El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-08
Churches Want
Red Cross Shop
For CiUic Work
Would Make It Interde-
nominahonal Center; To
Stop Church Waste.

e. q. =
] ton OF the Red Cross house in san
Jacinto plaza into a social center
{ for the city under the direction Of
I an inter-church committee The mat
ter was instigated at a meeting at
. Hotel Sheldon. Monday evening al
[ which a number Of ministers ana
Z laymen gathered at dinner TO dis
! cuss the interchurch movement for
Z FL Paso.
A committee consisting OF Rev
Milo Atkinson, Y. r stiles and Rev
/ vs.. 81 Farley was named by the
chairman. r. J. Tighe. 10 see the city
council relative to the matter. Mr.
Stiles, representing the Red Cross.
said he was sure that organization
would be glad 10 have the building
taken over for a civic center, where
people downtown could drop in 10
would be made nonden0minatfonal
and would be supervised by some one
named by the interchurch organic
ton. which is to be made permanent
in a short time
To Eliminate Church Waste.
The meeting discussed the problems
Of the church in the city and its plans
for preventing an overlapping Of
work.
Rev. Fuller Swift was elected a
delegate from the meeting TO attend
a meeting OF the Interchurch Al
On request Of Rev Rufus C. Baker.
pastor OF Orchard Park II. Z. church.
a committee consisting Of G.. A. Mar
tin, Bradford Hardie and sam J. BRENT
was appointed TO survey the Orchard
Park field with a view to making
recommendations for increased work
there.
The idea Of the organization is to
support struggling churches where
they need it and in a measure to as
sign work in various branches and
sections Of the city for different or
carnations TO take up, so that
denominauOnal efforts viii not over
lap each other, al the financial ex-
pense Of the general church body Of
the city
Too Much Overlapping
Speaking upon the movement. Rev. {
Henry NanValkenberg said:
There IS a big loss Of man power
and big loss in money the way the
churches are working now Millions
are ready for our work among the
laymen il we unite and carry on T
movement for the Characterization Of I
the world. We can do il if the
churches are big enough and I be- /.
leTe they are II IS a crime to rOler- I
ate the overlapping Of things that
waste man and money power.
1t is the object Of this organiza-
ton TO save overlapping and to put
out a program for each community
to meet its needs II means making
better communities and better peO-I
pie generally at a cost not so great
as under the old system Of each
church going about its work in a
haphazard manner and overlapping
the work Of all the other churches.
There are some 100000 Ameri-
ans coming back from the war rid
len lands Of Europe They are COM
ng back with some criticisms as to
he nature OF the work carried on by
he Y. NJ c. A and other religious and !
iemirelgious institutions. But they
IRE all agreed that the church must
70 what no other organization can
ihoulder the responsibilities Of a war
.razed and sinstricken world
we must underwrite the Bolshe-
ism Of illiteracy, OF unsanitary con-
litions, Of immortality with the prin-
.iples which Jesus Christ gave 10 US.
The world is turning TO the church I"
2 this hour Of reconstruction And /.
nen Of big business. whether they are E
or not. expect Us to meet I:
hose problems and needs Of our coun-
~ without apologies It means the
conservation and man power and :
money power Il the church had T
lnited as we are now planning TO
mite, the great world war could have !
zen prevented and millions Of lives
nd billions OF dollars could have
leen saved"
Christianity on Business Basis.
sam ]. BRENT said in part: The
I'D idea that a man must get off in :
2 corner and pull for his church is a
hing Of the past Whether we like
{ or not, we've got to get together
IS Christians and do things in a big
way as We have done in the war
We've got to take this interchurch
movement 10 our hearts and :
handle it. Il
This movement means bringing
he Lord Jesus Christ into communi- :
ies-not merely making Presbyter-
ans, Methodists or Episcopalians Of
hem We must first have the one ;
lea OF making Christians OF them.
eve have been 50 busy work
ing for the church that VIC have
forgotten to work for man. We
have forgotten to try to get men
10 Christ. 50 hard have we been
working for our churches.
we need g larger view in this :
hing we call Christian service. It is :
bigger than denominations"
To Be Big Saving.
That was the general sentiment Of
he meeting-that the churches of z
he city should combine in a cam :
iaign for civic righteousness with :
ut regard to creed The outcome is :
o be that where one denomination
s already occupying a field it will :
ie supported in its work and other :
denominations viii keep out Of the :
ield, and cOnfine their efforts to :
ome other field that needs them.
Dr. Atkinson related an incident :
There one struggling church was do
ag fairly well in a community, when :
Zzzu=l-zl