A MINISTER WHO ILLUSTRATES HIS SERMONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 54, 5 March 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MINISTER WHO ILLUSTRATES HIS SERMONS.

A striking innovation has just been introduced into the pulpit by the Eev. Dr. W. E. Needham, of Brooklyn. This is to draw pictures in the pulpit to illustrate the sermon, and he turns out a picture of the gate of heaven, the face of satan, or other subjects with remarkable rapidity.

Dr. Needham started his innovation a few weeks'- ago. After announcing his text and having begun his introduction, the clergyman took up a piece of coloured crayon lying on the desk and, while still delivering his sermon ■with force and gesture, turned to an easel at the rear of the pulpit. With a feAv strokes he made a striking picture which the congregation could scarcely refrain from applauding.

The illustrated sermon'was intended as a 'special,' but at the urgent solicitation' of the congregation Dr. Needham has consented to illustrate all of his cA rening sermons in the same fashion.

Dr. Needham is a tall, Avell-built man and eloquent in speech. He Avas born thirty-nine years ago in the South of Ireland, and his heavy black moustache, sprinkled Avith steel grey, hides a kindly mouth given to the utterance of the rich wit peculiar to his countrymen.

He is a born artist, and would have devoted his life to artistic pursuits had not an accident happened to his brother, Avho is a clergyman, some years ago. Dr. Needham's brother was assisting the Evangelist, Mr Ira D. Sankey, Avhen he Avas hurt in a carriage accident, and his artist brother AA ras asked to take his place temporarily.' Dr. Needham consented, and it struck him that he might turn his artistic training to good account. Accordingly he dreAV two sketches while Mr Sankey was preaching. When the sermon was over Mr Sankey sang his missionary hymn, 'ThroAv out the Lifeline,' and as he finished Dr. Needham dreAV a realistic picture of a AATecked ship sinking at sea, with a crowd of helpless women and children huddled together on the boAv of the ship. The effect was so instantaneous and tremendous that the collection plates poured over with contributions to aid the missionary movement.

Speaking of"his innovation Dr. Needham said: —

'The illustrated sermon is every Avhit as justifiable as the illustrated newspaper and the illustrated magazine. It Avas not such a long while ago that every newspaper or magazine one picked up Avas as dry looking as

A STRIKING PULPIT INNOVATION.

a time-table. In fact, the time-table had the more attractive appearance. But iioav all this is different, and Avhile it is not true the chief feature of neAvsp.aper and magazine is found in the pictures, any periodical that would drop its illustrations uoav would be itself dropped by its readers.

'This is the age of pictures. There is too much reading matter and too much cheap talk. If the - reading matter is read it needs some advertisement. But even advertisements need an illustration to be successful noAVadays. Pictures are the advertisements of the reading matter.

'Pictures are more natural than the arbitrary letters of the alphabet, and for this reason catch the eye more readily and make an impression upon the mind better than the mere printed Avords.

'We cannot express all Aye Avish to convey in pictures alone, but Avhat AAfe do say "will be all the more deeply impressed upon the minds of our hearers if Aye accompany our Avords Avith a striking picture Avhich embodies actually Avhat the chief points of our discourse may happen to be.

'To have a sermon make a lasting impression on the minds of the congregation it is, of course, necessary to have the attention of each member, and the more completely the attention is given the more indelible will be this impression. For this reason the illustrated sermon Avill be a universally used institution of the future, and the time is not far distant when a sermon Avithout proper pictures Avill be as scarce and as much out of favour as the neAvspaper and magazine Avithout pictures are to-day. Of course, I do not mean every minister will be obliged or be able to make his OAvn pictures. He can as easily call in the services of an artist as he noAV calls in the services of an organist.'

The sketches given here are copies on a small scale of those draAvn by the preacher in the course of his sermon. We print under each sketch the passage of the sermon it is intended to illustrate. The time taken to make the sketches A-aried from one minute to three and a half minutes.

All men are building. The house is our hope of heaven. He Avho builds not upon Christ builds upon the sands. A rock stands for stability. It stands for strength. It stands for steadfastness. Build upon the,. Lord God and you are safe. You can then defy sin and death, and even AA raves of worldliness and Avaves of doubt, and waves of infidelity may lash and dash against it, but you are safe.