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Kenneth G. Neigh and Ross Greek on metropolitan mission, before 1967.
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- speaker[Neigh, Kenneth Glenn, speaking] A young United Presbyterian layman, a professor of political science at
- speakerNew York University told the one hundred seventy-third
- speakerGeneral Assembly [1961], as only a layman could, what he thought of a
- speakerchurch that runs away from the city. Reporters called his
- speakerspeech the best of the Assembly. It was searing,
- speakerfrightening, intense, humorous, and convicting.
- speakerIt was intended to make the church a mad enough to fight for its life in a
- speakernation becoming more urbanized with every tick of the clock.
- speakerThe trouble was that he did not know that the fight that he intended to
- speakerstart in his own church as a principle was largely over.
- speakerStems from a conviction, based upon what I think is
- speakerdocumentable experience, what the United Presbyterian
- speakerChurch in the United States of America put the brakes upon its flight
- speakerfrom the city, more now than a decade ago.
- speakerIt is also based upon the conviction that when the General Assembly
- speakerdirected its churches to minister to the neighborhoods in which they were
- speakerlocated, it set the denomination on the move in
- speakerurban America. For, in so doing,
- speakerit added sinews and support to its servants
- speakerdeep in the conflict. And, it is no news to the Board of National
- speakerMissions, its staff, the staff of any
- speakerurban synod or presbytery or the committees thereof
- speakerThat when trained personnel, programs that speak to the community,
- speakerand decent financial resources are available, your church can and
- speakerdoes slug it out successfully with the debilitating,
- speakerdemoralizing forces of paganism.
- speaker[Ross Albert Greek] We are already aware of certain values of our ministry being there during
- speakerthis eight-week period. First the presence is speaking to young
- speakerpeople that the church is vitally concerned about their wellwithal. Secondly,
- speakerthe meaningful dialogue that has transpired has made some of the
- speakeryoung people aware that the church can speak to them, and they in turn can
- speakerrelate meaningfully in speaking to the church. Third, the involvements
- speakerof concern have found themselves in practical ways of ministering
- speakerto youth. Some have come to the West Hollywood Presbyterian Church on the
- speakerFollow-Up to have rehabilitation.
- speakerRestoration of runaways to their homes in many cases. We have
- speakerfed housed and clothed a number of young people at the West Hollywood fellowship
- speakerhall. Here we have had the use of referral agencies
- speakerhelping them in health problems. Others have been helped to find
- speakerpart-time jobs. West Hollywood church has thus become the center
- speakerfor the training of the ministers developing a program that witnesses to
- speakeryouth. And is helping community education on the problems of youth.
- speakerOne of the areas of our concern, for over two years now, has been the operation
- speakerof a coffeehouse on Friday nights. It lasts until one
- speakerthirty to two thirty in the morning. Here again as
- speakertensions are released, even in a therapeutic-type of
- speakersituation, where they are involved in their feeling level, they
- speakerbegin to find that they can relate to and they do come to the pastor
- speakerfor continued counseling experiences.
- speakerMany of them have had very deep problems, feelings of alienation,
- speakerfeelings of hatred, malice. feelings of rejection and hostility.
- speakerOft times feeling of guilt. Because they have done those things which they feel
- speakerthey ought not to have done. And so the church here can
- speakermeet their basic need in the counseling area. These young
- speakeradults are now so vitally concerned about the thrust of the
- speakeryoung adult witness, they're starting to develop new forms
- speakerof liturgics and witness through worship in the church.
- speakerThere will be a group here in drama, headed by the most competent
- speakerperson. Another group will meet on Tuesdays during the
- speakerday in workshops. This ministers to the young adults who are working at
- speakernight, but are available for special training during the day.
- speakerOn Mondays, the YWCA has a BELAY group that
- speakermeets in the fellowship hall of the church and here the young adults find
- speakerthat they can be meaningfully involved in some form of creative art.
- speakerIt is our hope in the near future to be developing new art forms in
- speakermusic and in painting and sculpture. Young people
- speakerfrom the Cheshire Cat, the coffeehouse at the University of Southern California,
- speakerunder the Council of Churches there, will be coming up and carrying on the program on
- speakerSaturday nights in behalf of the church's witness.
- speakerL.S.D. is very powerful, prevalent in our area.
- speakerAlso the use of marijuana. The young people all refer to these
- speakeras acid and pot. The young people are taking these
- speakerfirst, because it's an exciting experiential thing to do. Secondly,
- speakerbecause they feel that somehow they experience something
- speakerthat fulfills a need in their life. After having these
- speakerexperiences, they have shared with me many of the things that have
- speakerhappened to them. They feel the oneness with all man.
- speakerThey have the feeling that God is all pervasive. That somehow they are no
- speakerlonger alienated from their fellow man. I'm sure it is a challenge to the
- speakerchurch to be able to speak more meaningfully to these young people.
- speakerThat this is the position of the church, the brotherhood of man, the fatherhood of God.
- speakerAnd that the peace that comes from meaningful involvement with life
- speakerand not from the escape of reality. So I give you the
- speakeracid, and I give you also the pot. Are you
- speakerhearing what is happening in this world?
