Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-26
A CHURCH FOR THIS WORLD
OR THE WORLD TO COME?
Christian Workers Not Able to
Agree on the Best Way to Ac-
eompIlsh What All Seek

compIlsh What All Seek
/ MANY reasons are behind the objec-
A'l tion Of leaders in the Presbyterian
! Church to continue attiliatOn with the
! Intcrrhurch World Movement Some
Of them were set forth Yesterday after
noon in the course of the discussion by
the delegates to the General Assembly
, of the church in the Academy of Music,
, and others were hinted at.
4 The Intcrchurch World Movement,
, it should be- explained, was organized
/ by representatives of thirty Protestant
| denominations to raise $33G, 600. 600 for
! expanding their work For the time
! being emphasis has been placed on the
dollar. This has been resented not only
by prominent PrcSbytcrians. but by dis
tinguiShcd leaders in other dcnominn
tionS.
These men have reminded MS that til"
church is a religious and not secular
organization. They hnv' insisted that
it's success cannot b" measured by the
wealth of its members, nor by the
amount of money which they contribute
toward its support. They have re
scntcd what might be called the hippo
dromiug of the church by business men
who have been the leaders in the Inter
church World Movement They have
insisted that the most effective Chris
, tian work is done quietly by spiritual
minded individuals. who freQuentl" ar"
poor in the goods Of this world but rich
I in conSccratcd purpose. .hCy go back
IL. ..,l 8,
! the fact that the founder Of the church
wast moor carpenter and that His d;Sci @
pies were fishermen. and they recall
that ii was said that God had chosen
the foolish Of this world to confound the
wise. In short they have been grcvcd
at this new manifestation of ChrIs-
J tanity as a departure from tho Gus
/ toms of tho early apostolic church.
Then. there has been AFFECTION to the
enormous sums Spout by the commit
tees in charge of the drive for money
The salaries paid have been much larger
than those received by the clNrgymCn
in charge of the churches. Indeed. some
clprgymen, not only in the Presbyterian
Church but in every other Protestant
denomination. feel toward great wealth
very much aS Mr.. Bryan felt when hc
. first began his crusade against what he
/ called the Money Power. When they
are not jealous Of it they dStruSt tho
pOssosSorS Of il. and arc unabl" to admit
| that a rich man can he sincerely inter
eStCd in the propagation Of Christianity.
They sometimes argue that n man can
not accumulate great riches and be a
good Christian AT the same time. and in
| proof of it they cite the classic com
parison between tho camel passing
/ through the eye Of needle and tho
rich man entering the kingdom Of
| heaven.
The backcrs and organizers Of the
/ Tntprchurch World Movement agrcc
with all those who insist that tho church
is a religious organization and that its
power must be spiritual For the mo-
mcnt. however. they have been talking
money because without money the
church cannot do much. They will not
admit that they arc trying TO socularizc
tho church. In drfcnS" Of their course
/ they say that they are trying to put tho
secular affairs Of the church on a buSi.
uc>> basis. in order that its spiritual
agencies can be free to do their perfect
work. The pastors must have a living
wage. but they have not been getting il .
Young men who wished to marry and
have a family have not entered the min
iStry because they have seen no prospect
for decent living. Other Young, mon
who have preached for n whiIc have loft
tho m IN StrV in Drdpr IN Darn nupurL ~.