The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-01-25
PASTOR OF OLD NEW YORK PARISH
 RESIGNS ID BECOME MISSIONARY
 ID UNITARIAN CHURCHES OF U. s

New York, Jan. 24-Dr William L. Sullivan has resigned his pastorate at All Souls Unitarian church to ac- cept the invitation of the Unitarian Lay ynlen'S League to become a mis- sionary to Unitarian churches of the United States and Canada. His min istry, which began in 1914, will end as soon as All Souls selects his sue cessor.
 In announcing his intention of ac- ceping the invitation of the laymen. pr. Sullivan predicted that unless the present decline in church member ship was halted the Protestant church membership of Greater New York in 50 years would be not more than 10 per cent. of the population.
 The Unitarian Laymen's League, ', he wrote, wishing to further the missionary work already carried on by our churches and administrative officers, has decided upon a plan of systematic mission activity for the in vigorating of our own congregations and the publishing of our free faith to such as do not know it, but greatly need it.
 This is a decision Of immense i'm portance. It not only means that the layIuen of the league are filled with eaInestness and zeal: we knew that before. It means, moreover, that these far-sighted men have a deep understanding of the historic day we are living in anI perceive what opportunity spiritual dangers confront us. They see the uncertainty and confusion in to which the venerable creeda of Chris1endom have fallen. They ob- serve the multitudeS who are depart ing from the churches committed to these creeds, as multitudes always depart from any church which is hesitant and embarrassed in pro- claiming and defining its first princi- pies.
 They are aware of such condi- tions as this, for instances, that il the present decline continues the Bor- ough of the Bronx will in ten years nave a smaller prOpOrtonate mem berShip in Protestant churches than the Island of Ceylon: and in 30 years the Protestant church membership of Greater New York will De only be- teewn five and 10 per cent. of the population.
 They look upon the country as whole and discover in many parts ot 1t, especially in tie cities, a secession from organized Christianity almost as ominOuS. They are impressed with the possibility that this nation will abandon Christianity and they accur- ately appreciate the cost of such disaster in spiritual impoverishment and moral danger.
 Yet our laymen know. as we all do. that the unchurched masses are not anti-religious nor of an int1del ob- stinacy. Indeed, these lapsed Chris tions would rather return to the churches they have left than freeze their souls and starve their hearts in skeptical conventicles of atheist SO cieties They cannot forever live without God. For their own sakes and their chiIdren's. and their coun- try's they must find again the way t the Eternal and recover the mora safety and spiritual inspiration that come from communion with Him The more intelligent of them are simply waiting for a religion tha will have Christ's simplicity and WI offer them the liberty that He taugh and the spiritual experience that H incuIcated Such is the need, the op- portunty and the danger that the