Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1921-06-25
CHURCH IS
{ 1 | NJ n {;
IN GREAT
STRIDES
Twice as Many Accessions
AS in Previous Year
Practical Talk on Hand
ling of Bible Schools.

DE'o MOlNES, Ia, June 25.-Con-
trary to the general opinion, people
are getting better instead of worse,
according to the report made today at
the Northern Baptist convention in
this city by the Rev. Thomas J. Vii
lers of Detroit, chairman of the COM
mittee on evangelism, who said that
the last year had been "the greatest
year ever known in evangelism" and
reported "the largest number Of bap-
tisms in our history"
'There was never such quicken
ing Dr:-Nrflers declared, There have
been nearly twice as many accessions
as in the preceding year. Since Oc-
tober there have been SO series of re-
VVal meetings, with converts more
numerous than usual"
Schools of method in evangelism, he
said, have been conducted during the
year I'M 20 states, under the lcadc.'-
ship Of DR.. H. f. Stillwell, general
superintendent Of evangelism OF the
American Baptist Homo Mission So
Getty. In II states, an organized Ct
Tort has been made to arouse every
church to revival services. Plans for
next year include placing a superir-
tendont of evangelism in each OF The
80 states where Northern Baptists
have activities. Dir. Villers recon-
mended-ttat each Of the 1856
churches in the Northern Baptist con-
vertion give two weeks At least to
evangelism next year.
More adequate training Of skilled
teachers, development Of initiative
and a better understanding of the OBJ
jective, grading Of classes, provision
for better equipment for work, and
taking of the schools away from the
penny basis" are essentials. for the
progress of church bible schools, DR.
Henry e. Tralle Of the American Bap-
tist Publication society, Philadelphia,
told delegates to the Northern Bap-
fist convention here today.
In developing greater initiative, DR..
Tralle said, church school officers
might pattern after Edison in trying
ont new ideas. Workers must under
stand that the objective of the Sun
day or church bible school is a Chris
tianiZed, developed, socialized reliG-
ious life, Involving far more than q
mere acquiring Of Biblical facts. Every
church should have teacher training
classes and conferences, a library of
books for the use Of the workers, and
should pay the way Of its leaders to
summer assemblies and training
schools, the speaker declared.
Discussing finances, DR.. Tralle told
of church which spends $1,000 year
~ on choir and $3.50 on its Sunday
school. Declaring that teaching the
young folks is more vital to the sue
cess of the church than the singing,
DR.. Tralle advocated the payment OF
AT least a nominal salary for Sunday
school teachers as good church bust
ness" Quoting estimates that the
average contribution in the Sunday
school is about three cents per mem
Der, the speaker warned that train
ing of children to this scale of giving
means disaster for the church in the
future.
Church architecture, he said, needs
to be changed to provide adequately
for educational and recreational needs
of members, with twice as much floor
space for these phases of work as to
the preaching. Movable partitions
were declared to be a handicap to
greatest efficiency in the work.
Calling the one-lesson, ne-assem-
bly, Sunday school something that
belongs to q past age the speaker
emphasized the need Of graded les
sons, songs, prayers and equipment.
These, he said, should be in accord
with the best educational practice OF
today.
Newly arrived from his work among
the 100000 hereditary members of
criminal tribes in India, the Rev. Sam
uel D Baldwin, the militant mission
airy who breaches the gospel with a
bible in his hand, and revolver in his
rocket" and who was awarded the
Kaiserihind medal by the Viceroy for
his services, contrasted midas meth