Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-12
LOCAL CHURCH
PURIFIERS NEW
ERA MOVEMENT
Presbyterians in Field Day
Campaign Expect to Raise
$14,500,000.
MEETINGS BY OFFICIALS

The church is not losing it's hold on the
masses Of the people despite the impress
sion from some sources that it is, ac-
cording to DIR. William Hiram FOulkes,
general secretary of the Presbyterian
New Era Movement, who was in Indian
apolis today attending the field day"
Of the Presbyterian Church of Indian
apolis and vicinity for the purpose of
promoting the interests of the church and
of the New Era Movement, which is
conducting a campaign to raise $14, 100000
for the church.
The field day" meetings were held at
the Second Presbyterian Church. a min
isterial meeting was held this morning
general discussions this afternoon, and
a mass meeting will be held tonight. The
speakers will be DR.. Foulkes, DR.. 81. c.
Swearinger, moderator of the church in
the United States; Mrs. Charles b. Roys,
general secretary Of the women's foreign
board; DR.. Edgar P. Hill, general secre-
tary of the board Of education; DR..
Cleland B. McAfee, Mccormick Theologi-
cal Seminary, and Miss Lucy H. Dawson,
general secretary OF the women's home
missionary board.
while the church had many mis-
takes to its record, many, If not most OF
Nuems are those WulCu dIc AANAOCAI -
the path of a progressive movement which
carries people out OF their past achieve
ments onward into better things" DR..
Faulkes said in continuing his discussion
Of the hold of the church on the peo-
pie. 1T is natural that as they part
company with long cherished practices
and sometimes even with religious ideas,
there should be some confusion and some
laundering.
Then. too, during the war days the
church was lampooned by a group OF
critics who sometimes challenged II
with having failed utterly, because 1t
did not prevent the war and, on the
other hand, because its influence was so
far reaching that people were Tot free to
respond to the actual necessities Of the
day.
THE pity Of the criticism is that so
much Of It came from the sons of the
church itself. Stone-throwing from those
who have not known the spirit and pro-
gram Of the church, while hard 10 bear
IS not serious. 1t IS when the sons of the
church themselves become hostile that
there is real distress.
TT is noteworthy. however, that even
during those critical days the church
was at the center Of every great moral
achievement. Whether it was the saving
Of food, the sale or Liberty Don1s anu
war saving stamps, the building up OF
the morale Of the men in the camps or
the people at home, the church had its
supreme mission which it did not fail to
fulfill. It's business was to set FIRE 10
the conscience Of the Nation. The press,
commercial and industrial organization,
the university and school all contributed
nightly, but it was the church largely
that created what has sptly been termed
a moral passion in the hearts Of free
PEG pie that enabled the Nation TO pass
out Of the old day into the new with
banners flying"
The business Of the church in a COM
rnunity, according 10 DR.. Hill, is to
transform Maine street into Paradise
boulevard
Some pastors are laundering by OK
hausting thefr energies in all sorts OF
activities. whereas their chief task is 10
train people for religious leadership by
bringing them into touch with Christ,
giving them glimpses Of eternal things
explaining to them the will of God, then
sending them forth to live the life and
to change Gopher prairie into a New
Jerusalem"