Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-07
AMERICAN PEOPLE
TO RECEIVE GOSPEL,
FROM FAMOUS men

Washington. March 6-(By A. P)
BASED on the conviction that If the
people will not go to the church the
church must go to the people, a
great religious movement is being
organized by the National Cathedral
Foundation. A college of preachers
is to be established at the National
Cathedral here. for which a country
wide fund of S10,OO0,O00 is being as
sembled, and from this a religious
revival akin to that of Peter the
Hermit. the Cowley Fathers. and
General Booth is to be directed.
The Right Rev. James l.. Free
man, ID. d.. Episcopal bishop OF
Washington, is now preparing with
othe" church leaders to launch the
evangelical enterprise this summer,
with the first sessions of the Col
! lcge of Preachers. This embodiment
of the church militant in a vigorous
campaign for Christ through preach
ing, publicity and organization, will
typify spiritually to America what
the Washington Cathedral itself,
where Woodrow Wilson lies buried
will mean materially as q great re-
lgious shrine and. in fact, an Amer
lean Westminster Abbey. where the
nations honored dead will sleep.
In the forefront of the nation
wide preaching renaissance to carry
real religion to the man in the
street. and to meet the challenge
that Christianity has failed, is Mcneil
Sayrc, trustee of the Church Pen
sion Fund and pension advisor to the
Church of England, whose brochure,
made public today, outlines the ar
gument for the preaching mission.
Mr.. Sayres Indictment of Chris
tianity's failure to influence average
men and women is summed up in his
opening paragraph thus:
"Christianity has lost its hold on
the masses of the people. The in
dustrial classes have ceased to be
Influenced by it, 1t has sh.unk into
"a concern of the so-Called middle
and upper classes. This is a con-
dition which. if allowed to continue,
means that Christianity in America
will soon enter definitely into the
status of a dccaying religion"
To Countcract this decay and
bring n natural and healthy religious
growth to the everyday American.
Mr.. Sayre proposes movement to
carry it to the spiritual nature of
the average man." He warns against
the delusive appearances of appar-
ent material prosperity in the
churches, and points out that the
danger of the practical overthrow
of Christianity is the product of
many causes, operating through
many years" Among these he lists
'insistence that some favorite the
DRY is essential TO a following of
Christ: emphasis on the relatively
uninlportant instead of on Christ
Himself: emphasis on the material
side of conduct instead of on an elc-
walton of our spiritual strength; and
tho inability of the Church today to
exhibit and maintain those high
standards of Christian morality of
which it is the guardian and trus-
tee"
The parish church is ''the only in
strumentalitY of Christianity seri-
ously and effectively at work today"
Mr.. Sayre maintains. A revival of
preaching is not needed in the parish
church. he points out, but must be
planned solely 10 reach those who
cannot otherwise be won"
The presentation of the Christ
alone TO the people, wherever they
may be assembled. devoid OF the
pomp and power of the pulpit and
ceremony. is the nucleus of the pro-