Educational film magazine; (January-December 1920)

MOTION PICTURE ACTIVITIES IN THE COUNTRY'S CHURCHES "The Church Is Being Born Anew." Declares a New York Clergy- man, "'and Its Strengtli and Power Will Come through What It Feared and Fought So Long—the Motion Picture"—Views of Pastors and News of Church Movies from All Sections rHE movie keeps marching on with God in the churches of the United States. Each week, almost each day, sees new accessions from the ranks of the clergy and laity to the great work of visualizing piritualitv and the moral lessons of the soul. More and aore church workers of all sects are coming to see the vital lecessity of utilizing the motion picture in all departments f chiircli activities—in the church proper, in the Sunday chool, in the Bible classes, in the men's and women's clubs, t the prayer meetings, in the young people's societies, in nissions and settlements, in fact, at all points and in all laces where the spirit of Christ rules and where man de- ires to help man rise above the merely sordid and material. In this article are grouped together some of the motion sicture activities of the country's churches, with some views f pastors in various sections. It is a kind of resume of vhat is happening and is to happen in religious circles when the movie is used as "bait" and as "the whole fish" IS well. In fact, the time has come when the film may be 3onsidered as much a part of the church and parish house jquipment as prayer book or organ, and those ultra con- servatives among the ministry who do not agree with this statement will admit the correctness of it before many months have passed. Not only is an increasing number of churches everywhere installing equipment and preparing to :apitalize the screen spiritually, but several promising de- velopments in the production and distribution of films espe- cially made for church and ethical uses are under way. The old law of supply and demand is operating, and in the near future church workers will be enabled to obtain an ample supply of films for almost any purpose they desire and at rentals they can easily afford. [ Films Build Up Dying Churches I Film? have been found to be a solution of the emptying (church. They have been put on in churches where the con- gregation was sadly depleted and at once it has begun to build up. As an example of what motion pictures can do for churches in towns of limited size is the First Baptist Church at Hempstead. New York. Rev. S. W. Stackhouse was the pastor. Church attendance had fallen off to where hi- congregation was only fifty, twenty-five of whom were soldiers. Mr. Stackhouse, casting about for ways and means of building up his church, hit upon motion pictures. He I was the first man in and around New York to make the experiment, and has been carrying on the work continuously longer than any other immediate church. In four months 'he raised his congregation to 250. These were permanent land did not include the soldiers, who were transient. His work is still being carried on with increasing success. An example of the city church is the West End Presby- terian Church, 105th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, New York. This church hit upon the plan of having a regular night for motion pictures where the members of the church would be brought together for fellowship and general edu- cation. Monday was selected. The first time the films were put on the auditorium was only partly filled, as many did not believe that a church could secure films of sufficient interest to draw a crowd in competition with the motion picture theaters. Next week the attendance had increased, and steadily it has gained, until now on Monday night every seat from which the screen can be seen is filled. The program is seven reels long, giving as much as an ordinary theater. Music is furnished by the pipe organ. A screen is hung across the chancel and can be removed for church service. One of the features as presented at this^ church is a film weekly called "The World Today," which is a digest of the world's film news. It is presented regularly and as the opening attraction. Monday Afternoon and Evening Movies So successful have these pictures been that it was decided to have a matinee for the children of the neighborhood, many of whom were too poor to go to a theater. The films were carefully selected for the purpose. The auditoriiun of this church is now filled twice each Monday; once in the afternoon for the children and again at night for the grown-ups. Different programs are shown. Sometimes on special occasions motion pictures are put on oftener than one day a week. One Tuesday night re- cently an additional program was put on when Lieut. Belvin W. Maynard, the "flying parson," told of his ex- periences in his flight to San Francisco and back. On an average Monday night the attendance at the West End Pres- byterian Church is a thousand or a few over. No admission is charged, but a collection is taken up. This rarely falls under $100. In this way the films not only pay for them- selves, but leave something in the church treasury. The most popular feature discovered by the church of recent years more than pays its own way. Here motion pictures have developed a new idea, which promises to be a big factor in the life of the church. It is "community night." On these occasions more than half the people in attendance are not church members. Thus the church is getting hold of and influencing just the people it has long sought to come in contact with. Teaching Preachers Via the Screen ■'You may be surprised to know that I am to appear at ihe Boston Theological Seminary on December 1 to teach young preachers by the aid of motion pictures how to preach," said Rev. Leslie Willis Sprague, of New York. "Shortly I am to appear at the Judson Memorial Church, Washington Square, with a model motion picture sermon. I will preach to the accompaniment of motion pictures. I believe it will be the first time New York ever has seen such a sermon. "We are now teaching Sunday school, Bible class and young people's societies by means of motion pictures. We are just starting upon ihe era of preaching with the aid of motion pictures. It is something new, something untried. 15