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CHURCHES’ FORUM OF THE AIIn the second “Churches’ Forum of the Air,” broa cast through Station 2CH from the Waverley Meth dist Church on Sunday, 15th July, the question di cussed was: “Should the Church be a Communi Centre?”The opening speaker, Rev. Gordon Smee, Chapla’ at the Childrens Court, said that in Australia present there were more than two million perso sharing homes with others—persons who should ha homes of their own. The desperate housing posi tion, together with other undesirable features modem city life, is breaking up the unity of family, resulting in increased juvenile delinquen and a generally lowered standard of community lif The Church as a whole had a great responsibili to assist in overtaking this position. Mr. Sm stated that at a time of acute building shorta such as the present, a definite responsibility rest upon the Church for the greater use of Church build ings, which up till now have had very little during the week. He argued that individ churches should utilise their available buildings a become Community Centres, thereby helping to m the crying need of the community for a greater larger community life for young and old.Miss Elizabeth Govan, Director of the Board Social Studies, Sydney University, said that Church is not the body to undertake the functi of a Community Centre, which should be availa for ALL persons in the community. Community ac tivities should not be imposed upon it, and Com mimity Centres should be non-political and no sectarian; they must not be in the hands of one s tion. If individual churches became communi centres this would result in rivalry and competi amonest them. How would they be financed? On the S«tate could finance them adequately. If t Churches were community centres, which ones wou your taxes and mine help to finance? Also, no o should have to buy their leisure-time activities becoming a member of a particular Church. Rath Church members should put their strength a ’eadership behind community organisations and m them what they think they should be. This is wav of democracy.The third speaker, Rev. Ralph Sutton, minister the Glebe Community Church, said that the Chur was in fact a community centre now. There m be a community spirit—a unifying, undergirdi spirit—and only the Church could provide this. 'x early Christian Church was a community centre, had no buildings; it didn’t need them; but the Chur now does need them. In the early Christian Churc there was a unifying spirit of brotherhood; out it came relief and unemployment agencies, hospit and the like. A Community Centre must have a ce tral unifying spirit, and only the Church had th‘ to offer—Christ In any community centre, if it ' to be fully effective, provision must be made f worship, to meet the highest needs of man’s spiri only the Church could do this. Only the Chur could offer the moral standard, the unifying pur pose, and the central spirit required to make a trul successful community centre.The management of Station 2CH is offering te prizes, consisting of half guinea orders on any bo store for the ten best 250-word answers to t question: ‘‘Should the Church be a CommuniCentre?’’ Answers from listeners or those p should be addressed to: The Churches’ Forum of Air, Station 2CH. Sydney. They should be sent ! as soon as possible, and prize-winners will be nounced on the occasion of the next Forum.The question for the next Forum on 19th Au is to be: “Can Capitalism Be Made Christian?” speakers will be the Rev. EL J. Davidson, Rect of St. James’ Church, King Street; Dr. Lloyd R Director of Public Relations. Department of P War Reconstruction; and Sir Bertram Stevens, form erly Premier of New South Wales. Prizes will offered on this occasion also.—A.O.R.
Newspaper Details
Sydney Methodist
Sydney, New South Wales, AU
Sat, Aug 18, 1945
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Andrew S.
AU 07 Oct 2021
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