RELIGION’S LEAD

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1931, Page 7

RELIGION’S LEAD

A SYDNEY REVIVAL.

CROWDED CHURCHES.

Sydney, Oct 2. There has been further, evidence during the past few weeks of something approaching a religious revival in Sydney. More and more are the churches entering into the discussion of highly controversial subjects, and the people seem to be developing the habit of looking to the pulpits for a lead in these troublesome times. Many of the city and suburban churches are now crowded beyond their capacity, and as the Church is feeling the depression as much as any other section of the commnity there is difficulty in deciding how to meet the situation.

Tn a number of churches the seating accommodation has been increased,'*aiid particularly has this been necessary where the minister is a man who deals wijth modern questions touching the everyday life of his congregation. Purely ecclesiastical sermons are no more popular to-day than they were, but the people will listen with the greatest interest to a discourse on Communism, or the need for sacrifice, or an examination of the hundred-and-one political prabelms that are uppermost in the mind tbday. , “The Church needs you and you need the Church,” is the effective slogan that has been adopted by many religions. In the big city churches, where there are so-called "popular” preachers, it is a case of “early doors” almost any Sunday night. St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church is° packed out every, Sunday, and the congregation has developed an enthusiasm which is a revelation. The devotional spirit has been most marked there, as has been the case with the Pitt Street Congregational Church, where - people stand in the aisles throughout a Sunday night service. In the great St. Mary s Basilica hundreds of additional people are now attending the daily Mass. Of course, many of them are out of work, but their devotions are marked with a fervour seldom before seen in Sydney. The Rev. S. V. Cocks, the leading Methodist preacher, reports that more young people are attending the Church than ever before. Methodist leaders; ha said, believed that Australia was on the verge of a great religious revival. The people as a whole were turning to God. The vicar at a seaside suburb said- that both the morning and evening services were now crowded. Many people went to church before they enjoyed their day on the beach. There was no suggestion of despair among those who were now turning their thoughts to religion, but a definite desire to pay greater heed to the big things in life. In short, the Church was rapidly coming into her own, and was playing an ever-increasing part in the general welfare of the community.