Article September 21, 1899 Issue

The Unchurched Classes

The following is an extract from an article by Rev. Washington Gladden, D.D., on "Congregationalism and the Unchurched Classes," recently published in The Congregationalist.

What are the unchurched classes? Are there any classes in American society which are deprived of the privilege of churchgoing? Have the churches erected barriers by which certain classes are excluded? Such a suggestion lurks in the phrase, "the unchurched classes," and we sometimes hear complaints of which this appears to be the gravamen. All such implications need to be carefully scrutinized. We shall find no churches which will admit that they have issued any such edict of exclusion, or that they cherish the purpose of making any class unwelcome. Mr. Wyckoff's luminous experience, as narrated in "The Workers," shows what is the conscious and intentional attitude of the churches in this matter. He testifies that for months he went constantly to church—and generally to the most fashionable churches—in the garb of a very poor working man, and that he was never received in any other manner than that of the utmost cordiality and friendliness, that he was always offered a good seat, that he was never patronized, or condescended to, or treated as if he were a person of different order, but always as if he were a brother man. Such testimony may suffice to offset the sneers of whole regiments of scoffers who never go to church. It is not to be doubted that there are snobs in many of our churches to whom the advent of poorly clad people would not be welcome, but it is probable that there are few churches whose administration is in such hands.

The working people of our cities are not unchurched by the action of the churches. There is plenty of room for all who desire to go to church in churches where they would be heartily welcome and where their associations would be largely with people of their own social class.

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