
 separate conventions are held there
 is a friendliness between the state and
 interdenominational work. The Bap.
 lists in Alabama have state conven.
 ton, but they largely outnumber the
 other denominations in their member
 ship in the sinterdenominational worl
 their preponderance in numbers and
 not because tho other denomination.
 do not affiliate.
 Any one who had been with me as : looked in at the First Methodist, tn, First Presbyterian, the First Baptist the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian. tn, Christian, the South Highland Method ist. the southside Baptist. tho Soutf Highland Presbyterian and tho Inde pendent Presbyterian churches on Sun
 day morning, would have seen that al
 of these churches through their Sun day schools are reaching children, tn , old and the young, and that in an up
 to-date and effective way. The organ ized Sunday school work of this dis trict Is a model of Christian efficiency . It takes more than an ordinary ca . pacity for a man to be a successful su perintendent of a city Sunday schoo
 with all of it's various religious activ, :, ties. It takes first of all piety, 1t take
 second a willingness to serve, an : third, it takes executive ability I re 3 gret that in the heat of the presen , campaign one of the speakers spok
 in a disparaging way of one of tn
 lcandidates and sought to show his un 6 fitness as commissioner by sayin l he might make good Sunday schoo @ superintendent. To disqualify a ma n to hold public office in Alabama be
 cause he has been Sunday school su n perintendent would have prevented F t B. Conner from being governor. l l eAaxIDzttM Ml4@au1N h GIRLS WE'RE DISTURBED