Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 244, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1913 — FILL THE CHURCHES [ARTICLE]

FILL THE CHURCHES

Clergymen, East v a/id West, Tell How It Is Done. Full Houses Rule In Seattle—Edifice Filled Eleven Years With Audiences Nearly Seventy Per Cent Men. Chicago.—Every earnest pastor Is anxious to know how successful ministers fill their churches. This question was put to several pastors of large churches by the Christian Herald, and the letters were all printed. They are so valuable and illuminating that a few of the replies are given here. The Rev. Dr. W. A. Andrews of Seattle gives the following reasons for his “full house.” He says in part: *‘l. This church has been filled for nearly eleven years. Most of the time it is crowded and scores and hundreds have been turned away. The evening audiences number anywhere from 2.500 to 3,500. We can only seat about 3,000. The rest have to stand or be crowded out. The audience has In It from 55 to 70 per cent of men. 2. The results accomplished are entirely due to the operations of the Holy Spirit. We pray much, expect much and get much. 3. The pure, simple gospel is preached. Sinai and Calvary are held tipto the people. The vicarious "atonement is emphasized: the sacrifice of Christ is presented daily; his deity and his mediatorial work are kept before the people. The whole gospel, and nothing but the gospel, is preached. 4. We make the gospel apply to every condition, circumstance atjd point of a man’s life. We deal with his social, domestic, commercial, political and civic life, with the gospel, and only the gospel. 5. Every service is an evangelistic service. We never preach the gospel or finish a sermon without making gn appeal for immediate decisions and confessions of Christ At every service we urge men to accept Christ and join the church. 6. We do not have a sermonette after a long musical program of questionable ecclesiastical music. Every member of the choir must be used, but that program is kept in its minor place. The sermons are not dictated by the clock, nor are they closed at the suggestion of>eome man who would like to hurry through the service. Time enough is taken to present the case of sin, produce conviction in the hearer’s mind and ask for the work of the Holy Spirit To produce conversions. 7. Every man, woman and child in this church is supposed to have something to do, and is required to do the thing assigned. If churches of the country could be lifted from their blight of materialism and could get from under the control of Godless trustees, Indifferent and lukewarm church officers, and could be made to understand that it is their business as individual Christians to evangelize the world, the pews would be full and the pulpits would be on fire with the love of God and an undying passion for souls." Rev. J. H. MeJish, rector. Church of the Holy Trliiity, Brooklyn, says very wisely In answer to the same question: “Some time ago a student of religious life in London asked himself the question which you have put to me and then he set out to find the

answer. He went from church to church, churches of various creeds and different types, some evangelical, some ritualistic, some rationalistic, others engaged in no social activities. And this was his finding, that every type had its failures and its successes. It was no one type as such more than another type which suo ceeded in interesting men. Men do not go in for evangelistic preaching more than for ritualistic ceremonies, for social service more than rationalistic teaching. In every case it was the man in the pulpit who drew men. Where men were found there was found a real personality in the preacher. In every case among all these varied types the human factor In the ministry either drew or failed to draw men.” In this connection it should be stated that Dr. Matthews very modestly says nothing of himself, of his own personality, but those of us who know him realize that he is in many ways an unusual man. H ft is a natural born actor, very dratnatic, a veritable general, and surrounded by a magnificent body of men who uphold his work and carry out his commands.