The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-23
OO MANY CHURCH VARIETIES CAUSES
 MUCH DIFFICULTY
Must "Christianize Church, :" Speaker Tells Worlds AL liance Conference.
 Overlapping Is Great
By Associated Press

IillSDurR, september a1.--One or the greatest difficulties confronting the church lies in the fact that there are 175 varieties of churches in America. pr. Baxten F. Fullerton of St. Louis, told the worlds alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed churches here today.
 pr. Fullerton is secretary of the Presbyterian board of Home Mis- sons and was telling of the diff culties of home mission work in the United States. Denominationalism, he said, was one of the most serious of these. Each of the 175 kinds of churches was endeavoring to pro- mote its own work both in the city and the country. among native and immi grant 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 great est problem before the agencies of the Christian church is to Christ ianize the church itself" He declared that there are communities in Amer ica where four or five different de- nominations are at work, each church receiving home mission aid when one or two churches could be both self-sustaining and self-respect ing.
 Fail to Join Doctrines
 Efforts had been made, he said, to change this shameful situation" but up to the present it existed ito the cmbarra sSmeht of the work and a scorn of the ungodly." An attempt had been made to unite denomina- tions having similar doctrine and government into one larger unit and in this way unite the local churches into one for better service for the community, but Dr. Fullerton said that extreme denominationalism pre- vents any very large application of this principle and strong people re- main apart because of some unim- portant or subsidiary question on which the salvation of no soul ' or community depends.
 Ut Is apparent, therefore" he went on, that this larger union will never be accomplished until the kingdom of God bulks larger in the minds of people than the church, until the sal walton and service of mankind be- comes a greater concern than the es- tablishment of specific church.
 This duplication of churches is not only. harmful to the cause, but IS also a useless. waste of both money and men"
 pr. Fullerton said it was hearten- ing to know that this condition or trings was being considered seriously by churches and missionary agencies, and pointed out that the organization of a home missions council and toun- ell of women for home missions 14 years ago had become an outstand- ing evidence of spirit of co-opera- tion prevailing in the churches.
 He pointed to the condition in Utah as an illustration of what had been accomplished by the home missions council and said that today there were no communities in that state where two or more Gentle churches were at work except in the cities of Salt Lake and ogden. Similar or ganizations for interdenominationai home mission work had been made in Colorado. Montana, Porto Rico, Cuba, Alaska and santo Domingo,
 Despite the hindrance of denomina- tionalism, Dr. Fullerton reported that the spirit of evangelism prevail ing in America was one of the most hopeful signs of the time. Never in the course or d year Hdu ehSiS pSSiA such an interest in bringing men into the church, he said.
 Church Has Housing Duty
 He recounted the difficulties In at tempting to Christianize and Ameri- canize the polyglot peoples of the cities and held it to be the mission os the church as we'll as of the state to solve the problems of sanitation and housing.
 He said that. according to best in formation, there are now lS,5O0 men and women engaged in some form of missionary work in this country, and more than s26.000.0o0 invested in the business of making and keeping America Christian for the redemp- ton of mankind and the friendly service of the world.