“If by means of its ministrations, the community round about the church is steadily becoming more Christian;
if kindness, sympathy, purity, justice, good-will, are increasing in their power over the lives of men;
if business methods are becoming less rapacious;
if employers and employed are more and more inclined to be friends rather than foes;
if politicians are growing conscientious and unselfish;
if the enemies of society are in retreat before the forces of decency and order;
if amusements are becoming purer and more rational;
if polite society is getting to be simpler in its tastes and less ostentatious in its manners and less extravagant in its expenditures;
if poverty and crime are diminishing;
if parents are becoming more wise and firm in the administration of their sacred trust, and children more loyal and affectionate to their parents,
–if such fruits as these are visible on every side, then there is reason to believe that the church knows its business and is prosecuting it with efficiency.
If none of these effects are seen in the life of the community, the evidence is clear that the church is neglecting its business, and that failure must be written across its record.
From “The Church and Modern Life”
by Washington Gladden, 1836-1918
What say you? Is Gladden’s measure a useful one? If so, how is the church measuring up? If not, how would you measure and rate the church’s effectiveness?
It would seem that in the US, and in the world at large, the church is not doing its job, by Gladden’s measure. Nor has it been, for many years! Certainly in the USA, business methods since the industrial revolution, and especially in the last couple decades, have become more rapacious, business people are not in the least bit “friends” to their employees! (Speaking VERY generally here!) Poverty is of course on the increase, while violent crime stats are lower, theft and abuse of all kinds is on the rise.
Yet I see very positive changes. I know of several churches that are seeing fruit like those Gladden talks about in their membership and in the community beyond. I believe the current economic climate signals a ‘sea change’ that will culminate in people scaling back consumerism and the desire to have more, bigger, better of everything. I think that if we Christians strive to live our faith every day in all that we do, by showing kindness, sympathy, purity, justice, good-will to others, we WILL bear good fruit. People respond to the positive.
I think it’s a bit over the top.
I would say that if you find one person who is more at peace with himself/herself, then the church “knows its business and is prosecuting it with efficiency.”