Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-23
LAYMEN ARE TO
CONTINUE THEIR
ORGANIZATION
No Lack of Pep" During Yes
terday's Meeting of the Associa-
ton at Dover.
ADDRESS BY GOVERNOR
star CORRESPONDENCE Of Every Evening

StaT Cores pondencr of Every Evening
Dover. March 23-The Laymen's As.
sociation of the Wilmington NJ. +. Con-
ference did not disband yesterday be-
cause Of lack Of pep" as some persons
feared II might do, but continued IN exist
cnrr
For the ensuing year the association
elected the following officers: President
" J Downing: presidents, Orlando
Harrison, W. +. Hammond, Jr., David 5.
Clark ard George W. Booker; secretary,
{. A. Short; treasurer, l.. M. Price.
Governor John G.. Townsend, Jr., made
an address on Church Attendance" say
ing IN part:
We must say. and emphasize the fact,
that the church is the greatest and best
institution in the land. To what shall
we look IN these, the darkest days Of our
democracy, but TO the church and school
when 13,000000 men are struggling
against each other, trying to take each
others lives. and 5000, 900 more working
day and night and Sunday to make war
materials To kill, 70 kill, TO kill? Where
ehall we look?
This Is the most critical period in the
history of the State and Of the church,
end if the church fails at this time in her
mission We are lost.
I iittc ttl Stpittt ffN lIlCht vi Nttb, Will
high steeplcS and fancy windows, do not
make a church. We must have attendance
g. make a church Many church buildings
should be closed. Why do | say this?
Because in most Of our little towns We
sre churchcd to death, trying to pay
minister a miserly salary of few hundred
dollars from each denomination, when, if
~ were all pulling together as one
church. we could pay decent salary to
q minister and thereby eliminate great
deal Of strife. And il is high time we had
cat loose and cut so much denomination
and gotten down to what it means to be
real Christian
Don't mistIndcrstand me | am a
Methodist and love Methodist doctrine,
and all | am | owe to the fact that when
my old class leader died before | was
taken into full membership of the church
and | was called TO take that place did
Dat refuse. but accepted it, to do my best
II had failed TO accept that duty do
not believe ] would today be here rs the
Chief Executive Of this State. But let us,
a, laymcn. he broad enough TO see the
good of other denominations and also be
willing TO hTlp and not hinder the work
that IS making men and women true
Christians. ! do not believe in building
a Methodist church or a church of any
other denomination in a small town or
community where there is a church or any
denomination that can take care Of the
work and the needs of that community
And | have always said if went TO any
community and there was no Methodist
church ! would connect myself with the
church that happened to be in the COM
munity
in the small towns and communities,
IN God name, let us forget our denomi-
nation and not seek 10 have some poor
fellow live on S400 or $500 year and not
build structure that soon has to be sold
because Of non-attendance.
Why are we, IS lay1nen, failing TO do
the thing that can only lend life and
vitality 10 our church? We are not likely
10 place the blame on our pastor by saving
he cant preach; he breaches too long;
his sermons are too dry; he is always
asking for money We paw him a misery
salary and don't pay him until he has
preached three months or more. Let us
not place the blame on the pastor Let us
place il where II belongs, for we laymen are
back OF all the poor service and the conn
plants. In ministerial support we are not
keeping pace with the times The church.
the greatest institution IN the land, Is the
poorest managed, but II is the fault of the
laymen, and II Is high time that we take
socount of stock and see where we stand.