New Britain herald., 1924-09-11
MINISTER SAYS J. g.. IS 'OVERCHURCHED'
Springfield Pastor Pleads for
 Business Ideals in Religion

tndt tiV HfGtubS tAAath ts nv ttNp its job. but is relegating to outside agencies work which actually be- longs to the church, according to Rev. James c. Gilkey, D.D, of Springfield. pr, Gilkey, who Is pastor of the South Congregational church in Springfield, is a speaker of wide prominence and his ser- mons from station WBZ are well known to radio fans. He spoke to the largest gathering of lRotarians since the summer vacation season began. at the noon luncheon at he Burritt hotel today.
 The Springfield minister, who poke in this city a year ago, re- marked that apparently there was some business going on in New Britain, while in Springfield he said verything Is fiat.
 He announced the subject of his tddress to be The reorganization t the church along business nnes or increased and more efficient 'ervice to the community" He ftated that he would confine his emarks exclusively to discussion If Protestant churches because he yas not familiar enough with the atholic churches to include them.
 Three Things the Matter
 There are three things the mat sr with the Protestant churches" " said, First, there are altogether 10 many of them." He told of a cliglous census in Springfield re- antly which showed that the num- . CTS of Catholics and Protestants in ne city were relatively the same, ut the Catholics had 14 churches thile the Protestants had 4S hurches and 1S other sects. mak- ig in all 62 organizations. ''Ths hame of overchurching is even nore apparent in the country dis ricts," he added. "The average hurch today, judge Nby business tandards is on the job only a mall portion of the time. It is lde from S5 to 95 per cent of the time. A great deal or possibly most f the important work in the city or community service is being lone by outside agencies instead of he church while the church sits dly by. It's sad commentary on UT churches that year by year we ,re giving over to other agencies he work that ought to be done by he church"
 He told story of a church that presented an investment of $1O0,- sa0 and had 250 members. It con- ined it's activities to a few hours on sunday and few hours during the |Neek, making pussibly total of 10 or 12 hours a week. Four years ago 1t went out of business and the church of which MT. Gilkey is the head took 1t over and made com- |munity house out of it. .- Now it is serving between 2,000 Ind 5000 people and in the last F ,onths 151, 900 persons visited it. We are getting returns on our capi- tl investment" he said.
 He told how the work was accom- aished. It was found that many aiIdren in nearby school which was in the poorer section, were not ;atting noon day meal and the re- ] ult was some sickness and some dis
 plinary troubles in school, He told bout two negro boys who became nmanageable every afternoon about
 o'clock. Investigation showed that oth parents were working and the ooys, who were brothers were given heir breakfast at z o'clock in the morning and put out onto the street .ntil 6 o'clock in the evening, with put anything more to eat. The
 hurch opened a place in its com aunity house to serve monday lmches to school children and the lrst day each. of these boys had nine Fandwiches, three bottles of milk nd three plates of baked beans. But here was no more trouble in school
 During that year lunches were served to 75O0 children and the only ,ost to the church was S4O0 which was raised in one afternoon by a gorgeous brid gaper. er.'yt'shrsdlhrd
 . gorgeous bridge party" The balance of the expense was borne by he children who pay 10 cents each or the lunches.
 Baths For "Great Unwashed."
 The church also took up the ques-
 ion of children's health and free baby clinics and then installed show hr baths for the benefit of the great lnwashed." These baths average thout 50 week and have included rany children who received their irst introduction to bath there. i'm one evening that it took 10 min )ne of Dr. Gilkey's assistants told ites to wash a birthmark off one foung mans back"
 He told a very touching story of < where friendly sympathy and assist hnce is needed, instead of mere re- igious advice. Ayoung couple were married in Syria and started out for America. On the way the husband became i'll with a bsffling case of heart trouble and he was put off the boat at Naples and aagin at aMr- seilles. He finally reached Ellis island. got into the country and set- led in Springfield. He had good job and they went housekeeping in l fairly decent flat. But the business Repression of 1919 came along and he lost his job. He had saved some money but it was soon used up. He worked at anything he could get md finally at shoveling snow which proved too strenuous for man with heart trouble and he collapsed. One bvening visitor from the church ound him in cheaper tenement up hree rickety stairs on a bunde of rags in corner. his heart pal kitat- nr at q yratsaandntfs rata and ifs