Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

Our church, which has made many appeals for help, should now turn the tables," says Rev. Boag; and he effected the turning LET the CHURCH GIVE! Rev. C. Wesley Boag Pastor, First Methodist Episcopal Church, Delavan, Wisconsin MOTION pictures have been used in the First Methodist Episcopal Church at Delavan, Wisconsin, for nearly two years, with most successful and gratifying results. Before equipping the church for the use of pictures I made a very complete and accurate study of the whole matter. Two questions were uppermost in my mind: What kind of a machine should I buy, and where could I get the right kind of pictures to shew? To answer these questions I spent at least six months in close study and the most careful observation. One of the first things I did was to become a constant reader of Moving Picture Age. (I still continue the practice, for enough material is suggested in each issue to keep one going all the time.) 1 gave earnest heed to the experiences of others, and got into personal touch with various makers of motion-picture equipment. I visited many of the film exchanges and attended the visualinstruction conventions. In a word, I looked before I leaped. I applied Lincoln's motto: "Be sure you are right; then go ahead." Time thus spent in study and investigation has proved a valuable asset. Why Use Motion Pictures? As I studied the matter, the question of motive loomed large. Why need I install motion-picture equipment in my church? Let me say quickly and frankly that my object was not to draw a crowd, as I already had an enviable attendance at the evening service. Nor was it my object to oppose or compete with the moving-picture theatres of my city; I am on the best of terms with them. Nor was it a desire to do something different or spectacular. My object was a sincere desire to extend and enlarge the service of my church. It seems to me that the program of many churches has narrowed to a few hymns, a sermon, and a benediction. Perhaps it is true that the church today is open to the criticism sometimes made against it that it is continually saying, "Help us here, help us there; do this or that for us; give here and give there." I have acted on the proposition that our church, which had made many appeals for help, should now turn the tables, and by installing motion-picture equipment enlarge the program of the church and give some definite and attractive form of helpful service to the community. Choosing the Equipment Good equipment is the foundation of motion-picture success. A cheap or makeshift equipment spells failure at the outset, and the whole matter becomes a joke in the community. The best there is is none too good for the church. We use a Power's 6A motor-driven projector, and find that it gives excellent service. It is installed in a first-class permanent fireproof booth (5x6 x7 feet in size) constructed throughout with Johns-Manville asbestos board, the work of building having been dqne by some of the men of our church. We use a good curtain of the roller type, and when it is not in use it is rolled up and is net in the least unsightly. Our church is rectangular in shape, lending itself readily to good projection; the curtain is on a slight angle across the inside corner of the church auditorium, and every seat has a clear and good view. A good machine, a good operator, and a good curtain are absolutely essential to success. "Plenty of Good Material"! " Where do you get your films, and what kind of a Sundayevening program do you put on?" is the question that comes to me from far and near, both by letter and by committees from other communities. Contrary to the general opinion, I ivant to say, at the outset, that I have no trouble whatever in finding plenty of good material. The criticism was made that I "could run it a few Sundays, then would have to stop." With two years of experience, I now declare that I find more good material than I am able to use, and good pictures for church use are continually increasing in number. If anyone doubts this statement, I will be glad to make good on it. Our program with pictures consists of two parts : the Sunday-evening church service, and the occasional week-night entertainment. How the Project Is Financed This brings me to the important matter of financing the entire project. This troubles many, and it did me at first ; I smile now as I think back on it. I believed in the benefits of motion-picture equipment for the church to the extent that out of my own pocket I paid all the expenses of installing the equipment. But just let me tell you a secret: Paid entertainments solved all our financial problems. These sources pay for themselves. They pay all the expenses of the Sunday-evening pictures, and they also paid all costs of equipment, as the church afterward bought this outfit so as to make it a regular part of the church equipment. The church treasurer has not been called on for any help. On the other hand, he gets all the Sundayevening collections. Financing is so easy after all. Get good equipment, give good projection, show big, worthwhile pictures, put the whole project on a high plane, and the financing will care for itself. The Sunday-Evening Service In the first place, I make use of every special occasion I know of on the calender : New Year's, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Flag Day, the Fourth of July, Armistice Day, Red Cross Day, Fire Prevention Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, etc. Take for example the New Year's Service. I spoke on the subject of "Achievement" and then showed " The Panama Canal " and " The Flight of the N.C.4 across the Atlantic" (New Era Films, Chicago), the two greatest achievements of modern times. This constituted a New Year's service that impressed a crowded house. On Thanksgiving Sunday evening we had a "Thanksgiving Farm Festival." A boys' class had decorated the church with corn, grain, pumpkins, and leaves, and I spoke on the subject "Thanksgiving and the Farm " and then put on the screen " A Pilgrimage " (a visit to Plymouth, etc.), "Egypt As It Was in the Days of Moses" (showing how the Egyptians farmed), and "The Story of Milk" (modern farming). What a good time we had! On Fire Prevention Day I spoke on the general subject " Carelessness " and then screened " What a Careless Hunter in the Woods Did" (New Era Films), "The Cost of Carelessness" (Prizma), and "Hurry Slowly" (Ford Weekly). So I might go on through the detailed program of special days. Another month I used "The Chosen Prince" (New Era Films) as a two-reel Sunday-night serial for the four Sunday evenings of the month. Each evening I spoke on that phase of the lives of David and Jonathan that was covered by the picture. The attendance for the four nights more than' taxed the capacity of the church, and I experienced one of the really big months of my ministry. For another month I featured " The Great Things in Nature," or " The Works of God." Here I showed " The Grand Canyon," " The Big Trees," " Niagara," and " The Yosemite Valley." These subjects proved to he of great interest both to those who had visited these places and those who had not. (Continued on page 17) 15