The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-03
WHITE BUSINESS !. MANAGER OF DR. EDMONDS' CHURCH Mrs. Ralph Barrow Made 'FVisitor" Church Now
 After Organizer
CONGREGATION IS
 BEHIND PASTOR
Congregation Prevails Upon Dr. Ed monds to Forego His Desire to Go Abroad for Y. Nj. c. A.
 Service

The Independent Presbyterian church is very much alive to it's possibilities in this unusual time of enlarged oppor- tunities. The congregation Is entering upon new enterprises and unusual aotiv tiles in a most up-to-date and business like fashion.
 Realizing that all large, sane businesses must be directed and managed by head, they have appointed A. B. White .'busi- ness manager of the temporal affairs of the church, upon whom will rest the entire responsibility of the financial end.
 It is announced also that Mrs Ralph Barrow is to assume the position of
 church visitor" bringing the message of the church to the home in & most practical fashion; a calling which re- quires a knowledge of nursing the sick. dietetics and something of home econom- ics, to which must be added personality and rare tact, all of which are com bined in this gifted woman, who, 1t will be recalled, came to Birmingham to take charge of the Childrens Hospital, as head nurse, which position she filled admirably up to the time of her mar riage to MT. Ralph Barrow.
 This visitor will doubtless add much to the efficiency of this practical, for ward looking church organization. The womans society will today or ganize as a Red Cross unit. While most of the women in the society are mem- bers of different Red Cross units, there has been no previous attempt at a church unit
 The "canteen station" to be opened | in Birmingham in the near future, is to be served by the members of the wom- ans society on Saturday, a captain and l aides to be appointed at once. It has been known that pr. Edmonds has felt the call to the front very strong ly, but he has been prevailed upon by his deaoons and elders to remain at home where he is so much needed, to keep up the courage and morale of those at home, and seeing that his place is here, he is determined to make the most of it, for his church and community. At a recent meeting of the men it was decided to engage an efficient man as organizer, who should reorganize the Sunday school held at the temple, which has Jagged recently because of its lead CTS joining the colors. one after another. MT. Bayley being the latest man to give up his post in the Sunday school. The plan is also to organize branch Sunday schools in the suburbs such as Ensley and Fairfield, where a large | number of members of the Independent church have their homes, too far for access to the Sunday school at the tenn | ple
 | Dr. Edmonds having spoken of an eff | ficient Y. M. c. A. secretary in Louis vile, Ky. as possibly available, he was | instructed Ito go after him--we Will back | you with money and our moral support, | being the words of his congregation. l pr. Edmonds left at midnight the same | evening this meeting was held, return l ing on Thursday in time for the wom-
 ans dinner that evening, hopeful Of se- curing the services of the man he went | after
 pr. Edmonds made these announce
 ments as a climax to his sermon on Possessing the Land," yesterday morn ing, when he showed his people there ] is no limitation to service ana II we will we may possess the lana.
 l Whatever form it may take, the congre- 1 re ton is with it's pastor, heart and hand.
 and feel that they are writing new chapter in the history of their church. | pr. Edmonds preached on the Problem
 Of Faith" at the Lyric last night, using
 the text, Lord, l believe; help Thou
 my unbelief.'
 So many people have difficulty about | believing a great many things Tn the | Bible" said Dr. Edmonds, in part l .sThere is the picture of the lake of ire into which is cast indiscriminately the
 good, bad and indifferent, if so they di' 1 not believe certain things, and some
 neople won't believe in such injustice.
 Personally I have more sympathy toi the ones who do believe that way thar for him who refuses to do so
 "The story of Abraham and his sacrl' flee of Isaac is another thing that some people stumble over. Just reason ou why 1t was that man had come out Iron
 his own people into new land; he Wal surrounded by men who sacrificed then
 children to idols; seeing their deteriora tion he questioned whether his love to hls God was as great as theirs, and ths thought obsessed him until he felt nm uelled to show God that he did love nm even well enough for that Ineh suu denly it came to him that it was wrong and he loosed it son and found the ran for his offering -
 .erhe reality of a ram with which the oriental wrote is so different Iron our blunt words, we must make allowance for that, too. and also remem her that it is a nations literature lts Iife written expressed in its own way according to it's time; but it's chlei ehu and aim is it's experience with God' ltS
 findings are told us in words that mak'
 the heart glad, the soul to sing. It met ths
 needs of a people placed much as we are
 me,ting the same difficulties and tempta tlons, and how they won out over eVil II themselves is the story that IS ihspireu
 that runs through it's pages iike soi'
 God and His relation to man.
 In closing the preacher admonisneu n,.
 hearers not to worry over the Bipie, pu
 to take it and read it. as an experiene' that came out of the life of other hier, i
 and fits into the life of our day as vel
 taking not men, but Jesus, who was th' reflection and expression of Cod as @ oui
 example, follow, a step at a time' aiee'
 Him, gaining strength with each step' oe'
 coming sons of God.