Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-23
Deplores Many
Varieties of Churches
Throughout America

l llTOuSllOuI AllloGlcd
Pittsburgh, Sept. 22-One Of the
greatest difficulties confronting the
church lies in the fact that there are
.11J varieties of churches in America
DIR. Baxter +. Fullerton, of st. Louis,
told the Worlds Alliance Of Presby-
terrain and Reformed Churches here
today
DR.. Fullerton is secretary OF the
Presbyterian Board of Home Mis-.
sions and was telling of the Difficult
ties of home mission work in the y
United States. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
he said. was one of the greatest and
most serious of these. Each OF the
l1J kinds of church was endearoring
to promote it's own work both in the
city and the country, among native
and immigrant alike and. conss-
quentIy, there was not only overlap
ping but also overlooking since there
had been no cooperation in the loca'
ton and development of these vari'
Gus local churches.
Continuing he said that the great
est problem before the agencies Of
the Christian church is to Chris
tianize the church itself He de-
cIared that there are communities IN
America where four or five different
denominations are at work, each
church receiving home mission aid
when one or two churches could De
both sclf-sustaining and self respect
ing.
Efforts had been made. he said 70
change this shameful situation but
up TO the present it existed ito the
embarrassment of the work and
scorn of the ungodly." An attempt
had been made to unite denomlna-
tons having similar doctrine ana
government into one larger unit and
in this way unite the local churches
into one for better service for the
community, but DR.. Fullerton ala
that extreme denominationalism pre-
vents any very large application
this principle and strong peoples re-
main apart because of some unim'
portant or subsidiary question on
which the salvation of no soul or
community depends.
1T is apparent, therefore ne
went on, that this larger union VIII
never be accomplished until the
kingdom of God bulks larger in the
minds of people than the church un'
til the salvation and service of man
kind becomes a greater concern than
the establishment of a speclnc
church.
This duplication of churches Is
not only harmful to the cause but
also a useless waste of both none!
and men,
DR.. Fullerton said it was hearten.
ing to know that this condition OIL
things was being considered serious
ly by churches and missionary agen-
cies and pointed out that the organ.
cation of "a Home Missions Councn
and Council of Women For Homs
Missions IA years ago had become oil
outstanding evidence of q spirit GU
operation prevailing in the churches'
He pointed to the condition III
Utah as an illustration of what hae
been accomplished by the Home
Missions Council and said that toda!
there were no communities in tna'
state where two or more Genlh'
churches were at work except IN 'n'
cities of Salt Lake and Ogden. SIM
lar organizations for interdenomiha
tional home mission work had oee"
made in Colorado. Montana, Por"
Rico, Cuba, Alaska and Santo DON
lingo.
Despite the hindrance OF deno"
inationalism. DR.. Fullerton repoi"'
that the spirit of evangelism pie
vailing in America was one OF wv
most hopeful signs of the time
Never in the course of a year na'
there been such an Interest in brihs
ing men into the church. he SAID
He recounted the difficulties IN az
tempting to Christianize and Amer
canize the polyglot peoples OF .ns
cities and held it to be the missiV"
of the church as we'll as of the sla''
to solve the problems of sanitaiiV"
and housing.
He said that, according to best -.
formation, there are now 1S.JOO ne.
and women engaged in some form :,
missionary work in this country anA
more than $26.0O0.OOO invested ).
the business of making and keepl9
America Christian for the redemy
tion of mankind and the frienap