A Church for Men

To one acquainted with the Rev. S. B. Alderson, D. D., of Portsmouth, Ohio, and his work, it would ahnost seem as if the absence of men from the services of the church were largely the fault of the minister himself. For several years Dr. Alderson has been conducting, in connection with his church, a successful Sunday afternoon service for men. The attendance began with eight present. It is now a very ordinary thing to see five or six hundred men in the audience every Sunday afternoon. At my suggestion Dr. Aiderson writes concerning his work as follows:

A few years ago in a meeting for men, conducted by J. Wilbur Chapman, I received a precious blessing upon my own soul and there made up my mind that throughout the remainder of my ministry, be it long or short, I would devote more effort than in the past to that large indifferent and neglected population who had so much in this world to contend against — who realize so little their eternal danger — whom I had always found a hopeful element to work io6

REV. S. B. ALDERSON.

with when properly approached, — that I would by God’s grace and assistance try to save the men. My church at that time did not differ from the ordinary run of churches, having a small nucleus of devoted members and a majority attendance of females upon its regular religious services. The problem now was “how to reach the men with the Gospel,” for I had no advantages either in myself or in my congregation, except that of an humble, faithful pastor and preacher. The work was before me. How to inaugurate it and at the same time enlist the enthusiasm and co-operation of my own male church members, was the question to be decided. The women had their literary and musical clubs which brought them together frequently — which they greatly enjoyed, which they enthusiastically attended — but there was nothing of the kind which brought the men together in assemblies outside of their narrow denominational church services. The men met one another in their daily business relations but in higher social and spiritual relations they really were not acquainted. Nothing ever threw them together in this capacity. Church and social circles had formed cliques and rings which brought the same individuals into frequent contact with one another, but there was no wider tie of mutual interest which brought them together as a body massed for the purpose of studying their moral and religious interest. Assuming that they would appreciate this higher movement in their behalf, I announced a meeting in the lecture room of my church to be held on Friday evenings, throughout the winter months. I then selected two or three live topics of local interest about which men were thinking and started off to find a few well known and thoughtful men in the community who would consent to open the discussion upon these several topics. On the first evening it rained and only eight men were present. In a few weeks, however, the interest extended to a wider circle of men and we soon had an average attendance at the meeting of over two hundred men. These meetings were never organized. They had no name, no officers, no expenses, no constitution nor by-laws; only a committee of three selected to provide topics and assign them to qualified speakers. The subject of religion was never once introduced, neither by song, nor by prayer. The object was to bring men together as nearly as possible upon an equal degree of freedom and that no man should have his convictions or prejudices wounded, no matter what might be his denominational or political opinions. The discussions were opened to all alike. Even the pastor did not assume any privileges or ofiiciousness above the others. He was the most quiet and modest man in the company. He went there not to tell others what he knew, but to gather from the experience and thought of the others all that they had learned, and he hereby acknowledges that he gained much practical information of men and their ways, which has since been of estimable value. The pastor’s supreme effort was to bring these men together socially, to help them to know each other, to draw them toward himself, to win their esteem and affection, so that he might be useio8 fill to ihcm in the future. It required a good deal of tact not to offend their prejudices nor to antagonize their opinions and to hide from view his own ultimate motive, but it won in the end.

Perhaps an intimation of the nature of the topics selected and discussed at these meetings would be interestmg. The aim was to make everything intensely helpful and instructive to young men, who because of their daily employment did not have time either to read or attend school. The point was to get the older and experienced and successful to tell for the benefit of others what they had learned. Some of the topics as I remember them were these: “An Easy and Practical Lesson in Arithmetic,” by the principal of the Business College. “Banking, The Deposit, Circulation and Protection of Money,” by a banker. “Wages, How to Invest Small Savings,” by a manufacturer. “Building and Loan Associations, How They are Managed, and What Advantages They Offer to Small Investors,” by the president of one of these associations. “How to Make Farming Pay,” by a farmer. “The Personal Care of the Human Body,” by a physician, “The Sanitary Care of the Home,” by a physician. “Legal P^orms for Drawing up Notes, Bills, Contracts and JMortgages,” illustrated on the blackboard by an attorney. To my personal knowledge many men derived valuable financial, commercial and physical benefit from the discussion of these and kindred themes.

These meetings continued through two winters, with unabated interest. No one derived more good from them than did the writer. He learned to know men — their habits of thought — their pecuHar inclinations — what interested them — what would attract them — what good thing remained in them underneath all their roughness — how to love them and talk to them — how to win their confidence and admiration — and how to point them to that Savior, Whom he now knows, the heart of the libertine, ♦^he drunkard, the saloon keeper, and the gambler longs to find and rest upon in peace.

Before the second winter closed an additional “Men’s Meeting” was appointed for Sabbath afternoons, to be of a Gospel character and led by one of their own number — some man of approved Christian standing. An invitation was extended to all male persons over sixteen years of age, and at the same time a promise was given that these meetings would be undenominational — that they would not be in the interest of the congregation whose church building was occupied, but that the sole purpose would be to quicken the religious life in men — to bring them to see their need of Christ as the Savior of sinners — as the safe and only reliable shelter against their manifold temptations; and then, after they were converted, to send them to unite with the church of their choice, whether Protestant or Catholic. Men will act with more freedom in the presence of men, than in a mixed audience, hence the rule barring out boys was kindly enforced. The promise, never to ask any man converted in these meetings to unite with the writer’s church nor to use these meetings in any way to the writer’s periio sonal advantage, has been strictly adhered to both by myself and my co-workers, until the whole community has learned to confide in our integrity — to admire our unselfishness — to believe that we are honest and have the glory of God and the welfare of men truly at heart. It took the people some time to find this out, but the number of men who have gone into the other churches, when some of them preferred my church, has disarmed prejudice and suspicion completely. Whenever these men have talked with me I have insisted that they accept Christ first of all and after that I have advised them to anchor in the church where their families or where their peculiar inclinations and ties might lead them. Divisions in the home have been carefully guarded against. And let me say — this broad, honest Christian method, closely followed, has commended itself to sensible men every where, both in the church and outside of the church, and has proven one of the most powerful factors in this work. This method has allayed the fear of pastors and invited the co-operation of all good people. The motive is high, unobjectionable and cannot be disputed. Sectarianism, denominationalism, ecclesiastical rivalry men dislike and hold themselves aloof from, until they become converted; after that they become wiser and more charitable toward what seems to be the necessary condition of the church upon earth.

Now as to the meetings. How to arrange and

conduct them. A successful meeting of any kind

must be planned and provided for in advance. The

first thing necessary is a cordial greeting to every man who attends. Let him meet this atmosphere of welcome on the threshold as he enters the building. Show him that the meeting has a smile and an extended hand for him. Have a committee of genial and popular men at the door to receive the first person who enters. As for myself I never fail, as the pastor of the church, to shake hands and speak a kind word to every man before he leaves the room.

Then be careful not to make any distinctions between men — not to show any preference or partiality in the manner of your greeting. Let every one — the well dressed or the poorly clad — the man of wealth or the man of poverty — the man who stands high or the man who is rated low — every one receive the glad hand. Ponder and act upon the words of the Apostle James:

“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

“And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool;

“Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love Him?

“But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

“Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

“If ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well;

“But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law of transgressors.”

Study this last verse carefully. Many of us have sinned in this respect. Our transgressions have turned the face of God away from our effort. So many ministers and church workers select from the community the men whom they want saved, because these men are their relatives and a selfish desire will be gratified — because these men will give standing to the church of which they are members — because their change of life will increase the pastor’s renown — because their offerings will strengthen the church’s financial situation and make the salaries secure. Are these proper motives for any Gospel worker? How they weaken the attack upon a sinner’s security when no higher motive than this prevails in the mind. Successful work must be unselfish and altogether for God’s glory. My experience is that if a minister values men by the worth of their souls — and sees in every man whom he meets, irrespective of clothes, habits or standing, the same value — and his supreme aim is “to save a soul from death,” God will look upon his ministry with favor and he will have his reward — from Heaven. This may not be a popular idea to enforce in some churches, but it is scriptural and right. In all of the writer’s ministry, and especially in revival serv-H 113 ices, he has endeavored to impress his church people with this idea and has insisted that they should not pick out the men of their own choosing for the honors of salvation, but take them in the order in which providence sends them, talk to them just as you happen to meet them, for God is directing in this matter as in all things and it is our duty to seize His opportunities, not waiting for those of our own making. There was never an outpouring of any great power in any of the churches served by myself, except first the people became as willing to save a drunkard as a moral man — as happy to save a gambler as an honest man — as anxious to save a saloon keeper as the most respectable man in the community.

God taught me this lesson years ago in a most striking way. I was pastor of a church at Washington Court House, Ohio. For five weeks I preached to a faithful few in the lecture room. The situation seemed to be getting more desperate rather than more encouraging. My heart was breaking under what seemed to be an approaching failure. We needed more of the substantial, influential, well to do people of the town to counteract certain influences which were at work and to give the church a higher standing. We had our eyes on the families whom we would like to reach. But we were not reaching them. They stood ofif as usual mocking at our calamity. One morning a number of men covenanted that they would go out that day and talk religion to any and every man whom they met — that they would invite these individuals to the revival services, no matter how hard and wretched and wicked they had become. Many that day were startled by the first reHgions conversation of their lives. This was kept up for several days and it is needless to say the wedding was furnished with guests. Soon the town was on fire with interest. The main audience room of the church became crowded, the folding doors were opened to accommodate the increasing numbers and still many were turned away. Many notable conversions occurred. We reached the persons whom we at first wanted by beginning with the lowest strata of the population and working upward. In the following four weeks 140 persons were received. The meetings closed on a high tide because the pastor had become physically exhausted. The character of the work was quiet, deep, permanent. The memory of it remains like a sweet fragrance with those people still. Thus God taught us not “to have men’s persons in admiration” and I have ever tried since then to keep that lesson in mind.

Next have a singing book for every man. In this day of inexpensive song books, there is no excuse for a church not putting a book into the hand of every man in the meeting. Have a male organist and a male leader of the singing. This is not the place for a choir nor for fine singing. Men hear enough of that in the usual church service. Have the men do their own singing. Let them read the words of the hymns and hear their own voices. Nothing in the world is finer or more inspiring than the voices of hundreds of men singing praises unto

God. Give the singing a large place in the meeting. The pastor should not lead the meeting himself, unless special existing conditions make it expedient that once in a while he should preside. Of that he must be the judge. His opportunities to speak are numerous; let the men have the floor if you are going to have a men’s meeting. The great point is to get others to work, to bring them prominently forward so that they will become committed to the movement. Do not lose sight of this aim. Show your tact in getting others to take hold. Your leader may be timid but assure him that you will stand right by him and that he cannot fail. Sit near him, so that he will feel the strength of your pr«sence and if you see signs of his becoming embarrassed, be ready in an instant to come to his rescue before he realizes that he is breaking down. Do not allow any long silences or pauses to occur. Speak to a dozen men in advance and get them to promise that they will get on their feet, either to pray or to give testimony whenever they notice that a break occurs. It is a great thing to train your church members to take a voluntary part in your mid-week prayer meeting services. As a rule the writer never calls upon any one either to speak or to pray in his Wednesday evening service. We doubtless kill many prayer meetings by so doing. We call upon those who can speak to edification as a rule to take part and often when they respond, they do so simply because tb.cy are ashamed to decline, when perhaps the spirit of devotion is absolutely foreign to their hearts at the time. In that case the whole performance is a mockery. Throw the meeting open — give God’s people liberty. Let the Spirit select the individuals whom He would use and speak through — and if you find the spirit is not there to respond voluntarily, close your prayer meeting earlier, then go home after a good but short service rather than have a long but very formal one. What you want is prayer, much of it and from many lips. It will require training to develop your people in this direction but when they are developed, then you can use them everywhere.

In the meetings for men keep things going. With a wise pastor on one hand and a good leader of the singing on the other, together with a ready organist, the meeting should move right along. I have yet to see the first man, however timid, fail and break down as a leader, but I have seen God use the feeble efforts of these men wonderfully in impressing others. They may not be able to occupy more than eight or ten minutes in remarks but that is all right. What they do say comes from the heart and their trembling tones give great weight to their messages. Another point gained in having as many dift’erent men lead as possible is this, then the meeting is advertised each week under the name of a new leader and this gives variety — besides each leader has his special friends who will come out of curiosity to see and to hear him. Usually the leader will become so deeply interested in his own meeting and so anxious to have it surpass the others in attendance, that he will spend a great deal of time personally inviting men and will print cards containing- his name and topic and will strew these through the shops and factories. The matter is on his mind all the while. You have no idea how anxious men are to hear what the Christian man who lives next door, who works in the same shop, who endures the same trials and temptations — how anxious they are to hear these men tell about the power of religion to make them strong and happy. They do not discuss these subjects as private individuals. Everything- else is talked about but not this. These meetings are a revelation.

Be sure that your leader is a person of reputable Christian character — that he has been a member of the church long enough to convince others of his sincerity. Take him right into your pulpit with you and let him see that your desk is not simply a place reserved for an ordained man but is the place for any man whose object is to save souls. Let him see that your pulpit is not a place for proclaiming altogether abstruse theological doctrines nor for gettingoff fine essays, but that it is consecrated to God for saving men; and if his heart is yearning for his fellow men, he can stand in it without the least embarrassment. In so doing you bring yourself as a minister down to the level of your fellows — they begin to look upon you as their equal and their friend — they will love and admire you, and your opportunity over them will become wonderfully increased.

Often men are heard to remark that they can hardly wait from one Sabbath to the next, so anxious are they for these meetings to come. And the evidence of this soul longing is seen in the fact of their coming by hundreds from all directions and gathering at the doors of the church often fifteen minutes before the doors are open or before the ringing of the first bell, which is three quarters of an hour before the time announced for the meeting to begin. Some of the notable effects of these meetings may be summarized as follows:

First, on my own church, which has a large number of male members on its roll and in its Sunday congregations — and then upon our Sabbath school, where the attendance of males never fails to outnumber the attendance of the females. This is unusual and exceptional. There are from 75 to 100 men in our Sabbath school every Sabbath morning.

Secondly, in the number of men who have received their first impressions in these meetings and made their first start, either by rising or by coming forward for prayer. I say it with due deliberation and with many evidences to confirm the statement, that it is my sincere belief that on an average there has been a man converted and turned to God in every men’s meeting which we have held. The presence of the Spirit is very marked. Let those take courage from this to begin the work ?nd see what God will do for them.

Thirdly, in the unusual number of reformed men in this city, now observed and often spoken of by those who have resided here for a long time and who knew how these men lived in their former days. Now their faces are bright — their bodies have the glow of health since the liquor has gotten out of them — their language is chaste and clean — their habits are good — their clothes have improved in quality — their families are happy — their places in the sanctuary are filled — many of them will lead in public prayer — their influence for good is unbounded and where they have been without employment we have made strenuous efifort to find something for them to do.

Fourthly, other churches in the city seeing the advantage of these meetings and deriving great benefit from them in the way of male additions to their membership, have followed the example of the Second Presbyterian Church, and often our largest attendance has been on the very Sabbath afternoons when there were three or four other men’s meetings announced for the same hour.

The deepest and most genuine revivals in my whole experience have uniformly commenced with the men. Has not God promised that it should be so?

“Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Recently in the men’s meeting, conducted in this church in the presence of hundreds of men, the following thrilling incident occurred which brought tears to every eye and left its impression upon every memory.

Two men entered the room together. One was somewhat in the fifties, the gray predominated in the color of his hair — his mouth was covered with a heavy gray mustache. The other was a youth of about 22 — with a smooth, bright, intellectual face. They were strangers to most of the men. They occupied adjoining chairs. When the meeting was about half through the older man of the two arose with his arms folded across his breast and evident emotion in the tones of his voice and said: “I heard that a man who for many years had been a great drunkard was going to lead this meeting. That is my trouble. If God can save him, will he not save me? Men, pray for me” — and with that he took his seat overcome by his feelings. The young man at his side bowed his head in a lengthy silence, occasionally wiping away his tears with his thumb. After he had gotten somewhat composed, he arose and said: “This man by my side who just asked for your prayers is my father. I do not know what brought him to this meeting. He has been for many years a hater of churches and Christian people. He has been such a wicked man and such an unkind husband and father. For many years I have been ashamed to bear his name — ashamed for people to know that I was his child. I am myself a Christian — a student in the seminary, studying theology, and hope some day to preach the Gospel. I had given up my father, believing him to be beyond redemption. I doubted whether God could save him. This is the happiest moment of my life. I shall never cease to thank God that I came to this meeting. I shall go back to my school with the happiest heart that ever beat in the bosom of a man. Ob, men, help me and do not forget him nor let him go. I must leave him with you. Let us pray.” Then dropping upon his knees, oh, what a prayer that boy uttered for his father. I weep as I write about it. That man is now a Christian and a church member. His wife told me this morning, “I never hear the bell for your men’s meeting that I do not thank God for what your church is doing for the men of this city.” His little daughter, six years old, sitting upon the floor, sewing doll rags, overhearing our conversation, looked up into her mother’s face and said: “I remember when papa got his gun and drove us away from home.”