The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-17
CHURCH CAMPAIGN STARTED
Continued from Page L.

ent. George L. Durham presided, and
the opening service consisted of scrip
ture reading by Rev. c. c. Chayer of the
Methodist church, an anthem by union
choir of about 30 voices, prayer by Rev.
II. L. WoOdin of the Centre COngrega-
. tiOnal church, an offering for the local
expenses of the Go-to-Church movement,
and a selection by the Baptist church
/ quartet.
Rev Edwin p. Wood of the Universal
list church was not present. owing to a
previous engagement, but sent word that
his church would join in the movement
The two West Brattleboro churches,
Baptist and Congregational, will join,
and the Advent Christian and Swedish
churches are to be invited.
Chairman Durham said that twice as
| many persons as are now attending
| church ought to attend. because of what
| they would gain in their lives that they
can get nowhere else, because large au-
Giences inspire better preaching than do
small audiences, and because of the in
/ fluenCe which the attendance of church.
gOers has on others.
| Rev. DR.. Merrill was presented as the
| first speaker. He said the churches had
| emphasized the membership and financial
aspects and now were turning their at
| tentiOn to attendance and he gave facts
| to show why empty pewS are a peril in
our modern American life. War and in
/ dustrial strife were included IN the topics
| considered, and he said that these diff
| ferences could be irOned out only by the
promotion of the spirit of the fatherhood
/ of God and the brotherhood of man, for
/ which church attendance stands. If we
want to have anything to do in decreas-
/ ing hatred and increasing love in the
] world. he said, we must make our in
| f1uence count in decreasing ornaments
| and settling industrial differences.
| Rev. DR.. Davenport spoke in an Opt
mistic vein, saying that church, pews
could be filled and that benehcent results
| would follow. The church already has
done magnificent things, he asserted, not
| withstanding criticisms that sometimes
| are heard. Great audiences inspire
great sermons and multiply candidates
for church membership. Full pews honor
GCd. There are multitudes who put God
second or third or perhaps Odd, when He
| should be first. What would the heather
think of the attitude of church people to-
ward God? It's full pews and full
churches or full jails and full prisons, he
declared. ..
Rev DIR, Davfson was the last speak
er. He said the state secretaries came
not to dictate but to suggest, to find some
means of parSuading people that it Is
! their duty to go to church. and to in
spire in them the love that should so
with the sense of duty. Persons are alb
senting themselves from the churches in
! increasing numbers, and the purpose of
this campaign is to organize and go after
the abSentees without regard to what
| church they prefer. DIR. Dawson then
outlined the plan above referred to and
said that by its adoption he believed the
church attendance in BrattlebOro could
be increased 30 per cent.
q Chairman Durham read the rec0mmen-
datiOnS voted at the mems meeting and
expressed the opinion that an increase
in church attendance in any community
would be followed by a corresponding
Io IF hot
community. The recommendations were
then adopted by vote of the congregation.
Following this several pastors read the
names of those appointed to act with
them as an executive committee. They
| we're: By Rev. DR. BTownell of the First
Baptist church, Fred s. Knight and Carl
S Hopkins: by Rev DR. Brownel in be-
half of Rev. Mr.. Wood of the Universalist
+, church, Ferris r. Vaughan and Verne III.
Winchester; by Rev. DIR. Woodin, George
J.. Durham and Christie L. Croweil by
Rev. Mr.. Chayer, DIR. Charles G.. Wheeler
and Sanford \. Daniels; by Rev. \. V.
Woodwork of the West Brattleboro Con
gregational church, Charles r. Preutiss
and Arthur II. Dynde.
After hymn Rev. Mr.. Woodwork pro-
nounced the benediction, and at an after
meeting in the chapel it was voted that
each church could appoint as many as 70
canvassers, also to have a meeting of the
executive committee tonight and to have
a meeting of the eanvassers in the Metho-
dist church this week Friday evening at
40 o'clock.
Meetings similar to those held last
night will be held on these dates: Mon
! day, Oct. II. Bellows Falls; Tuesday,
Oct Is, Ludlow; Wednesday,, Oct. 10,
| Windsor; Friday, Oct 81, Montpelier
Sunday, Oct. %, st. Adams.