Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-29
DR. WILLIAMS QUEsTIoNNAIRE

DIR WILLIAMS QUESTlONNAihE
Rev. DIR. George C. Williams. pastor
OF the McCabe Memorial Methodist
Episcopal Church, has written letters
60 200 non-churchmen living in his
neighborhood, asking if they will tell
why they do not attend the services
OF some church.
Dr. williams states in his letter:
"In order to get n better understand
ing Of this problem, it is my purpose
to approach the men direct and ask
a few pointed questions. We are
prompted to make this step that we
may find the obstacle in the way and
remove II IL II is possible to do so.
And we hope TO receive from every
man who reads this letter frank,
honest straight-from the shoulder
answer to the questions we are ask
ing. II your answer is a sharp criti-
eism of the church or the ministry,
we viii take it in the right spirit, and
a., we win regard every answer as strictly
confidential and will not give your
name TO the public in any discourse on
the subject"
DIR. Williams then asks his seven
questions, which are:
Il. Is the church to blame that SO
many men fail to attend the Sabbath
DAY services? II so, in what respect7
q. Is the fault, to be found in the
present day presentation Of the Cos
pei from the pulpit?
q. Has the ministry failed to mea-
sure up to the expectation or the de-
rands OF menr If so, in what re-
spect?
a. Are the subjects discussed in
The pulpit of today such as have no
interest for men?
rs. Can not the average man find,
among the many churches of today,
one whose ritual services he can en-
Joy and profit by participation there
An?
&c. Are men less religious by nature
than womenr Has not Christianity
the same charm for men as for
women7
~. why do men habitualiy absent
themselves from church?
In connection with your answers
10 the questions above, we win be
glad II you give us 10 subjects you
would like us to discuss in the pulpit
We IN give your subjects careful
consideration, and IL they are sub
5ects that can be taken into the pulpit
we win study them fully and give oui
opinion upon them without reserve"
The men who will receive DIR. WI
liams' letters are fair-minded and just
and are considered good citizens b.
their neighbors. No doubt the ma
5ority of them were reared in home
where Christian worship was observed
The answers which these men VII
make should provide DIR. William
with wonderful thought for sermon
upon the needs of the Church and tn
needs of the men who are not within
the church today.
Ministers of the gospel have lon
deplored empty pews; they hav
preached against the ungodly way
OF certain non-churchmen who hav
little respect for either the institu
tons of God or man. But seldom ha
. minister taken the trouble to max
a social survey of his neighborhoo
10 ascertain why the men whom
passes daily on the streets neve
darken his doors.
DIR. Williams chose good group {
men. We are certain that they wi
answer him In the same courteou
spirit in which his letter of inquir
was couched. Shall all of these mel
or a majority Of them, give the san
reason for non-church attendant
DIR. williams viii have made an in
portant social discovery, the truth I
which may be in evidence in 9th,
localities. OF course DIR. William
holds in strict confidence the nam,
Of the persons who received his lie
tiers. But we hope that he will NAL
public the sum total OF his inyestigi
lions, which of course would be I
breach OF conidence. We imagir
that the men who answer the 81