An Alarming Amount of Spiritual Indifference

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jan 6, 1916

An Alarming Amount of Spiritual Indifference

THAT there is an alarming amount of spiritual indifference existing in the great Christian church was the general agreement of the commission of evangelization of the Federal Churches of Christ in the United States of America, which recently met at Columbus, Ohio. Dr. W. E. McCulloch, reporting the results of the meeting in the United Presbyterian for Dec. 16, 1915, says:—

While reports from certain portions of the field were encouraging, there was general agreement that the church of Christ in America is manifestly lacking in power. There is a most alarming amount of spiritual indifference within the church. A very considerable portion of its membership is sadly lacking in the elements of vital religion. As regards increase, the church is hardly keeping pace with the population in percentage of growth. The passion for winning souls to Christ is the possession of the few. We need a new enthusiasm, a new aggressiveness, that shall be Pentecostal in its transforming, conquering power.

We recognize that this is a true statement of the conditions existing in the great Christian church. The Word of God says that such conditions should exist in the last days. 2 Tim. 3:1-5. It is well for Seventh-day Adventists to consider to what extent this picture is true as applied to them. We would not say that there is an alarming amount of spiritual indifference within our church. We believe that a very large number of our brethren and sisters are devout Christians, alive and earnest in Christian service. But there may be found in almost every church membership those who are spiritually indifferent to an alarming degree, and who are sadly lacking in the elements of vital religion. For these members we need continually to labor. Let us be constantly on guard lest our membership shall so deteriorate in Christian experience that the standard of vital godliness shall be brought down to the level of that found in the great popular churches of the day.