Topic No. 2—Securing an Attendance

Introductory Presentation By J.L. Shuler

Introductory Presentation By J.L. Shuler

I wish to offer seven suggestions for securing an attendance. The first three are basic principles, recognized by all true evangelists; the last four are developments of specific methods.

1. I would put prayer as our first necessity. Before ever we launch a series of meetings we should get our people to pray. The workers should pray earnestly every day that the meetings we purpose to start may be used of God to bring our message to the honest in heart in that place. Brethren, that same blessed God that guided Philip to the eunuch and Peter to Cornelius, is ready and willing to help us today to find the honest in heart.

2. Perhaps second in importance in securing an attendance is the right kind of place for the meetings—the right location. I wish to read a statement from the pen of Mrs. White, appearing in "Historical Sketches," page 200. Notice how pointed this is, in speaking of some meetings held in Europe:

"I am convinced that we might have had a good hearing if our brethren had secured a suitable hall to accommodate the people. But they did not expect much, and therefore did not receive much. We cannot expect people to come out to hear unpopular truth when the meetings are advertised to be held in a base­ment, or in a small hall that will seat only a hundred persons. The character and impor­tance of our work are judged by the efforts made to bring it before the public. When these efforts are so limited, the impression is given that the message we present is not worthy of notice. Thus by their lack of faith our labor­ers sometimes make the work very hard for themselves."

With previous speakers, I think it is well to have the meetings in a place where the people are accustomed to go. It helps much in securing the attendance.

1. I would next list sincerity. The worker who is to hold a successful series of meetings must believe for himself. He must make the people realize that he has a message from God for this hour. Unless a man has a profound conviction that he has something that is the most important thing in the world for people to know, something which they need right now and cannot get anywhere else, that man had better never start a series of meetings. So I think it is fundamental that we have on our hearts the conviction that we have from God's word a message that God wants the people to have at this hour.

I was glad to hear Elder Branson empha­size the work of John the Baptist last night. He did not have any tent, tabernacle, or hall. He had no choir, no pictures, no papers, no cards; but the crowds went to hear him. You know why. Read John 1:19-23, and you will find the reason. A deputation came all the  way from Jerusalem and asked, "What do you have to say for yourself?" And here is the answer, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." So we learn that the people will come out to hear when they are convinced a man has a message from God; for while the world is indifferent, there are many hearts hungering for God's message for this hour.

What is necessary on my part as a worker?

What should I preach in order to prepare the way for the second advent of Christ, as John prepared it for His first coming? There is no question as to the stir he created, and as to its results. He did not advertise; the ad­vertising was all done by the people. Now what is necessary if we are to preach like John the Baptist? Let us read it from "Testimo­nies," Volume VIII, page 333:

"In order to give such a message as John gave, we must have a spiritual experience like his. The same work must be wrought in us. We must behold God, and in beholding Him lose sight of self."

4. We must have a drawing title for the first sermon if we expect the people to come twice as many people outside the tent as there were inside. What made the difference?—His subject title. It means much to have a good title for our first subject. Of course every subject should have its appeal; every title should be a drawing one, and that requires real brain work Many men have studied for hours and hours to get the right title. Preach­ing this message and producing drawing titles is no job for a lazy brain. I should like to see the best powers of our evangelists enlisted in getting up the most attractive titles for all our major themes.

Take the subject of Daniel 2. I have known men who advertised it as "Nebuchadnezzar's Dream." Others have advertised it as "The Great Image of Daniel 2." But very few people know anything about these, or have read con­cerning them in the Bible. If I were going to speak on Daniel 2, I might take this for a title: "What Form of Government Next?" Daniel 2 answers that. We might also speak on Daniel 2 from this subject: "What Is Com­ing—Recovery or Collapse?" Or we might take, "The Meaning and Outcome of the Pres­ent Upset Condition of the World." We can see how much more appeal is found in those to create interest. People say, "I want to hear that."

While we need to study to get titles that really have drawing power, I think at the same time we must avoid cheap or sensational titles. We should use only titles that are in keeping with the spirit of our message. But those titles must be up to date and interest arousing, so that people will want to hear the subjects.

I wish we might have a committee appointed to formulate lists of appropriate titles, with the editor of the Ministry as a member, and that this list might be printed in the Ministry, giving suggestive titles for the different sub­jects.*

Let us ever be on the lookout for titles. I try to use titles that are different. I have often found good titles on books. It might be some book that I wouldn't care to read, but I could use the title. You can find good titles sometimes in the Signs of the Times and the Watchman. The preacher's title is the headlineof 'Els story. It takes thought and time to make it just as attractive as possible. I like to have a variety of titles for each subject. On some I have as many as fifteen different titles that I can use.

5. Having selected a proper title, or one with the widest appeal, we want to advertise prop­erly. On advertising I shall speak but briefly, because others will discuss that more fully. I shall speak of only three methods: First, the newspaper—display advertising, and free stories. That comes first. Then follow cards or folders, or whatever you wish to put into the homes of the people. Third, I would list the radio. For three or four days before you begin your series, at 5:30 or 6 in the afternoon, give a fifteen-minute talk that will stir the people. Perhaps close by saying, "All right, now in so many minutes we will be in the tab­ernacle, so come and hear the rest of it!" Many people will come.

If I were limited to three methods of adver­tising, these are the three I should use. Don't fill up your newspaper ad. with little print. Put in the smallest amount of copy that will tell your story. Get the subject before the people so they will see it. I like, too, to con­centrate my advertising on the first subject. I do not believe in advertising subjects upon which I intend to preach for ten or twelve weeks. If the people hear that, they may wait until the last week before coming. I think it better to concentrate the advertising on the opening subject in the newspaper and even on the cards.

6. I have a card printed giving the subjects for the remainder of the week. When we put a card in the home, we usually put the week's program on it. Deliver the first sermon in a gripping, right-to-the-point, stirring manner, and quit when the interest is still high and the people want to hear more. They will say, "I must go back and hear that man again."

7. Get the audience to boost for you. At the close of the first sermon, I call for a show of hands, saying, "How many people enjoyed the talk tonight?" Then I ask, "How many will try to bring a friend?" The next night I ask, "How many brought a friend?" And I announce, "I have a program card for you to give that friend." Then have these people give out the cards, for that has more influence than for my workers to give them out. If we can get our audience to boost for us, we can thus build up our attendance.

Discussion from the floor

"Jury Trial" and Chalk Talk

E.L. Cardey (Lincoln, Nebraska): I wish to speak of methods of advertising, character of advertising, and mistakes in advertising.

Methods are as varied as the individuals employing them, and rightly so. All legitimate methods have their place. But I put down as first in my program, more and more depend­ence upon the influence of prayer and the Holy Spirit to attract the people, and the support of members in our churches who really know what prayer means. When I think of what Moody, that great revivalist, accomplished through earnest prayer, it causes me to know that God can work upon the hearts of individ­uals to accomplish wonders. I firmly believe that God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon us at the present time, as men and women all about us are reaching out for something better.

We had evidence of this in Lincoln. A lady and her husband, who took their stand for the Sabbath, were led to pray for light several weeks before the tabernacle came there. When this lady saw our tabernacle going up almost overnight, she asked what it was. The people did not at first know. Then she discovered that it was a place where religious meetings were to be held. Immediately the conviction came to her heart, "This is an answer to my prayer." And it was. We have had other instances of the same character that show the influence of the Holy Spirit's leading. Many are praying in the dark, reaching out after light. We can depend on prayer as a true medium of advertising.

Now, second, with reference to the character of our advertising. We should devote real mental effort to the preparation of a title. It is not enough to say that we are preaching on Bible prophecy of great importance, or that we are going to preach on "Who Chahged the Sabbath?" That is all true, but it may and should be stated in such a way as to attract people. Sister White says that we have a startling message, and that our message should startle our hearers. So our advertising should be of a startling nature. Mark you, I did not say "sensational," but startling. I seek to get away from the customary forms of stating a subject, avoid the doubtful method of cartoons, and the spectacular aspects of either colored paper or ink.

I believe in folders and leaflets. They are as effective as the newspaper, if put into the hands of the people. And I think that is the chief point to take into account—the effective­ness of the advertising. These folders must be put into the hands of the people, and not dropped on the doorstep.

Use startling announcements and out-of-the­ordinary statements. As a suggestion for your subjects, look at the chapter headings in the new book, "The Dawn of a New Day." Almost every chapter has a heading that we haven't been using in books. As I scanned it I thought, "That is a good method to use in advertising."

We want to attract the attention and gain the interest of thinking people and religious people. Therefore, instead of announcing, "The Change of the Sabbath," which might turn away many people who would really like to know something about the subject, it might be presented as, "The Greatest Criminal and the Greatest Crime," announcing that there will be a "trial by jury." We had such a jury trial in our meeting last Sunday night. I called the members of the jury right out of the audience, and they gave a unanimous verdict. You can be sure we had the undivided attention of that audience of approximately 1,700. The taber­nacle was crowded, and some were turned away, all because they were interested in the announcement. If I had merely said I would talk on the change of the Sabbath, many would not have come. They came to hear the jury trial, and to hear the jury pronounce the ver­dict. And it made a profound impression.*

Do not say on your announcement that which will cause the person who reads it to reach a decision before he comes to the meeting. That is why I am avoiding the old cartoons we used to have. They said too much. A man looked them over, decided in his own mind the answer, and either came to the meeting with his decision all made, or did not come at all. We want to say just enough to arouse interest, and to bring the people to the meet­ing, and there answer the question.

We will demonstrate here one of the aids we employ to secure an audience. It is the crayon-drawing method. [The artist, Mr. Newell Niswonger, draws the great image of Daniel 2 in colors.] This is the procedure I follow when speaking on Daniel 2. The same picture and many similar ones may be used in store windows or on a street corner. Imagine the crowds you would get with this picture being drawn in a store window, followed by a placard announcement of the meetings. Such a plan holds the attention of the people when they come.

It is not difficult to get a crowd the first night, but that meeting ought to be of an exceptional nature,—of surprises, as it were,—and yet of a spiritual turn, that will cause people to come back again.

We have also sought to combine this chalk-illustration work with special music. The two together grip the people, and not a soul leaves. [Artist draws hand nailed to cross, in colors, while duet is sung, "The Hand That Was Wounded for Me."] Requests come up, "When are you going to have another crayon draw­ing?" Sometimes we have the lights out,—save on the platform,—and it surely interests the people and holds them to the last. I always give a spiritual turn to the meeting at the close, that people may know we believe in Christ, so they will accept personal salva­tion. Close each meeting with spiritual em­phasis that exalts Christ.

Effective Use of Press

John Fenn (Boston, Massachusetts): Just space in the newspaper will not bring people out. One may spend thousands of dollars on such advertising, and get no results. Some­times a smaller ad. will bring far more people than a quarter page, if the smaller ad. is made up in an attractive, arresting manner. To gain the attention of the reader you must have something different, something that will stand out, that will not look and read like the other ads. on the page. Most advertisements in newspapers have big headlines and big words. If so, keep away from such. Trying to think of some way to make my advertisement differ­ent, I decided that one way was to put in a large cut of myself, a cut larger than any other on the page. This is not that I want to display myself, but that as the reader turns the pages of the paper his eye will be caught by that picture.

Then, of course, you want to gain attention by your topic. I find it important to be specific in advertising—not too general. Just advertising a "Bible Lecture" will not bring a crowd. Advertising a name will not bring a crowd. My name does not mean anything, but my topic does. Make it strong—some­thing that will arrest immediate attention, and make people want to come to your meet­ing to find out more about it. Make your topic stand out. People won't read through a maze of words before coming to the topic. After all, that is the most important thing, and should stand out in bold relief, along with the date and the place.

I hesitate to stress my way. These sugges­tions are merely for your consideration, but I believe we ought to consider matters from all angles. I don't like to concentrate all my money on the one meeting, for I have to have some boosting during the weeks following. So I divide up my advertising budget to cover the entire series, and keep up a constant series of advertisements of about the same size. If I spend it all on the first week or two, a bliz­zard may be on, and my crowd will not come out. So if I fail to get a crowd the first two or three weeks, and have no more money for advertising, what would I do? I am fearful of "putting all my eggs in one basket." I be­lieve in a constant program, even though it must be small.

Then a few thoughts about cards and hand­bills. Some print only on one side. I think it quite important to print on both sides, for many times as it is laid upon the table it may be wrong side up, and many people will throw it out without turning it over. And don't advertise yourself, but the subject. Again, if you are going to have your cards handed personally to the public, be sure to have the right type of personto do it, for many times certain people do much damage in handing out the cards personally.

I ask my church people to bring their neigh­bors to the service in the car. This usually guarantees a baptism of two out of three persons who are thus personally invited and brought constantly to the meetings by auto. I know of one brother who had an old Model T Ford who would load up his car with friends and neighbors and bring them every night to the meeting. As a result, nineteen people from his neighborhood were baptized. This per­sonal contact is most important.

A. J. Meicklejohn (Denver, Colorado) : I think it is a good thing to advertise with our pictures. I have held meetings where I advertised and did not use my picture. But I find from experience that I get a larger crowd when I advertise and do use my picture. The counsel here seems to be that it is not always the best thing to do, but I have had my best attendance when I have advertised that way.

I also think it well to advertise our distinc­tive doctrines. I have held meetings where I have advertised that I was going to speak on the Sabbath question, and I have seen my best attendance when I have advertised in that way.

* An amplified statement has been secured from Brother Cardey, setting forth his method of proce­dure. This will appear in a later issue.—Ed.

Placards, Radio, and "Whispering"

H. M. S. Richards (Los Angeles, California): We advertise mostly with handbills and with big placards on the side of the tabernacle or tent,—big ones 100 feet long. Brother De Fluiter, our song leader, is also an artist, so it does not cost anything except for cloth and paint. Then we have an ad. for the spare wheel on the back of automobiles. For the last year and a half I have been using the radio heavily,—five solid hours a week,—and naturally I mention my meeting every night. That has taken the place of most of my news­paper advertising. I believe in Brother Ford's plan. I like to advertise quite heavily the first three or four weeks. The last six weeks of the effort I have usually had no advertising of any kind, so as to make our effort self-sup­porting.

If we were down in the center of the city, as Brother Ford is, we would naturally have to be in the big metropolitan papers, and then people would come from all around. But our tabernacle is located on an arterial highway, where people can see it.

I agree with Brother Shuler in the case of a smaller town. But if I were working in Philadelphia, and had just one means of adver­tising, then I would use the newspaper, as I do not think that cards would amount to much in a city of this size.

I have advertised usually as a Seventh-day Adventist. The people want to know about the Sabbath, and when we come to the change of the Sabbath, my Bible workers come to me and say, "Be sure to advertise it that way," for the people want to come. So I do not camou­flage the subject. What is there better on the second coming of Christ than just "The Second Coming of Christ"? I am a regular title "thief." I "steal" wherever I find some­thing that I like. And I find some others tak­ing the same liberty with me, and I believe we ought to help one another. I have used a little color in my advertising at times. The other day a lady came to me and said, "I thought I had seen all kinds of handbills, an­nouncements, and cards on my doorstep and in my mailbox, but as I looked out of my window the other day, I saw a card of the strangest color I have ever seen in my life. It was being blown about my yard. I walked out and picked it up, and here I am." Sometimes I advertise my name and show my picture. It helps, I think, in attracting an audience to know what the lecturer looks like. I believe that if we keep humble, this part will go along all right. We are nothing. We are not big men, but we have a big message,—the biggest message on earth, and all these different methods of advertising are good.

There is another way. In advertising one of our meetings we got two young women to ride the elevators of the big hotels and de­partment stores throughout the day, talking to each other in an interesting way about our meetings. Such a "whispering campaign," rightly organized, has great possibilities. We must have the tongue of the learned and know how to use it. People can ride street cars and talk to their neighbors about these things. I believe there is a great field that we have scarcely entered here.

In one place where I was holding meetings, I ran out of money for advertising and just quit, and we got along about as well as when we advertised. But of course we were on the radio every night, and hadn't so much need of the other. I believe the newspaper is the greatest single medium of advertising, but I don't like to use it unless my ad. dominates the page. Better to save your money for two or three weeks and do that, rather than run a series of small, ineffective ads.

Capitalize Your First Meeting

O.D. Cardey (St. John's, Newfoundland): For the last eight or ten years in my work in halls and theaters I have advertised only one meeting at a time. I capitalize the news­papers. When I went to St. John's, first of all I went down to call on the manager of the paper. I had with me recommendations from papers in Toronto and other cities. I showed these recommendations, which mentioned the money I had spent with different papers. I told him I was considering a series of evangel­istic meetings in St. John's. He called in the editor and the display man, and they told me they were pleased that I had come to see them. Some evangelists, they said, come to town, and the editors do not know who they are and they get away before they ever find out,—and some of them do not pay their bills.

When I was at the Palace Theater in Hamil­ton I gave a short write-up to the papers, say­ing I had been secured to hold that special meeting. If my audience has the idea that that is the only meeting to be held, they are more likely to come out than if they think I am to hold a whole series of meetings. Then they think they will come later, and somehow keep putting it off. I usually advertise my meetings by dodgers. I always head them "Big Mass Meeting." I have advertising posters on the street cars. I also have them on my own car.

I believe in advertising my first meeting heavily. Tell the people it is the biggest thing on in the city for that night, and they will come out. I usually open the doors at seven o'clock. In Canada, however, I opened the doors at eight, for at that hour all church doors open. In that way the preachers cannot say I open earlier to get their congregations. In one place where I advertised just the one meeting and opened the doors at eight, we had 1,500 people that first night. At the close I asked the people, "How many enjoyed this meeting?" Ninety per cent of the audience raised their hands. "How many would like to have another similar meeting?" The same hands went up. Then I said, "Well, I think it can be arranged." There were 2,600 people out to the second Sunday night meeting. We had to open the doors at 6:30 that night, and at five minutes past seven there was not an empty seat left. So much for method.

But I believe we must pray, brethren. I depend upon God to bring my audience. I ask our people to meet in their homes and pray that God will overrule in anything that would prevent the people from coming to the meeting, or that men may say against our work. The preachers know I am coming, and they know I am a Seventh-day Adventist.

Advantageous Use of Cards

J. L. Shuler (Charlotte, North Carolina) : When using the newspaper, I stress the open­ing ad. in order to attract the people. But because the space costs so much, we feel it best to limit extensive newspaper advertising just to the opening subject.

I spend perhaps one half to two thirds of my advertising budget on the opening night. If it snows or rains, I try again the next Sunday night. So far I have never had to do that. I believe we should keep the meetings before the people. Our advertising money is limited, and I think we should study more how to spend the available funds to get the people there for the first night, and then endeavor to hold them and build strongly that first week, thus being able to cut down on advertising for the succeeding weeks.

When using  the card which we take to the  homes of the people, we can put the Sunday night subject on one side of the card and the week-night subjects on the reverse side. There will be some who cannot come on Sunday night, but seeing the subjects for the week nights, will come then. And it does not cost much more to put the week-night subjects on the back of the card than to have the one subject on the front. But that is not all: With the week-night subjects on the reverse side of the card, that same card can be used to give to the people who want to invite their friends, thus serving a double purpose.

If my funds were extremely limited, I would choose the card in the homes of the people as the most effective way of advertising. We have made a test of that by calling for a show of hands in the audience after the service has been running for several weeks. Every time I have made a test the most people have raised their hands who had been attracted by a card left in their homes.

Parade and Giant Cutout

E.L. Branson ( St. Louis, Missouri) : We had a fine carpenter in our church make a giant Bible, twelve feet high, a cutout made of building board. It was mounted on top of a trailer. It was well constructed, and was painted by an artist also in our church. It bore the words, "Branson's Bible Lectures—Colosseum." This attracted considerable at­tention as it was drawn through the streets of the city. There were a few restricted sec­tions into which we could not go.

Then one day we secured permission from the police to organize a parade, comprising some thirty or forty cars,—those of our church members and their friends. We even had a police escort of motorcycles. It is surprising what a long parade thirty-five or forty cars will make—three blocks long. It tied up traffic. We went for twenty miles back and forth over different streets. On the sides of the cars we had placards announcing the "Branson Bible Lectures—Colosseum, October 7-21." We were unable to use music. We should have liked to, but it is against the laws here.

Then there was another method we found helpful. When we came to an important topic like the Sabbath or the change of the Sabbath, we wanted all who had been at all interested in our meetings to be present. Each Sunday night we had taken the names of those who wanted literature for that week. By the time we came to the Sabbath question we had a thousand names that had been turned in dur­ing the weeks previous. We used a mimeo­graph to run off a thousand penny postcards, and the Bible workers in two or three hours addressed them from this list. In this way they all received a personal invitation to that particular lecture, and the attendance was greatly increased from those most interested.

Auto-Amplifier

R. S. Fries (Nevada, Iowa) : Last summer we secured an amplifier that could be used on an automobile, and went through the streets of Des Moines between the hours of 12 and 2, when the streets were packed. We advertised the subject by placards on both sides of the car. One man drove the car and another operated the machine. We played some of Rodeheaver's duets and solos. Using only the very best music, created favorable comment. Periodi­cally a voice would be heard through the microphone, "Come out tonight to the Bible Palace, and hear _______________ ," the subject being changed, of course, every night. We secured a very good attendance as a result of such advertising.

Telephone Advertising Effective

M. V. Cambell (Union Springs, N. Y.): There are two types of advertising that have not been mentioned. One of them is very in­expensive,—the telephone. It has been used effectively by assigning to certain persons in the church, blocks of names in the directory whom they are to invite to the meetings.

Nearly all of us have had the experience of some sales person trying to sell us something in this way, and it is effective. Let us call the people to our evangelistic services. The directory should be divided among the church members. If there are one hundred members in your church, the first one might be given a part of the letter "A" in the directory, and be asked to call up every person listed. He might be given several hundred names to call during the week.

Then there are the posters—these large post­ers on billboards. We used them in England.

For a considerable period of time we put out thirty thousand handbills and had forty post­ers, six by ten feet in size, scattered around the city at strategic points, and one large poster, sixteen by twenty-four feet in size. This large poster was at a junction point of several lines of buses and street cars where thousands of people were continually passing by. The letters of the words announcing our meetings on this sign were six feet high. With this advertising we were able to keep our hall packed for the first four weeks, and an excellent attendance stayed with us to the end of the effort. Of course these posters are ex­pensive if you have them hand painted. But in England I could have them lithographed, and by getting them in quantities, they did not cost a great deal.

L. F. Passebois (South Lancaster, Massachu­setts) : I try to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. For years in Montreal I failed to get a hearing among the French. Three years ago there arose a controversy as to whether people, when they died, went to hell or heaven, or stayed in the grave. I immediately seized upon the opportunity to announce that in a certain hall I would lecture on "everlasting fire." Needless to say, I had a full house, and every Sunday night thereafter the hall was full. I also used the telephone to great advantage, having the mem­bers call up on Sunday afternoon to ask the people out that night.

W. J. Hurdon* An amplified statement has been secured from Brother Cardey, setting forth his method of proce­dure. This will appear in a later issue.—En. (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) : I found in Ottawa a conservatism which was almost impossible to break. I distributed thousands of cards, and did not get results. I used the newspapers. Then I tried the telephone, and found it one of the most effective ways. Some of the finest members we have came in through the use of the telephone. The church members divided the directory alpha­betically, and assigned different names to the different members.

H. A. Lukens (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) : In large cities do not take just the alphabet, but select the sectional exchange for the dis­trict, and focalize on that.

Question: Which of all these advertising methods is considered the most effective—newspaper, radio, cards, dodgers, telephone, or bringing people by auto?

O.D. Cardey: With just one introductory meeting held in the center of the city, I should choose the newspaper. But if there were to be subsidiary efforts in other sections of the city, I think I should use the cards.

John Ford: I agree with Brother Shuler. When means are limited, you can get more from cards; but newspaper advertising is the most effective when you have the means.

Decision by Vote: The consensus of opinion was almost unanimously in favor of the news­paper as the most effective, with radio next.

A new device to aid the sightless, called the "Talking Book," has been perfected by the American Foundation for the Blind. It is a combination of electric phonograph and radio, and is said to be the most helpful invention for the sightless since the Braille method was introduced a hundred years ago. Seventy-five per cent of those who are blind lost their sight too late in life to master this method. Through arrangements with the Library of Congress, "Talking Book" libraries are to be established throughout the United States, and records will be lent without charge to the blind. Machines may be purchased from the Foundation, at cost of manufacture, by blind persons or those wishing to donate them to blind friends. The New York Bible Society has promised to record selected portions of the Bible into "Talking Books," the Psalms and the four Gospels being completed and now available through the Li­brary of Congress. A recent act of Congress makes postage free on these books to and from the library. They can also be purchased by the blind for their own permanent use. Full information may be obtained from the New York Bible Society, 5 East 48th Street, New York, or the American Foundation for the Blind, 125 East 46th Street, New York.

The general small church situation in North America is stated thus by a religious exchange:

"It is estimated that there are 85,000 feeble churches in the United States. These churches are unable to support the full-time services of either a trained or untrained minister. Less than a fourth of Protestant churches are employing seminary graduates, and less than one sixth are employing graduates of both college and seminary on full time."


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Introductory Presentation By J.L. Shuler

April 1935

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More Articles In This Issue

Those Memorable Round-Table Hours

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Topic No. 1--The Meeting Place

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Our Supreme Need--Part III

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