Milford chronicle., 1922-08-11
MINISTER COMMENDS PRESS
DECLARES CHURCHES SHOULD ADVER-
TISE SERVICES In LOCALaPAPERS.

"There should be fund in every
church to be spent for publicity pur-
poses" the Rev. J. T. Brabner Smith,
of Chicago, of the Division of Public
ity, Committee on Conservation and
Advance of the Boards of Benevolence
of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
told the recent convention of the As
sociated Advertising Clubs of the
World
1.-THE church should buy space in
the papers and announce it's services
to the community with the same en-
ergy as the business man adVertises
his stock.
Among the preachers who are buy
ing space in the newspapers is an en-
inent Methodist clergyman, William
NJ Stidger, of Detroit, Michigan. He
began his pastorate with a small con-
gregation and also with the outlay of
S1,500 for advertising. With persistent
advertising and with delivering the
goods" when the people came to
church, he has now a congregation
which overfows the church and the
increase in loose collections pay for
the advertising and there is money
left for other church purposes.
"The secular press of America is
untrammeled, fair and sound, and
therefore a great ally of the Christian
churches" declared the Rev. Smith.
"In seven years of active co-Opera-
tion with the secular press we have
found the press of America sound to
the core. There is no controlled Am
erican press, either by any particular
church or by any particular business.
1t is ridiculous to say that any certain
denomination controls the American
press.
''Many of the leading newspapers,
both editorially in their news columns,
are at present preaching the gospel as
clearly as it is being preached in any
pulpit. There are editorials which con-
vince us that many of the editors are
prophets, and some of them with a
prophetic vision which outclasses
many of the preachers in the modern
pulpits. This is a true and faithful
saying: Editors could well afford TO
give more space for news; and,
churches could well afford to spend
more money for advertising the
church in the papers, The value Of
the church to society is of great pub
licity value. Rogers BabsOn has asked
the question: 'Supposing we had no
sons of preachers?' Preachers sons
were once called the worst brats in
the parish but Roger Babson discov-
cred that out of 100 leaders in Ameri-
ca, 80 came from the homes of poor
country preachers.
Churches Cooperate
Churches cooperate with newspa-
pers in order to secure first hand in
formation and to study advertising.
The Methodist ministers of New York
are planning a siX-week course in
church advertising, taught by New
York advertising men. In this way the
ministers and laymen will obtain the
of expert advertising men
and they will also give them some val
liable information regarding the sue
cessful art of advertising.
Editors and newspapers, like prea-
chers and churches, are held account
able for their utterances by their au-
ditors. The Bible says, they have
their reward This often comes when
the preacher ceases to move his con-
to action by his incOnsist-
ency of his lack of zeal for the high
est good and he becomes "a sounding
brass or tinklin symbal.' This ap-
plies just as forcibly to the editor and
the newspaper. There are many
widely read by persons
who read them for other purposes
than to accept their leadership.
"The ownership and control of
by denominations has
been debated with considerable zeal
by church zealots who desire to use
the press for propagation. There is
to gain in church having
at it's command paper or papers to
speed it's peculiar doctrines and to
stress it's mission. But the small gain
is not worth the great loss which in
evitably comes by such church control.
Recent experiences in ownership and
control by the Catholic and Christian
Science churches, even with excep-
tionally able and experienced writers,
editors and papers of rare journalist
ability, are positive proof that church
control of newspapers is neither wise
no profitable, and is certainly not an
to the churches who own
the papers.
There is an increasing number OF
Methodist who are publishers, editors
and writer, and in all the offices of
great and small newspapers Metho-
dists are busy at work, not as Metho-
dists, but as faithful servants of So
ciety. This is the real test of the
Christian, whether he serves society
and not solely his church.
Schools of Journalism are increas-
ing in number and power and train
men to interpret life in moral and
spiritual terms.
"Our seven years experience in Of
fetal church publicity has brought us
in close contact with many publishers,
editors and reporters. The American
press is sound at the core, its ideals
are unselfish and it's motto is service.
Press Is Powerful
"It is ridiculous to criticise newspa-
per and editors when the subject un-
der criticism is not known. The ig-
norance of the pastor and people of
the average church as to the routine
of the newspaper construction is am
ozino and b1lmiIiafine There must he