Evening star., 1950-02-12
Suburb
.Empties City
|ChurchPews
Downtown Places of
Worship Are the
Hardest Hit
BY Cospor Names


The multiple problems now fac
ing city churches obviously cannot
be studied completely in two
day meeting. But the recent con-
vocation of city churches at Co
lumbus, Ohio, did perform a dis
tinct service by bringing into
focus the more important of these
questions.
Among the most urgent is the
need for survival of the downtown
city churches. With the growth
of rapid transportation, particu-
larly the automobile, the pattern
of city living has changed radi-
cally since father was a boy. Life
in the suburbs has increased by
leaps and bounds, and will prob
ably continue to do so.
AS a result, downtown churches
are faced with the job of attract
ing worshipers from distance.
The old tie of q neighborhood
parish is largely gone, so much
so that 1t is rare for minister or
members to live near a downtown
church. Members having a long
term allegiance will continue to
make the trip on Sundays, but
their growing children tend to
worship at nearby church with
their friends.
PREACHING BIG FACTOR
To keep a downtown church
alive at least one of three-pref-
erably, of course, all three-things
is needed. The church must have
an outstanding program geared to
attract its core membership, a
minister of attractive personality
or great preacher. In Washing
ton, for example, one or all three
factors are present in the great
downtown churches.
A great preacher is of particular
value in the Nations Capital, for
the visitor and the temporary
worker resident usually attend a
church to hear the minister speak.
Urban churches are divided gen.
orally into downtown, neighbor-
hood and suburban churches. Into
this division, especially on the
periphery of the city, enters the
problem of housing and housing
developments. Leaving the issue
OF public versus private building
elsewhere, it is interesting to OBJ
serve the convocation agreed unan-
imously that the church must take
as part of its task the question of
seeing that this need is met.
A resolution adopted by the
meeting declared, "The total well
fare of people is a primary con-
cern of the Christian church and
their welfare is best secured
through wholesome family living"
POLICE ARE ALLIES
The reason, for this stand is OBJ
vious. A poor housing situation
contributes strongly to spiritual
decay and moral delinquency on
the part of those living there. The
church is deeply concerned with
both, and so good housing must be
one OF its responsibilities.
Here the churches have some
what unexpected allies in the
police and realtors. Police de-
partments want churches in all
residential areas. They have found
by experience that when the
churches and Sunday schools are
operating full blast the battle
against juvenile delinquency is
easier.
Realtors, in turn, have been i'm
pressed with the fact that high
delinquency rate depresses the
value of property. Any ally that
will fight such trend is naturally
welcome. Convocation reports from
farf1ung places as Detroit, Los
Angeles. Atlanta, Columbus and
New York revealed the one COM
mon denominator among builders
was their willingness to allot space
for churches.
This cannot be done on the old
"hit-or-miss" system. Bitter ex-
perience has taught most Prot
estant denominations that too
many churches too often results
in all of them going out of busi-
ness. And a church without
congregation is worthless. To pre-
vent these conditions an overall
approach to the problem, usually
through the council or federation
of city, is taken by Protestant
churches. A study is made of
new area, and the answers to such
questions as how many people are
there now and how many will
there probably be in the forseeable
future. how many residents are
Protestants and of what denomi-
nations. and how many churches
are either there or nearby, are at
tempted. Then an agreement is
reached by federation commit
tee and a denominational church
Is authorized.
| REASONS FOR ATTENDANCE
Sometimes it has been found
wiser, where no particular de-
nomination is dominant. to build
non denominational church.
Frequently this is done with a