The Detroit times., 1917-03-17
|yEM 4
IN FORCE
I'M CHURCH
re Radical Changes
II Ecclesiastical
Plans
- NOT CONSULT
\ THE CLERGYMAN
ut Gatherings OF
Religious Folks In
the South

eng i0uB Folks In
the South
- rHg RgLi0Ious RAMslEh.
- there h more important
-, = : dl1st than In a deed The
1rRnmsnt Iast Thursday OF two
D,n6iens q laynsn. the southern
Il11ro. = Atlanta, and the SCUM
cr>gtsrians ~ New Orleans.
ro tiunoly 3 eonsiderstion OF the
- pnncs these conventions OF
- have come to have In the
y several q the largest demon
|Dnns- they are a new force.
= important particulars. Is
uo1lns the power Of the formal
n1neGbcal courts.
of114tua TO frequent meetings
1>o runesd LAyn,en's missionary
rnont. the gatherings Of tbs de-
no11pnAl Iaymen's movements
orrne 70 be a Significant fea-
~ ~ me- Of the northern and
to nGe(hodists. the Southern
Se1rlans, the eouthern Bsp-
~ United Presbyterian. The
80 nuoDrnsd chureh and some
~ Lufhsrnn bodies. Episcopal
6 nuSs ths1r Brotherhood OF 81.
Nv, ~ the Congregationslists
- Northern Presbyterisns con
. - ths1r sxtension work
onru she1s rsguiar boards.
- ~ moGt1ngs represent gov
n1ne by mass meeting They
roa11y without authority. yet
- uttssances and resolutions arc
moe~ potent in the life OF a
m1nnliOu than The enactments
nsrn1 conferences. conventions
ooosmblies They are a rev
ontnn of democracy. There IN
xloion formally made for them
~ ecclesinsticai system. eut
uovly their impulses and prin-
- I|voct TO the rank and file o'
uhutsh menbership
no men ere leaders IN the lay
10 movements al the denorina-
~ Who arr never seen In the
- courts. AThsir power resides
ru1y II their popular appeal. snc
B Mus for organization. Esre-
y oe1Ghs ID given 10 the work OF
\ loymsn's coovcntions by the
ID fnet. c0mmosly unexpressed
ovur oves1ooked. Inst II Ia the
- Mo ~ tn biIls In the
1ur1zoa q the church. 1his
nD Duwer resides with them
~ ciPar and unquestion-c ~.
q Tire organisation Of lsymea
- NJ past 10 yesrs-tho Other
ooces have contributed The
1nnry gifts Of the chUrrhes
mads q tremendous increase
10 ttentocsnf. the missionary
rro1ic has become vigorous and
1noo1ve. Trst-hznd inspection
~ ne3ds has been populsriz>d
y ~. and as q ng,1re for Tidi
~ missionary has aimo.i
u AisoDpearcd from print with
|, a. decade.
- important Of all, the lay
~ ounventicax have establishes
1900 Of looking AZ things in the
~. They do not have GO svent
time In business The con
~ - Iaw-makiug. or report. and
K o18clAl routine. which consum,
- ~ the hours Of ecciesiastica
nD1Isa, are absent from the lIy
- mee<inga. Thus they hav'
~ 20 30 right after what the,
- ths most important issues.
rrp1bly there IL a bit OF swas
n oDDut the Iaymen. az they ar
~ ~ their feet by a contempia
~ q their own power One use,
1oor them saying often. as the,
- of the evsngelizxtion Of IN
~ We can do Il and we will.
y pears have passed. and the law
lave not done n, but they bsv
~ 70 quote this slogan. FOR the,
~ : BIT conscious that this is no
M mOst modest Of attitudes. h
y ne mems movement In IN
11so seems 20 have outgrow
c>nee u slogans and watch
hhnpst evsry cosvention develop
DW ~ond' IN the way Of q spoal
Nobody can know who will =,
- g1ve aflre sometimes a speec
~ . few minutes by a real Ia,
- vii produce greater result
0 . Doay GRAFTON; for the layme
- o. more than one occaaic
$1,000 sddressce By offers
= oonss 81 money TO the csui
~ Observation.
r. ~ weeks ago the Unite
v5>rian men held a conventiC
Dfsburgh that essmplihei {
= h1Ghest level the rotentialitil
~ sort % insplrHtionsi me-
h atteo6nnce Il ran 90 q
- expoeta1Aons thar the choss
oDlum conn not aocommoda,
~ on1eGztes. And. BY the w
osovo.tioBs q laymen ~
CpE>>no. the delegates psyir
C>1un ~. This psrticall
- p)eesourRh Vas called
~ ceuv>atlon for n IL ~
~ the greatest gatns