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REVIEW
THE
V O L . LIII. N o . 19. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, Nov. 11,1911
SINGL
$!.OS 0 P P ER S VE 0 AR ENTS
Everything Must Succumb to Change
T
HE time was not so very far back when banks and trust companies did not advertise.
The directors thought it somewhat beneath the dignity of their institutions to indulge in
any kind of publicity save that of the most formal character.
Methods have changed, however, and good, snappy, up-to-date advertising of banks and trust
companies frequently appear in special mediums.
Iconoclastic ideas relative to advertising are growing and the question as to whether churches should
advertise their services has been settled in the affirmative, and now many churches carry notices in the local
newspapers on Saturday and occasionally on Sunday.
Few of the clergy or church officials, however, have exhibited courage sufficient to use over a two or
three inch space for this purpose. But out West they do things in a different way, and there appeared in a
recent publication in the Northwest a whole page advertisement exploiting a church. This .was the first
of a series of twelve pages which will appear in the Daily Tribune in Tacoma, Washington. Unquestion-
ably this is the largest amount of advertising space ever contracted for by a church in twelve issues of a
daily newspaper.
The page advertisement was headed: "A Church With Ideals." One column contained a creed of the
Universalist faith. In another the conditions of fellowship were given.
Something was said about the Sunday School and a complete list of the different services during the
week presented.
The pastor of this church believes that business methods should be employed to interest his people in
church, and has for three or four years made generous use of advertising space in the local newspapers.
Through the use of printers' ink his church, although not centrally located, has now become one of the
best attended in the city, and in order to provide for the increased congregation it has been found necessary
to erect a new building; and, when the present pastor began his present advertising campaign his church
attendance was poor and most of his pews were vacant.
A good many people will shake their heads in disapproval to learn of such methods adopted by a
church, but is there not more need of intelligent advertising by the churches to-day than ever before?
Theaters use large space and so do other amusement enterprises. If public interest is to be aroused in
a large event or organization the newspapers are employed.
Therefore, if the churches desire to increase their membership why should not they follow the same
example by employing a similar method?
It is said that the power of the church is declining, that many churches are without pastors, and that
many more are on the verge of failure.
Why not employ modern, up-to-date methods to fill the pews?
Why should not the advertising columns of the newspapers present reasons why people should go to
church and that regular attendance at religious worship is desirable and necessary?
All intelligent people- read the newspapers—therefore an appeal through their columns seems
reasonable!
•
What is there against such a method? Nothing save tradition, and tradition is getting some mighty
hard bumps nowadays.