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August ii, 1909. TH1
Announcement from the Permanent Committee
on Evangelistic Work of the
Presbyterian Church in the United
States.
In announcing the election of Rev. J.
Ernest Thacker, Ph. D., of Norfolk, Va?
to the office of "Secretary of Evangelistic
Work" in the Presbyterian Church in the
United States, and his acceptance of the
same, the Permanent Committee on Evangelistic
Work commends Dr. Thacker to
the prayers, to the sympathy, and to the
co-operation of our brethren. Ohr newly
elected secretary is a child nf the Smith.
era Church, having been bora in Columbia,
Mo., December 14, 1869, and reared
under the pastoral care of Rev. J. Henry
Smith, D. D. Dr. Thacker received his
academic training at Davidson College
and his theological education at Union
Theological Seminary, Virginia. In 1892
he was called to Oxford, N. C., remaining
for three years and a half, from whence
he went to Louisville, Ky., where for one
year he filled the Robinson Memorial
church. The church flourished under his
pastorate, but because of the health of his
family he accepted a call from the Second
Presbyterian church in Alexandria, Va.,
where he continued until January, 1900,
when he entered upon the pastorate of the
Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk,
Va. The church on Freemason Street soon
proved too small for the congregation
and the present handsome building was
erected on Yarmouth street, where he
has done a fine work. Dr. Thacker has
recently declined calls from the First
Church, of Jacksonville, Fla., and the
First Church, New Orleans, La., feeling
this call to the evangelistic work to be
from God. The committee cannot but
agree with this conviction because of the
combination of circumstances leading up
to Dr. Thacker's election, and the earnest
prayer that has gone up that God would
lay His hand upon some strong man to
lead in this work.
While Dr. Thacker has been in the pastorate
for seventeen years, he has done a
goed deal of evangelistic work which has
been greatly blessed of God. For some
time he has felt a strnne inplinntion to
enter the evangelistic fleld, but has not
done so heretofore because of his conviction
that one element in God's call to
a worker is 'the call to a apeciflc work."
Having now received that call he recognizes
the hand of God in it and dedicates
himself to the work. Of his ability as an
evangelist we have no doubt. He was associated
with the Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman
in the great Boston revival during the
month of February of this year. Writing
to him, Dr. Chepman says: "The service
yon rendered was simply superb, and you
were a great factor in moving the eity and
making the Boston campaign the greatest
in a generation."
Hare?ice A. Yineent, writing in the
WI10I cgauuamioc auu VllllOll?n r*UHU,
says: '"Bie preaching at Rev. J. Ernest
Thacker, of Nerfolk, "\?a., was marked by
simplicity, strength, literary finish and
real eloquence. No place was given to
the sensational; the appeal was always to
the conscience and based upon the truth.
i PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUT
Results of the meeting visible are, many
who will join the churches, the acquaintanceship
of the Christian forces of this
district with one another, the deepening
of real unity, the preparation of the
Church for continuous evangelism
through regular work, and the lesson
which the community has learned, that
the religion of Jesus Christ as believed
5111/1 nractlooH hv h non i n
I'.t.wiovu u J V.UUI VUCO 19 LUC
greatest power in the world still."
Rev. J. J. Dunlop, D. D? writes in the
Christian Endeavor World: "The Evangelist
there was Rev. J. Ernest Thacker, Ph.
D., an able, conservative Southerner.
He is a Presbyterian and he gave his
audiences the 'strictest theology; but
though many of the churches united in
the meetings?there were seven denominations,
Presbyterians, CoDgregationalists,
Baptists, Free Baptists, Advent
Christians, Disciples and Friends?they
all sat up together and said Amen."
Writing in a volume entitled "Boston's
Awakening," Dr. Dunlop says: "Dr.
Thacker's preaching was an earnest, eloquent
presentation of the fundamental
truths of the gospel. The response which
it has met has shown that when aroused
men feel a real hunger for the gospel of
Christ."
Speaking of an evangelistic service in
Hinton. W. Va.. Rev. D W. HnllinRwnrth
writes in the Independent Herald, of that
place:
"To Dr. Thaeker we owe a debt of
gratitude. No better man could have been
secured tot- the work. His earnestness,
great love for Christ and men, and his
Christian spirit, inspired the people to
better lives and service. * His loyalty to
the gospel and passion for souls, fit him in
a peculiar sense for the work of the
evangelist."
The Committee feels that Dr. Thaeker
is peculiarly fitted for the work before
us in our Church. In the first place he
is a Southern man, having been reared
under influences which insure his sympathy
with all the traditions, convictions
and methods of the Southern Church.
In the second place, born of Presbyterian
parents, reared under the pastoral
cpre of Rev. J. Henry Smith, D.D., and
pdllPfitpH at HovMann Pa11a<*q TT??
ion Theojpgical Seminary, we have no
raisgkvtng with reference to his training
in the Scriptures. In the third place,
sevenjasen years of pastoral experience
will be a valuable addltlcti to his equipment
as an evangelist, giving him thai
sympathy with the pastor whieh is so
often lacking among evangelists, and also
giving him an insight into the situation
in each ckurch which otherwise he
could not have? In the fourth placo, his
splendid success in all his pastoral
charges together with God's great blessing
upon all the evangelistic work he
has been privileged to do, assures us of
his physical, mental and spiritual equipment
for the work befers him, and inspires
us to look for God's continued and
aDuiraani Diessmg upon the great work
upon which he is about lo engage. We
believe that the seeds of our field in
the city, town and country, call as never
IHHHBnlHIHB
H. 17
before for aggressive evangelism and we
believe tbat all over our Church the conviction
is very strong that our Church,
must press its evangelistic work.
The work heretofore done by the Committee
through our Corresponding Members
in the several Presbyteries will be
continued, while Dr. Thacker will devote
himself to all the work ordinarily done
by the Secretary, and to holding evange
listic meetings throughout the Church.
We ask for him the -prayers, sympathy
and co-operation of the whole Church*
for only thus can we expect the best results
from his labors. Dr. Thacker will
enter upon his labors October first. In
the meantime he can be addressed with
reference to holding evangelistic services,
at Norfolk, Va. lie will be present
at the Evangelistic Conference at
Montreat, N. C., on the afternoons of August
12-13, and the Committee earnestly
desires all ministers and laymen of our
Church interested in Evangelistic Work,
to attend that Conference.
Charles R. Nisbet, Chairman.
PALMER ORPHANAGE.
Four years ago we took charge of this
work. It has grown and expanded along
all lines. Three new buildings have been
erected, a farm of 200 acres has beeu
puivuaocu, uur uaru uas oeen enlarged,
electric lights have been installed in every
building, and sewerage connection
has been effected with the city line, all
through the generosity of our friends,
under the blessing of our kind Father
above. We closed the month of June
with a balance of $2.35 in our treasury.
But the number of our children has
grown from 40 to 60, and others are
pressing for admission. The question is,
shall we admit them? Our beds are all
full, we have not the money with whic\i
to finish some rooms in our girls' building,
which, if completed, would enable
us to take a dozen more, provisions have
all gone up and we are now, July 29th,
threatened with a deficit, at the end of
this month, of more than a hundred dollars?
We are getting 15 gallons of milk
per day, with no dairy to help in its
management. A car load of coal must
be paid for, and new desks must be
purchased before school opens.
Now to meet our various and sundry
wants we do not ask any great or unreasonable
tbing. All we ask for ts for
each church and Sabbath school to
count the number of its members, and
to send as one cent for each member, in
the two Synods of Louisiana and Mssiasippi.
And this too we ask only of the
churches and schools that are net contributing
regularly. Many de contribute
regularly, and they are the very life of
our work. Some do not give even oace
a year. For any and all help in thtu
our time of need, we shall be very grateful.
Our children are all welj, at khfs writinr
h a nnr AaH
- ? Bl r r J v? wtivciivcu. xidp 9 IS IU
keep them so. And may Itie Ged of the
fatherless reward you oae and all.
Yoar servant In the work,
W. V. Frlerton.