The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-02-06

Then entire world Is In state or
torment and change. Old faiths, old
codes of conduct, old laws are re-
Taxed.
The people of the world, including
the United States, are more willing
to accept new ideas and ideals than
eer before since the beginning of the
Christian era.
This is time of opportunity and Of
crisis for the Christian Church. The
paramount need for the process of
Reconstruction which is upon us, both
at home and abroad, is truly Chris
tian program for nations and for in
ldividuals. The Church which fails to
answer to the tests of this hour, and
fails to meet the worlds need, must
suffer the penalties of diminishing
Leadership.
Christ alone can save. The up
building Of the nations begins when
war has spit its last bomb and thrust
its last bayonet. The Centenary
World Program of Episcopal Metho-
dism is one Of the plans for marshall
ing the forces of organized Christian
ity to insure the continuance Of the
fruits of victory at arms.
The rural life of the United States,
which once conferred in the rural
church, and found its leadership
there, has suffered an alarming de-
cline.
A life of easy-going responsibility
} among many protesting Christians
has replaced an unwavering Chris
tian conviction born of conversion to
Christ and nourished by daily prayer
and sacrificial living.
The Centenary World Program is a
plan for lining up the resources Of
Methodism to establish American
democracy on the foundations of the
Gospel Of Jesus Christ.
The Fellowship of microscopy
Prayer.--The first part Of the program
ls to get all members of the church
Joined together in a fellowship of In
tercession. These are the objects:
That all the leaders of the cam
paign may be chosen Of God and EN-.
} powered for service.
That the plans may be naugurated
and carried through in obedience to
the will Of God
That the financial appeal max be
made in spirit and the money Sc.
/ cured by methods that will enrich he
life of the Church and inspire it with
/. Inew faith and courage.
! That the Centenary Campaign may
. mark turning point in the history OF
Methodism and usher in a new era
If spiritual conquest.
Al How Some Churches Are Starting
It.-Rev. Mr.. Rise of Punta Gorda
spoke as follows from his pulpit last
Sunday:
II The Centenary Movement has as its
LOCAL four big detectives. First, a
great spiritual awakening throughout
the whole North American continent
Just as the big guns on the Western
| Front always preceded the dash Of
the American boys, bursting forth lib
| a cyclone of fire and steel, tearing w
entanglements and announcing that
the Yanks were going over the top, sc
the first task Of the church Is to en-
roll and pledge a great army of mer
and women to send up to God AL
mighty, united petition for His hell
and power in reaching the world with
the story Of Christianity. Second, We
must have an army of workers to ad
vance behind this barrage Of prayer
! The Southern Methodist church alone
z needs three hundred men and women
z We need doctors, nurses, teachers
3 and preachers, and these must b.
< men and women of the very highes
Z education and Christian refinement.
= Our boys used to attack at day
! break. Now new day of great OF
& portunities is breaking. The nation
7 of earth are standing in the sunligh
! of this new morning with their wea
! pons at their feet and it is time TO
Z us to go forward with the great mes
Z sage of Christ to a bleeding humanity
X Third, there will be a great effort t
= bring about revival in the Sunda
schools of our land. Every man
woman and child who Is not in som
Sunday school will be visited and urge,
to enroll in some Sunday school
There will also be a gigantic educa
tional program along the lines of mis-
sions in the schools as we'll as in tn
other departments, of the churcl
work. Fourth, the fourth great objec
tive will be. the raising Of $4,000, 0O
for adancing the work proposed in tn
next five years. in mission fields.