The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-03
CHURCH RIV4LRIES
RESULT IN W 4STE
Protestant Churches Have Three Times
the Seating Capacity That
They Need.

New York. Feb 3.-Charging that
"the competitions and rivalries Of evan
gelical denominations in the United
States have resulted in astounding
waste and ineffieiency" aud that Sc per
cent OF the Protestant churches have a
total seating capacity OF more than
80, 100000, or three times their require
ment, Rev Dr. Robert Westiy Peach
pastor of Reformed Episcopal church
In Newark, N. L., makes plea for or
ganic union OF % national church
bodies
DR.. Peach's recommendations togeth-
or with Others, will be discussed by the
Interchurch Council on Organic Union,
which begins a -four days session in
Philadelphia to-day. The Newark
clergyman is one of 30 composing the
ad interim committee representing va
rious Protestant denominations which
was appointed last December upon an
invitation by the Presbyterian church,
to approve q plan for bringing about a
merger In his statement, minority
report, he declared that Professionals
had built perhaps 100000 superfluous
churches nj cost Of S500,000.o00,"
"If not a single church had been built
in the past - years he said, those
standing in 1906 would accommodate
at a single service every Protestant
communicate of the year 1919 and
every Roman Catholic in our country,
baptized infants included, and, besides,
every man, woman and child in Can
ada. Cuba and Porto Rico and there
would still be much room TO spare.
These So per cent of our churches
reported over three sittings for every
communicant. At the same time, the
Roman Catholic churches reporting had
one sitting for every two and one
fourth members ratio of nearly sew
en- TO one in our disfavor. The Roman
churches are crowded. ours, on an aver
age less than one-quarter tilled-for II
is the exceptional church which. at ITS
principal Sunday service, has an at
tendance equalling so per cent OF its
communicate ROLL
The upkeep and the salaries incl
dent TO maintaining services in Prot
estant churches. DIR. Peach said, make
necessary the raising annually of mil
lions of wasted dollars; make neces-
'sary. moreover, gruelling efforts to
raise this money Inevitably there has
arisen. the Great Protestant Order Of
Nendicant Pastors and Sisters. unin-
corporated. Inevitably also has fol
lowed a widespread detection Of church
members. weary Of continual solicita-
ton TO give outright and to buy tickets
for suppers. entertainments, bazaars,
etc. Not the giving has repeiled, IN
most instances, continued Dr. Peach.
for the American people are generous
but the needless calls for uneconomic
giving.
Upon members who remain stead
fast have fallen the heavier burdens.
he said. This detection also Is mainly
responsible for increasing the two out
Of three empty pews caused by over
churching TO three out of four. Let
not the pastors apd members OF ex-
eeptional congregations blindly question
the general validity Of these estimates.
Withal. we have thousands Of settled
communities without a single church.
In Ohio. for example. the recent Meta
odist Episcopal survey has discovered
scores Of townships. SIX miles square.
without a single resident minister. To
wicked waste We add woeful incshcien-
cy.
In our division said Dr. Peach.
'-our people are gToaninC under the bur
dens caused thereby, and under the re-