Newspaper Page Text
28 T
A BAPTIST COMMENT ON OUR
PRESBYTERIAN WORK.
We present with this an article
which appears in the "Home Field," a
Baptist church paper, on the subject of
Home Missions. It is well to see what
others think of our workings.
"Southern Presbyterians Aroused on
Home Missions.
"It is a significant fact that Southern
* ? * ?
a icoujici are uecuiiimg aroused on
the subject of home missions. Their
Executive Committee of Home Missions
has engaged Gov. R. B. Glenn, of North
Carolina, for field work throughout the
South. Governor Glenn is a lawyer of
great ability, a publicist of national note
and has made a distinguished record as
governor of the Old North State. That
a virile man of affairs like Governor
Glenn should turn from secular work,
where his abilities command a large income,
and give himself to mission work,
where salaries are small, is a fine proof
of the high motive that leads him into
this new field of service. That he throws
himself into the work of home missions
is proof that he knows something of
the overshadowing importance of winning
the South for Christ.
"He will have opportunity in his new*
work to correct some lop-sidedness, as
we see it, of his denomination on the
mission question. In our judgment, the
Presbyterian laymen, and many of their
ministers also, have been unfair to home
missions. At the last two meetinsrs nf
their General Assembly. In Birmingham
and Greensboro, respectively, they declined
to give home missions a showing
at their laymen's meeting. A more shortsighted
policy could hardly be pursued.
Think of a denomination that numbers
only 268,733 members in the whole South
(we use the figures of 1907) at a great
laymen's meeting of their General As
tsemuiy suuLiiiig out nonie missions: ix>es
that help to explain why they are not
more numerous in the South?
"Southern Baptists, and we do not include
the two million Negro Baptists,
number 2,015,080. We baptized 129,152
converts last year, which makes our baptisms
for one year almost half as numerous
as the entire Presbyterian membership
of the South. Now, we freely
confess that, in proportion to their numbers,
Presbyterians rank at the top for
culture, wealth and liberality, and for all
of this we give them due praise. But bur
point of criticism is their treatment of
home missions. Their numerical strength
in proportion to the population of the
South is just a little better than one in
one hundred, whereas Baptists number
about one to twelve, counting the Negro
Baptists about one to six. Surely Presbyterians
should not discriminate against
home missions. Last year they gave
$71,134 for home missions and $323,879
for foreien missions or four nnrt a hnlf
times as much for foreign as for home
missions. Southern Baptists gave $402,328.16
for foreign missions and $248,138.17
for home missions, or about one
and two-thirds as much for toreign as
for home missions. Comparing the numerical
strength of the two denominations,
it would seem that Presbyterians
even more lhan the Baptists should
T
'HE PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU
stress home missions. Evidently they
are aroused as never before to the importance
of this great work.
"We extend to Dr. Morris, their secretary,
heartiest congratulations on the
accession of Governor Glenn to his field
force, and confidently predict great results
from this new emphasis our Presbyterian
brethren are laying on home
missions."
Editorial Note.
Concerning the figures here given,
$71,134 for HntllP Missions ns nn mnoro.1
with $248,138 given by Baptists for Home
Missions, there is room for the remark
that besides this $71,134, the members
of our church gave last year to the
cause of "Local Home Missions" the sum
of $205,184. What was given by Baptists
to State Missions we do not know.
THE ASSEMBLY'S HOME AND
SCHOOL.
Dear Friends:
We are now in the midst of another
session. A pleasant and profitable one 1
it.is proving to be. The students are J
working in great earnestness and a gratifying
feature is the number that have
decided to go into the ministry. No one
can estimate the value this institution
will be to the Southern Presbyterian
Church and to the Cause of Christ in
this respect. After all, this is not sur
II11D1UB n I1CU nc i CU1CIII UCr I Hill UltSy
are the children of ministers and that
they are being educated and maintained
under the care of the Church. What
a magnificent opportunity for our Church!
Again, think of these mothers, left
alone with families to support, strug- (
filing, and battling with life's trials and
difficulties, and burdened with sorrow
and responsibilities. We wonder that
the church at large does not arise to this
blessed opportunity and contribute liberally
to this beautiful and worthy cause.
The Assembly at its last meeting heart
ily endorsed the work and earnestly rec- 1
nn'.mpndpfl thnt fiftfi OA ho roiao/1
its support. This amount was asked for 1
by the board because of the demand for
a larger support fund and because, too,
we are compelled to 'make new arrangements
for the education of our young
people. We hoped for a large collection
and the board sent an urgent appeal 1
to the churches and yet the result has
been a sore and sad disappointment. We
just don't know what to do about the mat-" '
ter and we take th-is method of placing
it before you. During the months of i
December and January, we have received
from all sources only about $6,000, and
whilst it is true that all the collections
have not been sent in, it is not proba- <
UIC inai Lilt* lUiai UIUUUIll will ue UVfl
$10,000 (if that much) by April 1st. Many
of our churches (and very many of our
strongest ones) have contributed nothing.
We ask you who have not contributed,
are you satisfied to let this blessed work
suffer? Brethren, we are your servants;,
trying to do the work to which God has
called us, but we can not carry it on
successfully without your hfelp and oo
operation. We do not mean to chide
or dictate to you, but wa do earnestly
ask you to come to our help. We feel
TH. February 17, 1909.
COFFEE TALKS
No. 3.
FRESHNESS.
To insure good coffee it is very
necessary that the roasted article
be perfectly fresh. The
aroma and flavor that make
coffee so agreeable come from
an nil i n V* 1
UU VII tu IUC V/UUCC UCI I y L 11(1 L
evaporates very rapidly upon
exposure to the air. When this
oil has escaped, flat, insipid,
tasteless coffee is the result.
This is the great objection to
roasted coffee sold in bulk and
open barrels; when you buy
such, you get only the shell
from which the spirit has
flown. One of the superior
merits of
LUZIANNE COFFEE
is its perfect freshness. It is
roasted in gigantic closed receptacles
and goes hot into airtight,
dust-tight, damp-proof
cans before the least particle
of its aroma escapes. Open a
can of it and note the delicious
odor that exhales from it. This
coffee is so popular that dealers
frequently order Dy the
car-load?30,000 lbs. at a time.
It's sold everywhere.
FHE REILY- TAYLOR CO.
New Orleans, U. S. A.
that pastors and sessions are responsi
ble for the condition and that the church
CO luai uavc not tuainuULKU Jiave iaiiej
to do so because they have not had an
opportunity. Some pastors and sessions
have been satisfied with a contribution
from their Sunday schools and Ladies'
Societies (God bless the Sunday schools
and Ladies' Societies, for they helped ur
wonderfully), but every congregation
ought to have an opportunity.
What a change could be wrought in the
amount of this collection if every one of
the above churches would select one Sunday
between now and April 1st and take
this collection, the pastor explaining the
work and asking for a liberal response.
An officer in one of our churches said
to the superintendent. "How much -did
our church send you in December?" Th<
superintendent said, "Ninety dollars and
a good collection it was, too '* The offlPAr
rPnliorl "T Vnow If n'nnl.l 1***
cause our pastor made such an earnest .
appeal and explained fhe work so well."
Now, we often get discouraged and disheartened
and yet God gives us many
frfllhful and liberal friends and we are
just trusting Him from day to day. We
look for your help and we ask for your
prayers.
Yours fraternally,
S. W. Somerville, Supt.
Fredericksburg, Va.