The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-06-11
ADVERTISING OF CHURCH BRINGS GOOD RESULTS Campaign Conducted By Baptists Was Very Sue
 cessful. Many Persons Made
 Liberal Contributions Other Institutions Flourish on Advertising, Why Not
 Church?


 money for display advertising this spring than any one denomination ever appropriated before for newspa- per and magazine space in one year. If the results were measured coldly and from the standpoint Of money alone, that appropriation would rank as one of the wisest a religious body ever made. It may interest advertis- ing men to know that the Baptist campaign set a new worlds record for per capita giving in a money drive" It far exceeded the war work campaigns and such great church eff forts as those of the Southern Bap- lists and the Methodist Centenary. With a total constituency of 1,475,- 900 members, including minors. the Baptist Board of Promotion, with re- turns incomplete, has pledges to- talling $6O0O0,OOO on hand. little of this, it is true, comes from outside the ranks, and that excess is due en- tirely to the advertising program. A Rabbi in Laurel, Mississippi, sent in his check, with the comment that Baptists' plansnto practice their re- ligion, as set forth in an advertise ment he had read, left him unwil1- ing not to have a part in the under taking. A man in Ohio, member of another denomination, sent in an un- solicited gift of s10,000.
 The future of church advertising, and the vital need of the church for it's increase. lies, however, far re- moved from the financial campaign. Only lack of constructive effort on the part of the advertising profession can delay the day when religion will tell it's story from the educational and inspirationa1 standpoint, from month to month and week to week, in the great organs of written salesman ship. A campaign of common sense sermonizing in the press, on a scale surpassing any industrial display campaign, is certainly within the range of events which the advertising man can bring to pass.
 Baptist leaders feel that the whole cause which the denomination repre- sents was furthered by our advertis- ing this spring. It is the glory of the church that the argument of efficiency alone will never convert it wholeheartedfy to advertising as a major tool. The question which have had con- stantly to face in the developmen of the advertising idea among Baptists is -Is it Biblical? Does it follow the basic principles of the New Testa- ment, or is it some material srbsti- ute for the proper way of advancing the Kingdom of Christi"
 This attitude is problem the ad- vertising man must face. He must not treat it with impatience, how ever enthusiastic concerning his pro- feSSion he may be- If industry had to be sold painstakingly and with in- finite, skill, the realization of the full value of advertising, is it not natural that the church, which feels it has a sacred trust, should demand to be r"shown>~ in the matter of orthodoxy and ultimate spiritual gain?
 at seemssto me that no one has yet set down the amazing extent te which fathers of Christianity surpassed their age in the field oi publicity. If ever the flaming writ ten word and its distribution aided 2 great cause, it was in the days wher the religion of Christ was passing from outlawry to become a world in stitution- However much less tn, inspiration may be, there is a com plete analogy, so far as method l concerned, between the modern mis sion story, reaching the rural con gregation through plate service il the early church leaders, conceive, in prayer and sent with peril to tn Ephesians and the Colossians an the Galatians
 And, speaking in all reverence, ca there be reason for assuming tha the Master, He who startlingly turn ed water into wine at a wedd1n feast to the end that city's attentio might be arrested to His presenc and men hear His message, woul frown on the use of full page adver tisements if He lived and taught to day?
 It is perhaps not within the rang of my subject, but I am constraine to mention here what seems to m most likely to hold back the pro sress of church advertising. All ( us who seek to further it's advanc must avoid. .~above all things, an al titude that religion and religiou i leaders are out-of-date and that ac vertising is the summum bonul which will save the church. If
 man holds to those beliefs he shoul in justice to himself, his professio and the church, devote his energy some other section of the advertisin field
 For the church has the divir fire within it. It is the highest e: pression of the idealistic impulse
 man, the spirit of aspiration tn; distinguishes him from the lower O 2 ders. Advertising must, to achie' < full fellowship, come to the churc not with boast to improve, but vii
 sincere and humble desire to be 
 service. Advertising owes tl --:iurch far more than the church W
 ever owe advertising, and. if you a 2 skeptical enough to doubt that, no for a while how consistently the u
 selfish ideal set forth in the sermt
 en the Mount Eliminates the high levels of industrial display copy.
 Church advertising has gather
 tremendous momentum in the pa year. If the man who handles u
 local church advertising page for t
 daily newspaper makes prop
 capital of the psychological infuen
 of the great national denominatio
 al appropriations. it seems to me tn
 a considerable number of the larg
 churches. at least. can be induced
 make their weekly advertisener
 large enough to be of real selli
 value to religion. instead of bare a
 There are two questions which