THE CHURCH AND LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13326, 5 November 1906, Page 6

T HE CHURCH AND LABOUR.

WHY THE WORKING MAN DOES NOT ATTEND CHURCH. In the course of liis address upon "Orangemen and Citizenship," at the Foresters' Hall, Newton, yesterday afternoon, the Rev. James Wilson made special reference to the question as to why the working man does not attend church. Ho said that had Bishop Ncligan come to him he could have told him why. Tho rca=on was that there was nothing: to take him there. Where the Church had gone wrong was in tho fact that nothing practical was done. He was glad thai Mr. Andrew had spoken out in the manner he did. Some of the working-men had tho idea that the clergyman was a "bell-topper," afternoon-tea sort of individual, or in other words that parsons were a lot of old women, and they therefore had no time for them. Working men had informed him that they had gone to church for months at a time without anvoue shaking hands with them. Tho wealthier classes occupied the pews, and the working man found no help or sympathy there, and consequently had no use for the Church. If tho Church wanted the working man she should stand by him and help him in reform. It struck him that Jesus Christ was forming a Church outside the Churches (Which would impart new vigour and new life into the cause of His Kingdom. "Oh," exclaimed the preacher, " for our old-time Church!—the Pentecostal Church—thai is what wo want." (Applause.) He thanked God that at the Foresters' Hall, where- they held their mission, there was always a good congregation. Some day, perhaps,' thev would have a Working Man's Church. The Church had a big work to perform, and had no right to sit on the rail waiting to decide which was the right course to take. If she could not decide then she was not' worthy of the name. (Applause.) His sympathies were with the working classes, and if ever it came to the point where they had to awing one way, he was going to swing to the side of the working classes, and he hoped that his own church would turn "its serious attention to reform and to the uplifting of humanity. - (Applause.)