New-York tribune., 1919-05-12

them the acceptance of his plan for q
building that would meet the needs al
g. great institutional church. All of
his demands were granted and, with
three months option clause in his
call, he began his pastorate. Neither
Dr. Jefferson nor the membership of
the broadway Tabernacle has ever
thought of exercising the option to
sever relations.
The work is growing under his hand
as 1T has grown throughout his whole
ministry here, which began in 1898.
Has Austere Appearance
AS Dr. Jefferson is seated in the
pulpit ne lmpresses one as being aus
tere' cold. But all this austerty dis
appears when he has begun his sermon.
He holds attention from start to an
lsh-and this is quite a test of his
oratory, for he does not believe in
short sermons. To him the sermon is
the chief feature of the service. The
music is rich, appealing; but it is sec
ondary to the sermon or the service.
AS he readjusted his thinking to
actual conditions, Sc he readjusted his
practice. His church has been one of
the most active in its efforts to make
the soldiers in the city comfortable.
The church has conducted canteen
the hundreds.
In one of the recent issues of the
parish paper it was stated that 100000
men had been within the walls of the
church, attracted by the programme
for the soldiers and sailors SO CRATE
ful have the uniformed men been that
they are planning TO put up bronze
tablet to show their appreciation.
Says this same issue of the paper:
when the canteen finally closes, as
close some day it must, there will be
deep loneliness in our hearts, bright
ened. however, by pleasant memories
of the men who have eaten at our
tables and sung around our piano"
Pastor Has Big Heart
In letter addressed to the "mem-
bers of the Broadway Tabernacle who
are still scattered abroad waiting for
the government to tell them to go
home," Dr. jefferson says:
I'VE shall be ready for you. We
have already seen a wonderful parade
but the parade I am waiting for
with unusual impatience is the parade
of all of you down the Broadway
Tabernacle aisles to your pews. There
Will be no arches like those erected
In Fifth Avenue, but there will be
arches in all our hearts, and while we
can promise no bands of music, we as
sure you that there will be abundant
melody in our souls. We have not yet
begun the great drive for better
New York, We are waiting until you
come home. We are laying UP muni-
tions and perfectng our plans, and
we count on you to teach us how to
GO over the top. Several of our long
absent ones have already returned, and
their presence with us makes us all so
happy we are all the more eager to
have you here, too. If you look as
we'll as they do we shall feel that war
Is great picnic"
That letter somehow proclaims an
other paradox Behind the austeritu
pastor, the man who lived among his
people, who shared their joys and sor-
rows.
Believes in His Church
However men may have differed from
DR.. Jefferson in his utterances, they
have been compelled to admit the ap-
peal of his heart qualities.
He has great faith in the future of
the Church He believes she has been
the victim Of much slander, but that
she will emerge triumphant from her
testing in the war.
In an article in "The Independent"
recently he said:
These critics may fool one another.
but they cannot fool the people, If
the Church were half as petty and be-
nighted and bigoted and selfish and un-
brotherly as sundry truth-loving men
assert it to be. how could SO many mill
ions of sensible Americans respect it
and love it? Calumny always seems
about to win, but it never does. God
Will not let it. The Church may be
asleep, but it is surprising how it gets
ont walks, as it were. in it's sleep:
indeed, it leaps and runs. The Church
Of to-day may be in a state of deca-
dence, but it is astonishing how much
ahead it is of the Church in any preced-
ing epoch of the Christian era. 1t NAV
be dead. but it is astounding how ac-
tive the corpse is. 1t is doing a thou
sand more things dead than It ever
tried to do in the days of its most
abundant vitality. Being dead, it yet
speaks. and also acts as if it were alive
1t may be negative and narrow and
stupid but have you noticed the size
OF the schemes which the churches are
lust now launchinr7 7n