Evening star., 1941-02-05
Mission Leader
Urges Christian
.Sects 10 Unite
Bishop Dorst Makes
Plea; Dr.. McCombe
Flaws Modern Home

Inc mOdern American nome WaS
criticized today as being useful
merely as a post office address and
a place in which to change our
clothes for the next appointment"
This indictment was made by DR..
c. Jeffares McCombe. pastor OF st.
Pauls and ST. Andrews Methodist
Church of New York, in an address
before a National Christian Mission
forum on women's Christian life at
Metropolitan Presbyterian Church,
during the third day of the week.
long mission sessions.
simultaneously. a ringing Chal-
lenge to Christian churches to unite
under one banner and rid them
selves of the Worldliness that char
acterizes such a large part of their
life was hurled by Bishop Thomas
C. Darst of Wilmington. N. c., be-
fore large gathering of ministers
in Calvary Baptist Church.
Mechanization Blamed.
Contrasting the American home
Of today with the American home
Of Yesterday, DR. McCombe de-
clared the home of TODAY has "suf-
fered immeasurably' through the
advances of science.
What use is home?" he asked.
I'VE get our education in a public
school. our religion in the church.
We die in hospital and are buried
from the mortician's parlor."
In short. he said science has
mechanical the American life.
Then. he added
The old-fashioned home appar-
emily isn't needed. The bakery has
| taken the place of the family baking
| oven. the factory has taken the
| place of the loom and spinning
wheel the laundry has replaced the
wash tub. Some of us arrived in our
own home when he came into this
world. but the present generation
comes by way Of the maternity
hospital"
The American home of Yesterday.
the speaker said, was made of "a
family of simple, sturdy. hardwood
ing pioneers" and wealth was OF
the heart rather than of the hand
Then suddenly" he continued.
people realized the vastness of
their material possessions and si-
multaneously came into possession
/ of implements which could trans
form material into money. With
wealth came a new sense of success
and values. The idea was 10 get
money. honestly if you can, but to
get money.
AS a result. he said. the people
became "surfeited with luXuries
they do not appreciate" and are
swamped in the sea of moral sloven-
illness"
Moral Fiber Weakened.
! "Gangrened by gold. their moral
fiber weakened by misuse Of
wealth. they are totally unable to
withstand the corrosive influence
of materialism he added.
Marriage and home. DR.. McCombe
asserted, must rot be submitted to
archaic jungle ethics"
Marriage must not be entered into
as a physical or financial con-
venience to be dissolved under false
pretenses. 1t is holy. sacred cove
nant in which two souls pledged
| to revere each other. face life's
| tasks together, sorrow. suffer and
rejoice together, build home. shield
and love their offspring"
In his address before the min
listers meeting, Bishop Darst charged
/ the churches leaders with quar-
reling over man-made customs and
practices while millions die
To-day the church is broken.
divided thing, and until it comes
back to unity with God and in God.
it can never save broken and di-
vided world" Bishop Darst de-
clared
We leaders" he continued. can
never cry peace to war-crazed
world with any possibility of that
cry being heard and needed until
We establish that peace in the
household of God under the banner
of Him who prayed that we might
be one
What charges does God bring
against the church and its leaders?
BlShOp DarSt asked.
Unhappy. Wasteful Divisions.
Surrey" ne answered. He must
deplore and condemn our unhappy
divisions, bitter wasteful divisions
quarreling over man-made customs
and practices while millions die"
He warned that the church can
not compromise with its God-given
standards in order to attain a tran
sient popularity with those who do
not know or care for the way of the
cross" Such compromise, while
bringing the church down from its
high and holy place. does not lift
See MISSION, Page A-5)