Depressed Methodists

San Francisco, "least churched of all great cities,"* will lose its Methodist Temple (TIME, March 17) by sheriff's foreclosure if the Methodist Episcopal Church does not lend the Temple money at once. Between 400 and 500 other M. E. churches throughout the country will also be sold for nonpayment of mortgages, unless help comes quickly. This situation depressed the Home Missions Board of the Church when it met at Philadelphia last week. Causes deduced by Dr. Edward Delor Kohlstedt, Board corresponding secretary: "Amazingly poor and inadequate leadership . . . general economic depression of the country." The Board helped out by loaning individual churches a total of more than $500,000. But in many cases "nothing more than our sympathy could be extended." However, there was a bright aspect to the meeting. The Board has succeeded in organizing efficient "larger parishes," which consolidate M. E. work previously diffused. The Board has also persuaded many such "parishes" to pay trained religious teachers good salaries, a "novelty in Protestant religious education."

*According to Rev. Jay S. Stowell, publicity director of the Board of Home Missions and Church Extension of the M. E. Church. Said he last week: "San Francisco has 637,000 population. Only 17,000 belong to Protestant churches."

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