Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-22
TOO MANY CHURCHES,
DR.. FULLERTON SAYS
Tells Presbyterian Alliance IT'S
Varieties in America
Lack Unity.
BY Associated Press to Every Evening.

BY Associated Press TO Every Evening.
Pittsburg, Sept. 22.-One OF the
greatest difficulties confronting the
church, lies in the fact that there are
175 varieties OF churches in America.
DR.. Baxter p. Fullerton, OF st. Louis.
told The Worlds Alliance OF Presby-
terian and Reformed Churches here
today.
Or. Fullerton is secretary of the
Presbyterisn Board Of Home Missions
ant wac telling OF the difficulties OF
home mission work in the United
States. Denominationalism. he said,
was one OF the most serious Of these.
Each OF the lis kinds Of church was
endeavoring TO promote its own work
both in the city and the country,
among native and immigrant alike
and, consequently. there was not only
overlapping but also overlooking since
there had been no cooperation In the
location and development of these
various local churches.
Continuing he said that the greatest
problem before the agencies Of the
| Christian church is to "Christianize
/ Aht lSSSsAs Alt Ab&th
thsre are communities in America
where four or five different denomina-
lions are at work, each church receiv-
ing home mission aid. when one or two
churches could be both self-sustain-
ins and self-respecting.
Efforts had been made, he said, to
change this shameful situa ton" but
up to the present IL existed ''to the
embarrassment of the work and a
scorn Of the ungodly." An attemp,
had been made to unite denominations
having similar doctrine and govern.
ment into one larger unit and in this
way unite the local churches into one
for better service for the community
but DR.. Fullerton said chat extreme
denominationalism prevents any very
large application OF this principle anc
strong peoples remain apart because
: of some unimportant or subsidiary
question on which the salvation of ne
soul or community depends
1T is apparent, therefore" he went
on, that this larger union will never
be accomplished until the kingdom o.
God buiks larger in the minds of peo
pie than the church. until the saliva.
ton ana service Of mankind become,
greater concern than the stablish
ment ot a specific church.
This duplication of churches is no
only harmful to the cause but is ais,
useless waste of both money an.
men,"
DR.. Fullerton said it was hearten
ing TO know that this condition O
things was being considered seriousl,
by churches and missionary agencie
and pointed out that the organization
of Home Missions Council and Coun
Gil of Women For Home Missions /.
years ago had become an outstandin,
evidence OF spirit cooperation pre-
vailing in the churches.
He pointed to the condition in Utal
as an illustration of what had bee
accomplished by the Home Mission
= Council and said that today there 1yer
no communities in that state wher
. two OF more Gentle churches were q
| work except in the cities OF Salt LAX
and Ogden. Similar organizations ia
| interdenominational home missio
| work had been made in Colorado. Mon
| tana. Porto Rico, Cuba, Alaska an
Santo Domingo
Despite the hinderance of demon
! ina tionallsm, DIR. Fullerton reporte
tnat the spirit Of evangelism prevail
: ing in America was one of the mos
hopeful signs OF the time.
Never in the course Of a year ha,
there been such an interest in bring
ing men into the church. he said.
He recounted the difficulties i'm al
tempting to Christianize and Ameri
cssi.ize the polyglot peoples of the cite
and held it TO be the mission of III
church as well as OF the state to solv
the problems of sanitation and hous
ing
He said that, according to best in
formation, 6here are now IS.5O0 me
, and women engaged in some form q
missionary work in this country an
more than s26 6.0oO,000 invested in IN
business of making and keepin
America Christian for the redemptlo
of mankind and the friendly seryic
of the world.
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