T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S 535 been abandoned, and in some places community or union churches have been established. We have not before us complete statistics, but in 1919 the Northern and Southern Baptist reports showed nearly 7730 vacant churches, and the Congregational reports, 3284. The Presbyterians had an excess of over a thousand ministers, but still over a thousand vacant churches. In order to give a fair, conservative view, we will say that there are at least 20,000 vacant churches in this country, though we believe that 25,000 would be nearer the mark. This gives us 20,000 vacant churches, and seventy millions of unevangelized people in our country. Now when and how shall we meet this growing need? The increasing population demands an increased number of churches. Can we depend upon the theo logical seminaries to meet this demand? If the position taken by many of our leaders is correct (that only college and seminary men are competent and wanted for these vacant churches) and estimating that a thousand men are graduated from our theological seminaries each year (probably five hundred would be a large estimate)—the seminaries would certainly fall far short of meeting the need of these twenty thousand vacant churches and the additional churches demanded by the increasing population, to say nothing of the needs of the foreign field. Then, remember that many of the seminaries are doping out poison m their teaching, denying the great fundamentals of the Scriptures, and sending out men with, a text book (the Bible) of the contents of which they know very little,, having been taught that it is not inspired, is full of myths and fables, and is to be interpreted to please themselves. Now, will you please get the picture of our country, faced by the perils of today : Many preachers—false brethren—filling pulpits and filling the minds of people with questions as to the authenticity of the Bible ; many of our Sunday School teachers injecting the same quality of unbelief in the Word of God ; our grade schools, high schools, colleges, universities and seminaries with few, if any, real Bible teachers but with very many teachers who delight in ridiculing the Bible; many of our churches given up to what is termed social service,” using all manner of worldly amusements and worldly methods, seeking to entertain rather than to instruct the people ; the Roman Catholic church making great inroads with its denial of thé Bible to its people, and its increasing political power; with the devil’s cults multiplying—Unitarianism, Mormonism, Russellism, Christian Science (so- called), Theosophy, Spiritism, New Thought and Agnosticism; with vacant churches and vacant pews in churches that are open ; with but few of the unconverted ever darkening the doors of the churches; with most of the accessions to the churches on confession of faith coming from the Sunday School; with a one-time holy Sabbath Day given over to a now-time “ holiday !” This is but a meagre picture. The jails and penitentiaries are filled to overflowing; criminals. of the grossest character are found among the young men and young women from our schools and colleges. Now, face the facts ! Ninertenths of the membership of our evangelical churches are from the ranks of the common people, as are also nine-tenths of our business men. These people have never ' entered a college. Many
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