Connecticut western news., 1919-03-13
Centenary of Methodist Church Being Celebrated With En-
 Iarged Work.
DRIVE FOR S12O,O0o,O00
 IN WEEK OF MARCH 1923.
"Christianize a Nation and You De- mocratize It," Is Belief Be-
 hind Movement.

 dist Episcopal Church are being con- centrated on the great Centenary cam- paign, the biggest single project ever undertaken by any one denomination. Celebrating the hundredth annlVer- sary of the first Methodist mission, the church is setting forth on program Of expanded world service. Its magni- tude may be realized from the Sl2O,- 100000 figure which constitutes the goal of the financial drive, now almost at hand
 Methodists in this section are get ting the jump on the rest of the coun- try by running their campaign more than a month before the time sched- uled elsewhere. Success here is ex- pected to carry inspirational value as well as revealing effective ways and means for others to use Consequently many eyes are turned in this direction.
 Every Day Is Sunday.
 Nearly ten per cent of the total money to be raised is sought in the quota for this unit, known as the New York Area, which is one. of twenty Episcopal Areas into which the coun- try is divided-in other words, twice as big a portion as the average Area. The exact size of the quota is $S,350, 270. The territory of the New York Area, from which that sum is expected to come, consists of the northern half of New Jersey, Connecticut as far east as the Connecticut River, all of Long Island and a strip of New York State sixty miles wide running up half way to Albany.
 Throughout this territory every Methodist church is now a veritable beehive of activity. Every day is Sunday at our church now," said one preacher, who added that '1 took off my coat three weeks ago and haven't had a chance to put 1t on since. The laymen won't let me. They're hustling so hard that if I don't hustle, too, I'll get lost in the crush.''
 Besides the pastor, each individual | church has its Methodist Minute Men to bring the facts of the Centenary program before the congregation. In addition, some of the country's fore most speakers are travelling about | from church to church presenting the message, as we'll as missionaries from 1 foreign lands.
 All Fields Surveyed.
 Their activities are heading up to- ward the week of March 16 to 23, dur | ing which an "every member canvass will be made in all the churches to Ob- tain the funds for doing the things the congregations are being told about now. A complete survey of every for eign field has been made-India, Chi ma, Italy, France, Korea, Africa, Ja- pan, Malaysia and the rest-as well as a size-up of the many problems at home, together with definite prescrfp- 1 tion of remedies to alleviate condi- tions and bring the world nearer to the shape God wants it to have. The pro- gram includes hospitals, schools, insti- tuition of sanitary systems, social cen ters and a hundred other specific kinds of service to aid in spreading the good influences of Christianity.
 The movement in it's inception was not ecclesiastical It was democratic. Dr. s. Earl Taylor, a Methodist lay man, is the father of it as we'll as it's directing head, with the title of execu- tive secretary. For more than ten years he has looked forward to just such a project and has bent his ener- gieS toward causing it's realization. "I have always believed in the great mis- sion of the Christian Church." he said. "That mission is to bring the whole world to a knowledge of Jesus, and if that mission were too great for the Church to perform the Master would never have intrusted the Church with it's performance.
 ''SO far the Church has not carried out it's mission. But it is awakening, and millions right here in America are now consecrating themselves not mere ly to lead a better life according to the old and inadequate interpretation of consecration, but to give to the cause of world redemption and world democracy their full share of organ ized service.
 "The American Church has hereto fore had remedy for drunkenness but only this year has it abolished the organized liquor traffic. Heretofore it has offered to each seeker an adequate remedy for willful idleness, but it did not attempt to solve the unemploy. ment problem. It has held out a rem. edy for personal greed, but it often seemed indifferent to those social abuses which led to extremes ot wealth and' poverty. It has taught kindness to servants, but it has not thrown itself in any organized way into the modern workman's struggle for living wage. It has theoretically taught the universal Fatherhood ot God, but not until the present time die 1t enlist body and soul in a war fol world democracy.
 Definite Labor Program.