The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-11-13
new CHURCH
SHOWS PROGRESS
COMMUNITY PLAN FINDING FAVOR
Institution Plans for Sunday Evening FO-
rum for The Study Of Vital
Questions

questions
Ii is perhaps too early to make any
predictions Of permanent success. but
.ose who have watt he'd the progress
the Hood River Community church
iuauguTated here a few weeks ago are
pieased with the hold II is already TAX
iug on the city and surrounding rural
communities. The community plan of
church service, with an atfliation of
al who subscribe to the tenets of the
Christian religion no matter what may
b. the dogma of their individual de-
/ lminaton. seems to have found favor
Hood River from the very time ten
tive plans were launched. budget
mmittee, with Truman Butler, past
L ember of the board of trustees of the
Il verside Congregational church. as its
h ad. decided that S.. 600 would be
n eded to finance the proposed institu.
T. IN for the year. The members of the
c mmittee, taking leisure moments
from their days business routine. can
Y 4ssed town and valley, and without
any great effort raised 1.-THE money de-
Icu. MANY SUMS WSIt given NOluil-
tarily. A philanthropic woman. of
New York City, who owns an orchard
ace here, heard Of the plans for the
{ immunity church. So pleased was
5 with the outlook and oppol tunity
real Christian service. as she ex-
essed herself, that she visited f. O.
anchar, one of the promoters of the
church, and left check for $500.
In name and organization the Hood
i,Iver community church is of the Con
& egational denomination. The trus
as of the church, however had found
experience that their religious or
niation as an Individual denomina
I N was not progressing. Other Hood
yer churches were experiencing
nilar fate. Last spring, when the
IL immunity church plan was first agI-
,ed here, Hood River had but two
gular pastors. Five churches We're
lthout regular pastors. The doors of
one had not been opened in a twelve
month. The community church plan
was not the result Of an overnight's
enthusiasm. 1t was given weeks OF
study by representative men and wom
len. The plan of the Congregational
elurch crystalized from the general
search.
The pastor of the new church. W. H.
oddly. despite his comparative youth,
as called here from successful pas
t5rate of church operating along sim
ar lines at Parkdale. Mr.. Boldly is a
r.inister of the Presbyterian church
ald affiliated with the Presbytery OF
tnat denomination. But his church OF
ganzation permits him to retain such
affiiation while pastor of church edl
fee owned by the Congregational De
nomination. The rules and regulations
of both church organizations are broad,
perhaps broader than most denomna-
tions.
The purposes of the new community
church may be expressed briefly. Any
Christian protesting faith in the feI-
Iowship of the Savior, is welcome to
participate in the sacrament of COM
munion at the Riverside altar. No lines
viii be drawn in phlanthropc work.
1t aims to render service that Will
benefit and better the entire commun
ity.
Bv the inauguration of a Sunday
evening forum the new church has al
ready drawn a community wide inter
est, It is proposed to invite prominent
men here to speak on all sides OF vital
questions of the day. AS an organiza-
ton the forum will remain neutral.
That the people of the city may inform
themselves, it is proposed to present
both sides of various subjects.
The following prominent men have
been invited to address the forum Dr.
L. B. Penrose, president of Whitman
College; President Short. of the Wash
ington Federation of Labor W. 5. Nc
Clatchv. publisher Of the Sacramento,
Calf, Bee; Ex- Representative Dill, Of
Spokane, W. d. Wheelwright, of Port
land, and Dr. Roberg, secretary of the
Oregon State Board of Health.
Since the new community church was
launched the attendance has been
steady. An average of 250 men and
women have been at all services. The
Sunday school classes are full. The
liberal policy has drawn out many men
and women who were not formerly
church goers. Each Sunday new faces
of Young men and women are noted.
Those who have the organization most
at heart declare that it is not the mere
attendance of men and women that
they desire, but that they will aim at
an active affiliation of all those inter-
ested.
The signing of the names of those
attending the church services, it is
said, will result in personal interest
that otherwise would be lacking.
1he automobile has been declared by
m;ny ministers as deterrent to sum
mtr church services. This is how Tru-
m; Butler expresses himself,
1t. Is true that many Of US have al
lo, ed the motor fever to take us away
fr, m divine worship in the spring and
su nmer months. Hereafter, wish to
tel you, am going to make my plans
only from noon on Sundays. | am go
in to devote the morning hour to the
church. | believe that many Others
here feel as do.
But the church will probably have g
larger attendance in summer months
than at any other season. The Colum'
bia Highway will be opened and payec
the entire distance to Hood River. The
pastor here, former Reed College
man and we'll known in Portland, anC
all of his congregation will offer
warm welcome to any Portlander who
wishes to attend divine worship after
the pleasant 70 mile morning automo
biie ride over the HiphWaV