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September 3, 1913. A FAMILY P-iPBR. 11
CHURCH CONCERTS AND SHORT
SERMONS.
An interview with Dr. Munhall Reported by
\ Rev. F. E. Allen.
The day following the adjournment of
Synod, I had the pleasure of conversing
with Dr. Munhall, the evangelist, who delivered
his address on "The Book of Books"
before Synod, as we journeyed on the road
Ibetween \A'arsa\v and Indianapolis. The
•.following is part of what he said, as I re-
^,call it:
";V short time ago I delivered an address
'before the ministers of Indianapolis. If
there is any city in the v>'orld where the
ministers are shortening their sermons to
please the people it is there. They told me
twenty or twenty-five minutes left for the
sermon. When they got through with over
an hour's entertainment there was not quite
twenty-five minutes left for me. I preached
lintil twelve, when the town bell struck, and
then all the men pulled their watches and
I saw at once that they were used to being
let out at that time. I stopped and said to
I'lem, 'I have just begun, but I see you are
used to closing at thisi time. I know your
unners are waiting, and I will' not keep you
'm them, but I need fifteen minutes more
to finish my sermon. I pronounced the benraiction.
Two of the trustees came to me
afterward and told me that I did wrong.
They said, 'Why didn't you finish,? W e
"We been cursed withi these entertainments
'g enough. We pay $8,ooo a year to keep
•'P this choir. W e wish we could stop it.
J^e don't know what to do.' 'Well,' said I,
kno-w what to do alright, you leave it
to me.'
The next Sabbathi they banded me the
same sort of bill of fare program. I let
them go on with three of theii pieces, then
S^t up, stated my text, started in and
Pleached for forty-five minutes, and then
Pfonounced the benediction. The leader of
"f clioir came at me like a mad bull. He
s^'d: 'What