January 10, the thousands who had come to meet together in Jehovah’s name and to bless it went back to their more than sixty cities, carrying with them the satisfying hope of the new world and a much clearer vision of what it means to live as a New World society.

At the same time Brothers Knorr and Henschel were waiting for their airliner at the Galeão International airport, outside of Rio, to carry them on the next leg of their journey, over the vast reaches of the South American continent to another theocratic outpost on the island of Trinidad.

‘What You Sow You Will Reap’

IN THE December 7, 1953, Des Moines, Iowa, Tribune appeared the results of a survey made among clergymen regarding what was their biggest problem. Among the answers were: “Spiritual drowsiness of the congregation.” “Indifference.” “Apathy toward church work.” “Lukewarm Christianity which leads to all kinds of problems.” “Getting church folk to do personal evangelization work. So many are timid, afraid.” “The larger the church, the less zeal and activity usually is shown.” And so on.

And under the heading, “Churches Held Failing to Fulfill Purposes,” The Daily Times Herald, Dallas, Texas, February 3, 1954, reported on the remarks made by Boston University president, Harold C. Case, at the Southern Methodist University’s 19th annual Ministers’ Week. Mr. Case warned clergymen against becoming so absorbed in the development of their church as an institution that they overlooked its real purpose. “Budgets may receive more attention than the Bible and competition for ‘a place in the sun’ may be more captivating than co-operation or fulfilling the condition of the Kingdom of God on earth.” He further observed that “people expect [the clergymen] to be religious and to pose and use great words without rigorous self-examination. Ministers, in some cases, are losing sight of their objective by overinterest in their salaries, positions and advancements.”

Can it be that there is a cause and effect relationship between the clergy’s being engrossed in such matters as salaries, position and advancement and their parishioners’ apathy, drowsiness, indifference and lukewarmness? Can it be that in stressing their budgets more than their Bibles the very clergy who complain about their parishioners’ condition are merely seeing in their congregation a reflection of themselves, are merely reaping what they have sown?—Gal. 6:7.

“A Relaxed Holiday Crowd”

● Christendom’s churches have become so self-satisfied that nothing short of a “spiritual atomic bomb” will shatter the “complacency.” This was the recent statement of Dr. John Sutherland Bonnell, pastor of New York’s Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Revealingly, the pastor declared that “in a time of world-shaking revolution, the church’s membership acts as though the whole world were basking in ease and safety. We still sing ‘like a mighty army moves the church of God,’ but the discipline and urgency pictured by these words is wholly lacking.” Then the pastor exclaimed: “The church today resembles a relaxed holiday crowd much more than an army on the march.” (New York Times, March 1, 1954) True, but soon the holiday will be over. Armageddon comes on apace and will catch these so-called “Christians” sleepily relaxing, as Christ’s apostle foretold.—1 Thess. 5:2, 6.