The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-11-20
Church Advertising

clip the following: "That churches
are neglecting to keep pace with mod
ern methods by failure to use news
paper space, was the message taken
to the congregation of the First Chris
tian church, Little Rock, by Hugh D.
Hart, president of the Little Rock
Rotary club. While that is no doubt
true, the bulk of the blame should be
laid at the door of the newspaper pub
Usher In many cities and towns, this
source of revenue has been developed
pastors have overstepped the bounds
of propriety and used sensational me-
thods. But in many more instances
the most conservative of churches
have adopted advertising as a fixed
policy. Most newspapers, with an
intelligent presentation of the propo-
sition, and assistance in the prepara-
ton of suitable copy, could interest
the churches in this work Moving
pictures and cabarets are not neces-
sary. There is more of human inter
est in the story of Calvary than in all
the worlds literature. And it makes
pulling ad copy.
Hear Mr. Hart:
81 think I can hear some of the
staid opponents of the old order OBJ
xjecting that advertising would be
commercializing the church. When
you advertise the church you do not
advertise anything for sale. You ad-
vertise only that which you wish to
give away-salvation The only COM
mercial part of the transaction is the
payment TO rthe advertisement. In
paying the preacher his salary, that is
just as much a commercial transac-
ton as in paying the newspaper for
advertising. I suppose the reason the
churches are SO stingy in the payment
of preachers salaries is because the
pious congregations are afraid they
will commercialize the church by pay
ing living wage to their ministers.
"Again, l anticipate some will say
that Christ didn't advertise, therefore
we have no right to advertise Chris
tianity. By employing the same rea-
soning, could deprive you of your
pipe organ, for we have no record that
Christ used the pipe organ. What right
have we to use pipe organ if Christ
didn't? Of course, we all know that
there were no newspapers at the time
of Christ. Advertising the gospel had
to be done in other ways, and take
most emphatic issue with anyone who
says that Christ did not advertise. He
carried on the greatest advertising
campaign the world has ever known.
His advertising left so great mark
upon his contemporaries that the
world has been talking about his ad-
vertising for nearly two thousand
years. Read again about the feeding
of the five thousand loaves and
two small fish were transformed by
the Master int oan abundance of food
for the multitude and twelve baskets
full were left over.
give thousand men, as well as the
hordes of women and children, who
beheld this miracle went scampering
away from that wonderful feast with
open eyes and enthusiastic hearts, ad-
vertising the divine power of Jesus
Christ. 1 ask you to consider this cpl
sode in the life of Christ from the
standpoint of an advertising venture.
What man among the 5000, who be
held the miracle, who ate the food
that was multiplied by Jesus, could
thereafter doubt his divinity, or would
thereafter refuse to testify concern
ing the genuineness of Christ? The
there is the raising of Lazarus from
the dead. The news of it doubtless
spread like wildfre all over the land
Suppose today smoe physician would
raise man from the dead. What
would its value in advertising be to
that physician? Christ walked upon
the water. For 1000 years people
have been talking about that marvel
GUS miracle. At the wedding feast.
Christ made wine out of water.
Suppose that one of our stores
would advertise that at certain hour
of the day, man would make wine
out Of water.
Advertising to Save Souls
'sDoes anyone doubt that the store
would have a rather large crowd at
that particular hour? Yes, Christ ad-
vertised. He advertised with dignity
and wholesomeness his divine power.
He used the methods that were at his
command to propagate the Gospel.
Can we refuse to use the methods
that are at our command to carry the
Gospel to every creature? Again,
there are those who will object that it
is beneath the dignity of the church
to advertise If advertising the Cos
pei will save immortal souls and bring
comfort to the hearts of the comfort
less, then would be IN favor of adj
vertising even though it resulted in