Evening star., 1949-02-12
Presbyterian Urges
Religious Movies
For TeIevision
By Cospor Nonnes
Stcr Stcff Correspondent

CHICAGO, Feb. IA Presby-
terian layman today urged pro-
duction of religious motion pic
lures for television as one means
Of spreading the Gospel through
out.
Practically all of the television
stations in America would give
free time for the showing of re-
ligious films, 10 or Is minutes in
length" Clayton T. Griswold of
New York, executive director of
the General Council of the Pres
byterian Church in the U. S. A.,
told a meeting of the National
Council of Presbyterian men here.
Mr.. Griswold. who pointed out
that approximately 100000 peo-
pie view television every day,
called on the church to make five
or six religious films especially for
this audience.
He also declared that better
liaison was needed between the
churches and radio stations. as
serting a great many more re-
ligious programs would be heard
If the two parties were brought
together.
Says College Influence Declined.
The influence of the church.
related college has declined with
the growth of tax supported
schools, Ralph A. Nixdorf of New
York warned today.
This is due not only to compe-
tition from other schools. but also
to the difficulty of maintaining
adequate standards in the face Of
the shrinking value Of endoW-
ments, increases in operating costs,
and similar problems, he ex-
planned.
He urged merging OF weak
church-related colleges to make
strong ones.
There are now more than 100,-
900 men active in local chapters
of the National Council Of Presby-
terian Men, Paul Moser. executive
secretary of the newly formed Or
sanization, announced last night.
The council was authorized by the
General Assembly of the church
last May as a means in furtherlng
interest on the part of laymen in
the activities of the denomination.
Pastor Church Program.
The Ministerial Relations De-
partment of the church which met
here earlier this week, today an
nounced a program to reduce
situations where pastors and
churches do not fit have been for
mulated.
First step in this direction will
be the nomination of an executive
secretary of the department. the
nomination to be submitted for
confirmation to the 161st General
Assembly meeting at Buffalo. May
1925, to advise synods, presby-
teries and individual churches
when the appointment of a new
pastor comes up. He will probably
be q layman, committee members
said, and his Office most likely will
be in the Midwest.
The executive secretary's task
will be to collect data concerning
the backgrounds of ministers and
churches 50. when a vacancy oc-
ours, each will know something OF |
the type of pastorats that ID open.
The executive secretary's office
will eventually serve as kind OF
central bureau for both ministers
and churches. His function, how
ever, will be purely advisory, de-
partment spokesmen emphasized.
La Roe Cites Situation.
Wilbur La Roe, jr.. of Washing
ton, former moderator OF the de-
nomination. said there are approx
tmately 1000 pastorates where
church and minister did not fit.
He pointed out how this could hurt
both sides by noting that in one
situation the minister went to an
other church and doubled its
membership in two years while the
church he left tripled its member
ship in the same period.
]. Austin Latimer of Washing
ton, a member of the Ministerial
Relations Department, said the
plan probably would be most help
full to smaller and less well organ
lied presbyteries than that OF
Washington City Presbytery, but
noted that even in the best run
presbyteries advice on new min
isterial appointment would fire.
quently be extremely helpful.