San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-09
RADIO SERMONS
IN {. A. GRID
EARTH AND
Do GOOD
100000 People Tune in
Each Sunday to Hear
Local Pastors.
By BESS CARROLL
the worlds a stage

"All the worlds stage
And all the men and women,
players"
Invisible, yet reaching out to sea
and even to the mountain tops, there
is n limitless audience for every
player" now-an audience of Chinese,
Turks, Zulus and next-door neighbors.
hidden behind the mystery Of miles so
long tbat oceans lie between.
Not many years ago, when you
wanted to be entertained. it wasn't
possible TO be Sitting on the outside,
looking Mt the inside''-unless you
happened to be peeking through hole
in a circus tent. And now, after
centuries when distance dimmed the
human voice, it seems weird that peo-
pie can enjoy performances given 49,
600 miles away. Still more uncanny
that impenetrable curtains of waves
and peaks and miles make the au-
dience invisible, yet permit the per-
Torrance Of distant players" to span
the void of space.
MAGIC CONQUEROR
But radio-magic conquerer OF dis
tance-has outdone the power Of
miles to isolate any man from fellow
ship and pleasure-the farmer may
have his symphony concert, and the
traveller in Africa may tune in" and
hear the sound of his own language.
And since radio has reached the homes
of the world, one result Of its influ-
ence on the people has become evl-
dent-religion as it is broadcast
through the ether exerts radios most
powerful influence on the invisible au-
dience.
1t has been estimated that more
than 100000 people tune in each Sum
day on sermons broadcast by the Rev.
P. B. Hill, of the First Presbyterian
church. and the Rev. Hugh Mcclellan,
of the Central Christian church. Re
ports to these pastors show that the
greatest number actually influenced
by these sermons of the ether, are
those who never attend church ser
vices and those who are non-church
members.
REACHES THOUSANDS
Not long ago an old sea captain
wrote to the Rev. Mr.. Mcclellan, tell
ing him how-as his ship tossed on
the lonelicst waters of the Pacific,
1900 miles out at sea-he had listened
to one of the Rev. Mr.. McLellan's
sermons broadcast from the San An
tonic church.
Another striking example Of radio
religious influence is a report to DIR.
Hill from a country pastor who had,
at first, objected to radio sermons be-
cause he thought they would have
tendency to keep his congregation
from services on Sunday. One Sab
bath after he had finished his sermon
from the pulpit, this minister walked
down the village street and passed
the confectionery store.
Gathered about the radio he saw
the riff-raff of the town-non-church
members, all of them; and they were
/ intently listening to the Sunday SER
vices of the Central Christian church
of San Antonio. The radio had
reached people that his sermons, lin
tied to a little church, could not
reach.
BREAKS BARRIERS.
Not different from the roadside ser
mons of old Jerusalem was the curious
congregation that a San Antonian re-
Gently found far out on a country
road. A traveller had installed his
portable radio set and loud speaker
on the side of the highway. and soon
a large audience Of passers-by had as
sembled. The "voice Of Cod came
to them from the sir, as they stood
on the roadside-hushed and reyerent
A congregation of the same kind
composed of members Of every faith
and non-believers, was found not long
ago at a garage.
Radios greatest religious influ'
ence is the breaking down Of creed
barriers" DR.. Hill declared. 81 re-
ceive letters from Jews and Gsntlies
and from every Protestant dsnomlns-
ton"
Two churches. one IN BroHnsTill.
! tCsntinued on Page II, Part -