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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 795, 19 April 1910, Page 6

For the first time w. t!be history of New York, three great Fifth Avenue pulpits are vacant-T-the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian, the Collegiate Reformed Church, and the Brick Presbyterian. The Brick church has so far-made no attempt to secure a pastor, as it has been fortunate in. securing Dr. Henry van Dyke as temporary minister in charge. Within a year four men have declined Fifth Avenue pulpite with salaries ranging from £2500 to £3000 a year. The New York "Herald" has been asking why preachers shun Fifth Avenue, and has collected some interesting opinions. Summed up, they are as Mow: The tremendous wear and tear of a city ministry, the risk of failure at a great central .church, the impossibility of maintaining any pastoral oversight of an immense crowd, the difficulty of keeping up a high level of preaching while administering the many departments of social work, and the short season in the fashionable part of New.York, mado shorter every year by winter -holidays and weekend excursions. One minister volunteers the opinion that the only way : a'-man can get an audience in New York is by. being absolutely loyal to Christ and tho Bible. "This," ho says,, "applies to every, preacher,- from 6. Campbell Morgan to! the smallest toad .in the