The Washington times., 1923-10-13
VESTRYMEN ARE
BACKWARD At
ADVERTISING
ScripturaI References Given to
Show That Craftsmanship
Is Recognized in Bible.
By BESSIE PRICE MARSH.

By BESSIE PRICE MARSH.
An Trying TO SOIVe the why"
In REGARD 20 church advertising,
/ have Deen brought 40 the rear
zaJlOn THAT the VeSCrynlen axe
Lme ones VINO are tytng the nanuS
OF the cLergyInen ami are nlll.
0erinE the uOSSIDIe progress VI
the ChurcIf OF WnIcn Cney are
VeStrymen. lE is hard 10 un-
derSLand because VeSGrymen are
generaMy big business men vi
Gne city and use all modern
means of advertising 60 advance
tneIr own business. Vet they
refuse the clergymen permission
to spend small amount each
Meen 80 advertise the church they
are pledged to support.
These same men who are SO
acute in business lose their prac-
ticaI business application and will
bubble about authorizing TOR their
church the same principles which
make their business y success.
They snow less true business
sense when it comes to their
church than does the clergyman.
This is general complaint
of the clergymen, who Of course
abide by the decisions of their
VeStrymen. These same clergy.
men look with interest upon the
modern advertising by the great
business establishments Of which
their VeStrymen are heads, and
wonder why they cannot apply
It to their church.
For the benefit of those who
regard this as q new venture
without ScripturaI authority, the
following Biblical reference is
gwen. Numbers, XIV: Come,
therefore, and will ADVERTISE
thee what this people should do"
Thus did one of the prophets
of old use such form of adVer-
Using as was available to the
people of that day. And be-
cause modern advertising has
reached its highest form In the
use of the public newspaper Is
no reason why its benefits should
be denied to the advancement
Of Gods work.
This is not the only reference
to advertising in the Bible. Turn
to that beautiful story of Ruth
and Naomi; read in the fourth
chapter how BOaZ, in speaking
TO NaeFni, says:
"And / thought to ADVERTISE
,. before the inhabitants
and before the elders Of my
people,"
Throughout the entire Bible
there are examples of adver.
Using and salesmanship of the
most skillful sort. When st.
Paul spoke to the hardened ears
of the people in Athens, did
he begin by merely discIaiming
against the variety of gods they
were wOrshiping?
Quite the contrary. He began
by seeing their side of the case.
In effect he said: I" see that,
In all things you are very re-
igiOus. You have a wonderful
assortment of gOds-all that you
could possibly think necessary.
In fact. you have even gone SO
far as to have one altar to the
'UnknOwn God And it Is this
GOd-the one whom you ignO-
rantly worship, that 1 have
come to declare unto you"
And from this wonderful be-
ginning he began to expOund
the story of Christianity. and as
Q result thousands were that
day converted. Were St. Paul
here today would be overlook
the power Of REAL SALESMAN.
SHIP to win people to the cause
he knew was right?
You business men who serve
on the vestry, are you being
fair to the advancement Of Christ's
message when you turn your
back to the greatest power OF
craftsmanship open to you through
the columns of the daily press?
That force which you use so
successfully in your daily bust.
ness is denied to Gods bust.
ness-is it right to tie the hands
OF your clergymen SO they can.
not use the greatest avenue omen
TO win souls for God9