Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-06-28
READ THIS TWICE
OR THREE TIMES
Mr., DEMO Has A Real In
spiration
Read and Consider How It Might Fit
For Middlebury
From The Bristol Herald

From The Bristol Herald
To the EDITOR
/ have 4 matter in mind which
would like to bring before the people
of this community, and | know OF no
better way than through the columns
Ioi your paper have had little eX-
.perience in church federation, for as you
know, my own church Congregational
and the Methodist church began to
work under a federation agreement
July !, 1917 and, so fax as | know, it
has been pleasant experience to the
people OF both churches, and | trust
profitable as we'll
1t occurred to me that the principle
was right and might he carried further
in this community with profit to us all
Why can it not be so-it there any rea-
son why the Protestant churches of
Bristol should not enter into a fed
Ieraton; It seems to me there are many
reasons in favor Of such a plan My
idea is, that each church should main
tain its organization, manage its own
property, and meet its own obligations,
but agree with the Others to meet to-
gether for worship, to support one min
lister, and, best OF all, to work together
under one leader.
realize that it would be folly to at
tempt this until the attitude of the
people in the churches is favorable to
it. This is why | want to draw atten-
ton to the thought and have it thor
oughly discussed and carefully, and,
hope finally, favorably considered. I'm
der this plan the churches OF Bristol
could support a man as leader and
preacher who would make over the en-
tire community | say this with no
thought of disrespect to the men who
are our present pastors, or to those who
have preceded them.
| have been in business twenty years
and believe the men that have been
at the head of the various churches dur
ing this time have been sincere Chris
tian gentlemen, and personally am
glad to have been associated with them.
is not the men, but the conditions
under which they are forced to work,
that lessons efficiency.
A community house, including gym
nasium-a center for the activities of
the young people of the community
could be maintained, where creed and
denomination are entirely forgotten.
The spirit is in the air. war is Fastening
it. Every returning soldier breaches 1t.
The Presbyterian minister and the Jes-
uit priest live together "over there and
minister to the suffering and together
fight the common enemy How shall
we appear in the sight of thousands of
our boys who return from cover there"
with their minds made over and broad
ened, as they surely will be?
We are sometimes told that because
people are differently constituted there
must be denominational methods to
meet their desires, so that people con-
genial to each other may meet together.
What is the mission of the church? To
erect nice building where few people
can get together in pleasant surround
ings to be entertained, or is service and
sacrifice and ability to "help the other
fellow" the true mission?
Again we are told that a number OF
churches are necessary, as are the Vari-
Gus divisions of the army in mill
tarv sense. If that is true, Bristol with
four Protestant churches ought to be
nearer the point of perfection than it
lis. But which was found most ettec-
tive-the various little armies OF Ser
bia and Montenegro and other small!
nations, or the armies from all parts OF
the British Empire fighting together as
a whole; the armies of the Allies tight
ing separately or the interallied forces
under the supreme command of General
Foch.
Further, four men are now retained
here to minister to the spiritual needs
of 1000 people. The Y. M. c. A. War
Council is urgently calling for men in
such numbers that one man may be
found to serve 1000 men.
Finally, shall we continue in small
traditional detachments, with some du-
plication of effort, with mother III one
church, Dad" in another, and the chill
dren in both and in neither because
they become confused and lose the con-
Injection; or shall we drop our prejudices
and petty differences, examine anew our
commissions, put our shoulders to the
wheel in a united Christianity, and lift
together, a mighty power for improve
ment of conditions generality"
I am sure that in a federated church
for the community, the church leaders
would not only find a new strength IN
themselves, but such movement would
draw to itself the respect and hearty
support of many worthy men and wom-
en- who are not now identified with any
church.
1 mentioned this matter to friend
recently and he said: ITS all right, but
you won't live long enough to see it at
ltained in Bristol" Well, that may be