The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-07-16
PREACHER FAvORS
COMMUNITY CHURCH
KANSAS TOWN CHURCH MEM
BERS VOTE TO KEEP PASTOR
WHO WANTS ADJUSTMENTS

That much broader view of the
real work of the church is being mani
Tested throughout the land is evil
denced in many places and many
ways. From the old fashioned "Hell
fire and birthstone" sermons of our
boyhood days to the sermons teaching
love and obedience, not through fear,
but from love of right, is long step,
but it has been taken in most of the
churches of the present day. The
recent war .s'opened the eyes" of many
pastors who went with the army as
chaplains or Y. M. c. A. workers to
the need of more practicability in the
church work and more of the every
day life for the men and women of our
period. A notable instance of this
comes from Chanute, Kansas, and is
described in the Literary Digest under
the caption, another Sort of Com
munity church." The Literary Di-
gest article follows:
The community church into which
the Unitarian Church of the Messiah,
New York, recently changed itself is
still far from the church ideal set
up by Kansas pastor. The con-
gregation of this Christian Church at
Chaunte were recently told by the
Rev. Earl A. Blackman: "You must be
willing to find me in the dance-hall,
the club-room, the pool-room, or even
in the back alley, wherever / can
serve, if am to remain your pastor"
Following this statement, we are told
by the Kansas City Star, Mr.. Black
man resigned his charge and gave the
an opportunity to think
the proposition over for week The
minister bears the sobriquet of s'the
fighting parson," and has just re-
turned from service in the American
Expeditionary Forces. His notion of |
the proper church for the future rep
resents what he believes must be done
in order to hold the returning soldiers
and the young people in general.
Quoting him:
eff had my way half of Chaunte's
fifteen church structures would be 4
turned into dance halls, community
senters, recreation rooms, gymnasi-
lms, reading rooms and billiard
rooms. For worship we would have
me auditorium for the entire town,
md we would have a gifted minister,
/ man in every sense, fill the pulpit"
The star seems to assent, but not |
without some trepidations:
Mr.. Blackman is not alone in the
opinion that some radical step must
re taken by the churches if the pow
'rful resources in the returning SOL
liers, to say nothing of the youth at
lome, are to be utilized. Testimony
f this kind from ministers and other
eligious workers who have spent
ONE time at the front and in the
raining camps has become so fire. :
uent as to sound common place.
'This position, of course, is chal-
enged by those who believe the
,hurch is fulfilling its function in
roviding place of worship, in pro-
the gospel, and in champ
ming certain religious principles,
sAs result of the discussion now
Ding on it would not be strange if
le conservative element should find
s views and practices modified by
le opinions of men like Mr.. Black
an, who have had the Transforming
zperience of dealing with young men
large numbers. Certainly the
hurch is not yet ready to lose its
Ientity by changing itself into
center. But it faces real
-oblem in dealing with the young
sople. 1t ought to get new light
! the subject from the wealth of
rnor;onco now available