Christianity on the Job

There are not many chapels like the brand-new one which visitors streamed through all last week in Winston-Salem, N.C. It is tiny--only 9 ft. by 15 ft.--and is built into the mezzanine of a 20-story office building. But its originality lies chiefly in the congregation it is designed to serve: the employees of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (Camels, Prince Albert).

Reynolds took the first step in 1949, and it was a bold one: engaging the Rev. Clifford H. Peace, a 40-year-old Methodist minister, as "pastor-counselor" of the company, Reynolds President John C. Whitaker posted the company's reasons on bulletin boards at the office building and at each of the company's eight factory buildings in Winston-Salem:

"All people at some time in their lives become discouraged or confused. Perhaps they are worried . . . hurt . . . ashamed ... or have trouble making up their minds ... When people have these problems, they often need someone to talk to--a person they can trust and whose advice they can respect. And sometimes they would rather not talk about these things to members of their families or to their friends. That is what Mr. Peace will be here for--to listen and help if he can."

"People as Individuals." Reynolds officials had mulled over the project for a long time. They had observed that good industrial relations need something more than shorter hours, higher wages, free medical care and pension plans. Many employees found their personal problems so overwhelming that their working ability was affected. What was needed, Reynolds decided, was not simply psychiatry, but "the faith that gives purpose to life, belief in the ultimate victory of good over evil, and dependence on a wisdom greater than human reasons or resources."

Meanwhile, Clifford Peace had been considering what kind of minister he wanted to be. As chaplain at a replacement depot in England during World War II, he talked to thousands of men. "I saw statistics turn into people," he says. "I knew then that I wanted to deal with people as individuals, and not just shoot into the covey."

Almost the first thing Pastor-Counselor Peace did at Reynolds was to ask for the chapel, get its design and construction approved and into the works. Then he settled down to learning the job and writing the rules as he went along. Six hours a day for eight months he walked through offices, factories and warehouses, personally meeting 12,000-odd employees. For two hours more each day, he let it be known, he would be in his office for counseling. Only a few came at first, but gradually counseling work increased. Before the end of his first year, he had 475 visits from employees in search of help. Management officials, employees and Pastor Peace himself feel that the experiment is already a clear success.

Room with Two Doors. Any employee may drop into Pastor Peace's office--within a short walk of the main Reynolds buildings--at almost any time of the day to talk things over. He never presses his visitors, tries to speak only at the right time. Sometimes he has to wait "week after week" until a troubled worker can bring himself to tell his whole story. Peace does not see his job in terms of "preaching little sermons or sitting as a judge. The person with the problem is the one who should talk," he says, "I simply listen to people, try to understand them, try to help them understand themselves, and do what I can to help them."

The new chapel, which he will dedicate next week, has two doors, one from Peace's office, the other from his reception room. "In that way, a person may enter alone, or if during a counseling session he wishes prayer, we can go together directly from my office," Peace explains. "It's already been of tremendous value. Many persons become extremely emotional--even to the point of tears--while discussing a problem. They walk through that door and find comfort, control."

After a year and a half of pioneering at Reynolds, Pastor-Counselor Peace is more enthusiastic about his specialized form of the ministry than ever. "It is making Christianity available on the job ... to many who do not go to church for it."

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