Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-06-29

the dark days OF the depression DID
not send people hurrying back to the
church, and neither has the war and
its attendant confusion. The average
man, however, is thinking more and
more about religion, but he Is not
showing it by his presence In the pew.
This Is almost certain to come about
later.
This is the observation of DR.. Charles
G. Cole, a man who has preached in
every Methodist church in Montana
since coming to the state as an or
dained minister Of the gospel % years
ago.
DR.. Cole is now rounding out 10
years as a district superintendent,
during which time he has travelled the
highways and byways, the country
lanes and the desert trails, searching
out small communities and holding
services in dilapidated little churches
The latter. he remarked. are fast dis
appearing from the landscape, the
tendency of the members being to
unite at a central point for their re-
ligious devotions.
The Rev. MIR. Cole made these re-
marks in Butte as he paused for a
few minutes in his work Of holding
conferences with Butte pastors and
church boards. He Is well known in
Butte, having formerly been pastor Of
Mountain View church there from 1926
to 1882.
Succeeded Brother Van"
Prior to that he served one year
as pastor at Kalispell, from which
post he was called to succeed the late
w. W. Van Orsdel, known to thousands
of an older generation as Brother
Van" The latter was more or less
an institution" In Montana, dating
back to the days Of the circuit riders.
He was young preacher at Fort Ben
ton when river boats constituted the
Montana and 1.-THE states"
There was real religion in those
days" said DR.. Cole. People actually
went to church. Today, men in their
offices and homes are willing to talk
about religion. There Is no question
that they are thinking about 1t, pos
sibly convinced that In the way Of the
cross lies the way Of a better world.
But, as for going to church, that's an
other story"
At this point, DR.. Cole intimated
his belief that all this may mean
something. 1t may be, he opined, that
the world is on the verge Of the great
est religious revival it has ever seen.
Heaven knows they have tried every
thing else" he remarked. "And every
thing else has failed. Men IN all coun-
tries are beginning to ponder. The
spirit Of nationalism, instead Of pro-
noting security, has led only to de-
struction. 1t may be that the soul
Of man Is ready to come back to God.
Our religious prosperity has not been
keeping pace with our material pros
perity."
Native Of Nebraska
DR.. Cole was born and reared in
Nebraska and graduated from the Ne
braska Wesleyan university, later at
tending the Boston University school
Of theology where he was ordained
He then spent one year in st. Louis,
coming to Montana in 1917 as a pastor
at Kalispen
In his present job as superintendent
he Is almost constantly on the 60 IT
VIII be replaced as superintendent at
this years summer church conference"
he said. 81 viii be assigned back to
some pastorate. 1t is the policy of the
church to switch us around in that
manner"
The Woodworking clergyman ap-
peared tired and no doubt was looking
forward to the time when he viii again
get back to single church. For the
past eight years he has carried the
burden Of rundown churches, strug-
Cling pastors, the problem Of youth
and people who don't go to church. In
in religion, DR. Cole has made q won
derful record as q district superintend-
emit, and is said to be most highly re-
garded by his superiors.
Transition Of Years
Looking back over his % years In
the Treasure state, Or. Cole said: you
know. this state has gone through a
tremendous transition In the last 20
years. We can all recall those days
Of drouth, when settlers were begir1-
ming to move out of the country like
rats deserving drowning ship. Thew
had been ensiced from the cities onto
the dryiand hornesteads with promises
of bumper cr0ps and abundant pros
pertty. They came by the Thousands.
dotting the pra1rles with their two
by-four' snacks. They vent heavily ia
debt for farm machinery, for lumber.
for everything they needed Banks were
thick as flies end credit was easy. II
was grand and glorious adventure
while It fmseed. The bumper exnns cszns
as promised But tina hand that had
fed the buffalo for @@es aoon baked
u. 4. -