RELIGION AND THE MASSES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 49, 26 August 1925, Page 4

RELIGION AND THE MASSES

(■I TIIIaiiPB,— «PKUI, TO THI POST.) PALMEBSTON N., This Day. Public addresses in a hall or ironi the band rotunda were suggested by the Rev. 0. W. Duncumb at the annual meeting of the Council of Christian Congregations as the beat mean's-of reaching the masses outside the Church. The suggestion was. voiced in the course of a ten-minute address on " Unity." PerBonally, he stated, at the outset, he was aggressive in nature, but he realised that the council could not serve the purpose by continually launching attacks.' They must consider what the people out-. side the Church were thinking about, why they rebelled, why they refused to again cross the threshold. Were they as Christians prepared to accept tho considered opinion of many outside the Church that ij; was a dying institution? It was not; rather it was a very lite institution, with tremendous powers. That fact must be demonstrated in many directions. To much time and energy were directed to things not affecting Christ. "Is not the Church carrying too much baggage?" asked a speaker. Prior to 1914 the clergyman had a. fairly easy time—he was not asked to pass an examination, what ho stood for, so to speak. Then came a, wider call. Mr. Duncumb proceeded to deal with the ■ need for extending to the great army of men outside, the Church a religion that they could understand. They must go out, go out ;is a body, to these people. " We. must go outside of our churches," ho stated, and added that nothing would give him greater pleasure Hum with his fellow-ministers to speak publicly from the band rotunda or the municipal or other hall. They could appoint their speakers and address the people on the great questions affecting the Church, such us the position ;nul history of Sabbath observance a nil like topics. Tlir retiring chairman (Mr. G. H. rtenuctti paid the council would m«et at an early date, when any tueh iqfi