Perth Amboy evening news., 1917-03-10
BISHOP ATTACKS
SENSAT|ONAL|SM
M. E. Pastors In Conference
Hear Bishop Berry Score
Grotesque, Flamboyant,
Itinerant Evangelist.

Atlantic City, Mar. 10:-Scoring
the ''grotesque, flamboyant, sensa-
tional itinerant evangelist" as dan
ger, not only to the Methodist church
but to all Professionalism as well,
Bishop Berry, of Philadelphia, Great
ed a decided stir yesterday among
both clergymen and laymen at the
New Jersey Conference. Many of
the bishops hearers had participated
in such campaigns, and a tense feel
ing was noted throughout the assem-
blage as he began his lashing of
what he termed self-appointed,
roaming eyangelists." The bishop
explained, however, that he intended
no special reference to Billy Sun
day or any individual revivalist. 1t
was the system he condemned.
ANY system" said Bishop Berry,
that supplants the church building
with the tent or the tabernacle, or
substitutes for the pastors methods
the startling or spectacular, is a
menace to the church. The time has
come when. in the name of God and
for the sake of unsaved souls, the
Methodist church must call a halt on
this system OF religious effort"
Recovered from their first surprise,
the clergymen and laymen broke in
to spirited applause. Continuing, the
bishop said:
There has grown new order In
evangelism. Hundreds Of personally
appointed evangelists are touring the
country. The majority of them are
little limitations of Billy Sunday
using his methods and frequently his
words. There is a stampede to get
church has felt the pressure of young
men who wish to enter the field. Yet
|you can't blame the evangelists. It's
what the people seem to want. The
wide newspaper publicity, the shower
of gifts, the reputation for possessing
ability to secure thousands of con-
iverts-all these have their appeal
Financial Aspect Attracts.
Then there Is the financial aspect
Compared with the average minister
the evangelist has a large income.
know one man who. as minister, re
ceived a salary of from $1,000 t.
|$1,5O0 per year. Last year, as a trav
cling evangelist, I am informed, h
had salary of $4,000. I am no
finding fault with those who prof
by this astounding mania. 1 am onl,
questioning whether 1t is for the ben
eft of the church to supplant pas
toral evangelism with this startling anC
spectacular system. The number o
those who feel that they want to be
come evangelists is growing more rap
idly than we want to admit. Is not tn
dependence that we place on the evan
gelist and his party sure to discoun
the work of our own ministers?
"If our young fellows understand
that this Is what the church wants. will
they not give up theirJresponsibility t.
the evangelists? There lies the peri
of this business. Is the Methods
preacher to surrendeF his place as tn
leading evangelist of jthe church? N<
Methodism alone, but all Protestantisl
Is threatened. We Af5son tnS teise y
fsurrendering our responsibility to tn
roaming evangelists. Are we read.
for it,"
At this point the bishop was inter
rupted by cries OF mol" from all sec
tions of the crowded church. Late
in the day his stand was reiterated b.
J. A. Roselle, of Haddonfeld, repre-
senting the Laymen's' Association o
the conference, which opened It's an
nual meeting here this morning il
Central church. Let every minister Ii
the Methodist church be his own evan
gelist," he said. I'VE laymen look upol
outsiders with not very much favor.
the preacher will stand by his job, thu
laymen will back him up" The speak
er also took fling at the "highbrow'
minister, anxious to make a recort
with his pulpit utterances, saying
What we are longing for is the Cos
pei of Christ. Some Of you minister
In your efforts to climb up exclude tha
for which we come to church. Don
preach about Christ, preach Christ
Don't dilute the stuff you hand ou
to us on Sundays. but give us pure, un
Iadulterated Gospel