Evening star., 1926-05-30
YIN. c. A. DEFENDED
| BY DR.. ABERNETHy
Criticism of Organization by
Baptist Visitor Is Held
Unjustified.
Statements refiecting on tn,

Statements renectlng on the ]. M
c. A. and Y. w. G. A, which We're
made during the course of an address
by a visiting delegate to the Baptist
Union of North America last weex,
do not represent the views of those
who know intimately the work of
these organizations. especially as they
function in Washington, according to
a statement last night by Rev. DR..
William S. Abernethy, pastor of Cal.
vary Baptist Church here.
Il regret exceedingly the statements
recently made rejecting on the Y. NJ.
c. A. and the Y. w. c. A." said DR..
Abernethy. II feel that both these
organizations have been grievously
wronged. Here in Washington 1 have
found them both standing strongly for
spiritual values. The churches depend
upon them and have always found
them true. William Knowles Cooper,
general secretary of the y. NJ. c. A..
and those associated with him are
men of unquestioned spiritual fervor,
and the same can be said of the Off
! cials of the Y. w. G. A. We cannot
do without either organization"
The charge which brought DIR.
Abernethy's statement was to the eff
feet that the Y. NJ. c. A. is zone of
the greatest enemies of the Christian
Church" and the speaker included
the Y. w. e. A. i'll his attack.
DIR. Abernethy called attention in
his statement to the work which the
\. M. Z. A. now does in cooperation
with the churches of Washington. and
also to the fact that the Y. N. c. A.
is managed in Washington by a board
OF governors, the personnel of which
Is selected from men who are ac-
lively identified with a church or a
religious movement.
1t was pointed out that in connec.
ton with it's religious work, the
Washington Y. NJ. G. A. operates a
school of religious education at the
suggestion and request of the District
Sunday school Council of Religious
Education, and this school, which has
| been in operation for seven years,
trains teachers for the local Sunday
schools. a Y. NJ. c. A. secretary
is secretary of the local Sunday school
council and another is a member of
its executive committee. In addition,
the y. NJ. c. A. in Washington has
brought the adult Bible classes to-
gether into an association known as
the "Organized Bible Glass Associa.
tion,' with headquarters in the cen
trail building of the Y. NJ. c. A
Under the auspices of the Washing
ton Y. NJ. c. A.. Il conference of Sun.
day school workers in Washington is
held every Summer. The Y. NJ. C. A.
| organized and maintains an annual
Bible story telling contest, (which
interests many of the younger
Sunday school children every year.
and in order to arouse interest in this
word the Y. NJ. c. A. this year sent
boys 10 nearly so Sunday schools and
young peoples societies, who told of
the contest and recited typical Bible
stories.
The Washington Y. NJ. G. A, it was
| stated, strives to maintain co-opera
! ton with all ministers in the city and
i offers the services of its religious work
| department in securing speakers tc
I'll their pulpits, for their young peo
| pies societies or Bible classes. During
| the year just closed, 80 ministers ir
! Washington addressed weekly indus
trial meetings organized and arranged
| By the Y NJ &. A.