Evening star., 1961-05-31
Continued From First Page

church Is LIlc pIlIlC4Pd4 1AACIAION
Of communication with the
masses, this failure to attract
the slum dwellers means the
church is not making contact
with a large number OF
Negroes in the Capital.
If the old-line, well-organ-
ized churches with their pro-
gressive community programs
are not reaching the peop-e
who live in SlumS, then who
is?
Part of the answer can be
found on countless streets in
Washington. In homes and
stores small groups OF Negroes
gather for prayer meetings at
night and services on Sunday.
These are what Negroes call
"Store-front churches"
The term exactly describes
the scene. Usually the services
are held in a leased store. 1t
may be next to a pawn shop
or a cheap bargain" clothing
store. The windows may be
painted blue-an old carry
over from the rural areas Of
the South when that color was
supposed to keep out 'hants'
or devilS-and decorated with
religious symbols.
Some have painted signs
saying "The True Baptist
Church" or the True Church
of Jesus" One says. "a Friend
ly Church Where Everybody is
Somebody"
Appeal to Own Group
st guess we have about two
dozen store-front churches IN
this area" the minister Of
that big church in the slumS
said. I'm afraid they offer a
greater appeal.
"The preacher may be
knocking society. He may
damn the intellectuals and the
professionals. The people
think, There's a man who
speaks my language They
understand him. They feel at
home. The preachers are al
ways attacking-attacking So
cietV. attacking people,
80 the people will nod and
say: He says for me what I
can't say for myself There's
always a lot of hot amenS in
that kind Of congregation.
Now he's really preaching
they'll say"
On a recent Sunday, after
such a service in store-front
church, the minister was asked
what he thought about the
big church up the street.
We'll, I guess I got to say
that a lot of those people
have turned their backs on
there's Of u.s." he said.
Some of those ministers also
express a certain hostility to-
ward any movement to work
with the larger churches in a
Joint community effort. They
seem to be afraid that il. doing
so they might lose their own
congregations.
Many Store-front churches
are unable to survive. They
will disappear as quickly as
they come. If they are sue
cessful, though, they might In
time be able to build a large
movement of their own CEN
tered around a strong leader.
Some Become ''Messiahs"
Father Divine and Daddy
Grace were two Negroes who
succeeded in building large
flocks-and great wealth as
well.
THE Father Divines and
Daddy Graces and Elder Mi
chauxS are the new Messiahs to
the people" a theology in
structor said. "They met basic
needs. They made the people
feel loved and cared for.
You must remember that
the masses, too. are hungry for
a ministry. The masses are
honest, but we must try to get
better men out among them.
II believe we can get to the
people, but don't believe we've
used the proper approach so
far. We need workers-people
imbued with real spirit-who
are willing to go out In the
neighborhoods, to talk to them
in the way they understand
We need people to go out in
the community, to use the
same techniques Of love that
Father Divine used so success
fully - love and something
more: real understanding, real
caring.
IF the people could find out
they are loved they'd come
back to us and then we could
help bring them UP. It's sort
of missionary work. You know,
Christianity is a contagious
philosophy. So is suffering
Together these ideas could Gre
ate a climate of need and
change"
That is the viewpoint Of
many Negro ministers. There is
another and more extreme
view which is attracting at
tention today.
Muslin Group
This is the Black Muslin
movement. The Muslims are
the angriest Negroes. The ex-
act number of their members
throughout the country is not
known, but their leader in
Chicago, Elijah Muhammed.
has been quoted as saying
there are about 100000 Mus
Inns.
The Muslims are black su-
premacists. They believe in the
eventual triumph of their race
In Washington, they have a
large temple off New Jersey
avenue near @ street NV.
Because the MuSlims will
not talk to white man, a