Evening star., 1933-05-10
Church LAGGARDS
SCORED BY BISHOP
Fate of Russia Seen in Con-
tinued Indifference, He Tells
Diocesan Session.

Diocesan Session.
Right Rev James E. Freeman.
Bishop of Washington, speaking last
evening to a special congregation which
filled the Church Of the Epiphany for
the opening OF the annual diocesan
convention, spared no words in de-
nouncing the indifference of the masses
of the people to the church in its pres
ent hour OF need and trial. In the
same fortnight style Of language he
indicted the deficiencies Of the religious
institutions of the country. and de-
manded a new dedication of clergy and
laity alike to the Kingdom OF God,
pIopheysying that the fate OF religion in
America would be that Of religion In
Russia, If the challenge were to be
ignored or neglected.
The occasion was the formal charge
to the convention, the Bishops triennial
statement on the condition Of the
church The fact that the church is
an ancient ano established institution
does not imply that it can remain static
or Indifferent to changes that take
place in the world True, 1t Is not to
be moved from its determined course by
the capricious and changing opinions OF
men; on the other hand. its disciples
cannot do other than be obedient to the
will Of its Divine Lord as expressed in
His great prayer on the eve OF His
crucifxion: I pray not that Thou
shouldst take them out of the world
but that Thou shouldst keep them from
the evil He would have His church
make its impact upon the world. anrt
lN ry,lo tNlfr # =
world Immediately and vitality. In +
peated crises the church has been cor n
PEELED to adjust itself to meet new nd
strange conditions. and where it has
suffered a suspension Of influence {: ind
lost for the while its prestige, the I'D ult
has been directly traceable to its f'hJur<
to recognize the hour Of its opportnnity
No other opportunity. we belieW,, has
come to it. comparable to that which
this confused and distracted ag pre-
sents. If the church cannot, to it great
advantage, seize it by a fresh ticmon-
stration of its adaptability and opacity
to serve human needs, it will srifer an
impairment and loss Of influers s,e from
which it will not recover for tgenera-
ton to come"
Church Advance Inadeq Sate.
Neither during the World. War. nor
during the worldwide depression,
Bishop Freeman declared has the
church registered an adequ: tie advance
He referred to the commun tants Of the
Episcopal Church in the diocese as
being $4,000 in number, but asserted
that there should be at tast twice as
many persons enrolled 7 here is steady
growth. he said, but there also is steady
loss One reason for he waning of
interest he insisted. Is tn TT 1.-The church
itself as a corporate bod has failed to
make an effective mrSact upon the
troubled and distracted minds of the
people in the midst off their economic
difficulties" A single prophetic voice
here and there. yes. but no corporate
expression Of the Ghlrch's mind has
been heard. A Htslbled world has
waited. and waited lin vain, for the
authoritative and directing voice of the
church,
solemn and seriort matters for our
reflection. and tn " should make US
deeply humble al I'd penitent. BY its
silence on great questions that affect
the well-being Of -Siultitudes, the church
has lost the conf (dence of great masses
Of the people. Su 5ely the blame for these
conditions does Tot rest solely upon the
clergy-it must Zoe shared by a supine
and Indifferent ilaity."
Bishop Freeslan deplored "a very
definite declinfs in the prophetic ONCE, -
but he expires a I'd his belief that there
is no substitufs." for the preacher. This
whole chuphi OF ours needs a fresh
baptism of the Spirits power that shall
be like THAI which illuminated the
church on tbe day of Pentecost. There
can be no revival Of religious interest
until the church once again restores
it." He fRld the laity partly to blame
for poor preaching. Our people" he
said. mi Fst share the responsibility of
making heir religious convictions more
anomaly"
Necessity Of Action.
The pastoral relation has been neg
lect.d, the bishop declared. 1T is
iml,egat that something be done to
restore this ancient ONCE to its proper
piate. Time was when the pastor of
the church was the intimate and con-
fid Snte Of every member, young and
oltl alike, Of his congregation. 1t can
nok be denied that the lessened recog-
n kion of the pastoral relations has an
Immediate bearing upon the church's
declining influence and persuasive
flower" He appealed to the laity to
tfree the clergy from administrative
land financial cares that q larger por-
ton Of the time and strength Of the
pastor may be spent in the service of
his preaching and pastoral obligations.
Bishop Freeman made direct refer
ence to the campaign Of atheistic
propaganda sponsored by the Soviet au-
thorities of Russia. Communism" he
said, 'in our day has assumed place
of larger proportions In our social and
economic systems than 1t has hitherto
known. It is the avowed policy of q
great government, and its propaganda
is worldwide In scope. In its seeking
for q new order of communal life it not
only disparsges religion Of every name,
but frankly declares its determination
to extreminate it. It declares that
Christianity is the greatest obstacle to
the ultimate accomplishment of its aims
and that it cannot survive. To assume
| that America Is immune to these ag-
gressive forces Is to live In q fools
paradise.
within our own confines, largely
| unlet and unhindered, the propaganda
of this movement gathers day by day
new adherents who are appealed to
by its specious promises Of q more
equitable distribution Of the emolu-