The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-10-13
!: :The Religious Rambler
By William T. Ellis)

ligious needs, and some distinctive
problems OF their own Five years
ago, there would have been a scram-
Bile OF the denominations to plant
congregations in these prosperous
communities.
Behold what a wonder the war
has wrought! The Nome Missions
Council, and the War Time Com
mission of the Churches, are facing
this new emergency as one common
problem, to be met by united activ-
ity. The government has co-operated
offering to erect church in the new
communities engaged in war work /;
but this assistance the united
churches have declinedI as being
scarcely in accord with the historic
American principle of the separation
of church and the state. But the
churches will be built, not compet-
itively or denominationally, but by
the denominations working together.
Moreover. the new religious enter
prises for the munition workers will
be stated by expert social workers,
as well as by preachers; and an eff
fort will be made to render model
religious service to these commun-
tiles. 1t was of disturbing -signif
icance that the surveys made showed
that the attendance upon the estab-
lished congregations in the neigh
borhood OF these plants had not in
creased in proportion to the increase
in population-in fact, had scarcely
increased at all.
Newport News, for example, has
increased its population from thirty
thousand to ninety thousand, with
out increasing its church attend
ance perceptibly; Erie has likewise
grown from 5000 to l25,O00. One |
other community records decrease
in church going since its popula-
ton increased Only united
chuch can meet the problems Of la
Dor involved in these conditions.
Evidently, under the new condi-
tions brought about by the war in
many places the churches will not,
like Topsy, Just grow Supervi-
Siony stimulus, adaptation may be
necessary in increasing and contin-
uing degree after the war. Nobody
thinks that all these new EXPIRES
sions of common obligation and Ell
iciency are to end with the signing
of the peace treaties. 1t is a long
and strange new road upon which
The churches OF America are now
placing their footsteps.
Labor Problem Crops Up.
As the modern farmer uses dyna-
mite for purposes of planting and
irrigation and fertilization, so the
Explosive power of the war bids I
air to break up into new product
veness many fields of social and t
interest. The present trend {
n labor insures the democratiza- ,
ion OF the Christian Church" de- t
Jared Luthern delegate. The ar c
stocracy of ease and of wealth must !
Iisappear from the world - he added, -,
leading that the church must pro- c
lain the dignity of labor. And the I
lbor army must learn to emphasize 9
ot only its earning power, but also c
IS serving power. .
Those radical sentences illustrate c
ot only the comprehensive scope o
t the new field and outlook OF the
but also the fearless tenn
er in which the leaders are ad- t
ressing themselves to the congeris a
f problems wrapped up in the NOR Z
and spiritual issues OF the war. d
hese are forward-looking time for o
eligion. s,
The morals of the soldiers came in T
II discussion, and incidentally, sew a
al advanced utterances were heard W
oncerning the obligation OF the e,
lurch to deal with the social evil. ST