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August 18, 1909. THE
BETHANY CHURCH, GEORGIA.
Situated in the western part of Newton
County, nearly ten miles from a
railroad, in what is truly a rural community,
is Bethany Church, which is
near seventy years old.
For quite a number of years it has
been the custom to hold protracted serv
ices for a week, beginning Wednesday
night before the first Sabbath in Au
gust.
Thirty-two years ago the writer was
baptized at one of these services, and
nearly ten years later united .with the
church and since that time it has been
his privilege to be present at some of
the services of each succeeding annual
series.
Some of the best spiritual feasts it
has ever been my privilege to enjoy
have occurred during these meetings.
Under the preaching of such men of
God as Messrs. Rogers, DuBose, Frazer,
Barnett, Cook and Trenholm, who are
resting, from their labors now, and others
whom I could mention that are living
I have seen the power of the gospel
demonstrated.
You could see religion in the faces
and lives of the members, hear it in
the prayers and songs of the congregation,
and feel the presence and power
of the Holy Spirit applying the faithful
presentation of the doctrines of salvation.
*
Recently, as with the church at Corinth,
there has sprung up divisions
amongst its members. These divisions
have hurt the cause of Christianity and
injured the church at Bethany.
Last May, God in His providence, sent
Brother Hemphill to supply the pulpit
at Bethany. He has labored faithfully,
una ireuma me case successfully, ana
now Bethany Church is on the high road
to a better life and to greater usefulness.
Bro. Hemphill secured the services of
Rev. J. E. Hannaly to help him in the
series of services which have just
passed. For five days, morning and
evening, Bro. Hannaly faithfully presented
the gospel . Th<i membership
heeded its call. It looked like old
times at Bethany.
One elder remarked, "that he got a
blessing at every service." And I think
this was the experience of everyone who
was privileged to attend. The singing
was inspiring; unity and good feeling
once more prevailed.
If that was all Brothers Hemphill and
Hannaly had for their reward they
should feel repaid. But their labors
will be rewarded by Him, who has prom
ibcu lum iiiaaiuuun as ye nave aone it
unto one of these ye have done it unto
me."
Only one feature was lacking. Col.
Livingston was absent at his post in
Washington. He rarely' ever misses,
and when present invariably has,
"There is a fountain filled with blood,"
"And Jesus lover of my soul" sung two
or three times during the services. He
was missed.
A new feature was introduced by Bro.
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUTI
Hemphill In the way of a Special Service
for the young people of the church. By
way of parenthesis, let me say, with all
due respect to, and regard for, the
training and teaching of her young people,
Bethany has made a mistake, in the
encourage.ment and development of the
rights of her young people. Out of the
young people who have gone from Bethany
not one minister is among the number.
But to return to the Special Service.
About twenty of the young members,
both boys and girls, pledged themselves
to a reconsecration of their lives to
God to be used by Him where He saw
fit to call them.
May His blessing attend each one of
them and may they each one be used
by Him for the advancement of His
cause and kingdom in this world, thus
fulfilling their chief end, "to glorify God
and to enjoy Him forever. X.
WASTED RESOURCES OF THE
CHURCH.
Conditions have so changed in the
South that it is no longer considered
humiliating to work for an education.
Our Southland is full of boys clamoring
for an education. They are from the
remote sections often; always they are
boys of purpose whose blood tingles
mm me luougni 01 a cnance to rise.
Some of them are from the best families
of the old South; all of them will make
men of whom their state and their
church will be proud. The writer has
been brought face to face with this cond
tion. He has had numbers of poor
boys make application for positions to
work their way through school. Their
appeal is pathetic . Their parents have
nothing, or the family is large, or they
are out for themselves with a small
earning only with which to go through
school. They beg for anything that is
honorable.
The State may educate them at her
industrial schools (and it has done a
great work for the poor boy) but the
State will alone have the prior claim on
his service; the church may enter this
field and if it does it will be developing
one of the richest resources within its
reach. Here is found some of the finest
raw material for a finished manhood
that grows today. From this class comes
a large percentage of our ministry. Too
long has the church neglected this opportunity
at its door. They do not ask
to be pauperized, but to be given a
chance. They are today knocking at
the doors of some of our church schools
by the scores. Is it worth while? May
the church afford to engage in this sort
of an enterprise?develop industrial
features?open avenues for self help?
Or shall It confine Itself to educational
effort without this.'
In the Providence of God the Synod
of Mississippi has been enabled to undertake
a work of this kind that promises
great things for the church. It has
owned a Synodical school for boys for
years, with sixty acres of rich land about
it, and with as fine a plant as there is
A ? ^
i
i. *7
in the South, but no special effort has
ever been made to get hold of poor
boys. Nor is there any other church
school so far as the writer knows, in the
South making any organized effort along
this line. The buildings of Chamhprinin
Hunt Academy were erected through the
generosity of the late J. J. McComb of
New York. This was his original idea.
Last year a start was made and twelve
young men, some of them sons of ministers,
worked their way through school.
Twenty can be provided for the coming
session by opening these industrial avenues.
A steam laundry, dairy, farm,
"dining room waiters, etc., offer advantages
for self-help hitherto neglected.
There are two or three applications for
every place the school has open. Suppose
the church could harness all this
force. Open ways for hundreds of such
young men every year! Who could
measure the result?
Recently two wealthy gentlemen see
ing this great need of the South, have
offered the Synod of Mississippi for its
Synodical School for boys, at Port Gibson,
$50,000.00 on condition that a like
sum be raised, the income from the
whole to be used in developing the
work outlined above. It is not proposed
to pauperize any of them, but to give
them a chance to work their way. They
have agreed that the time limit for this
shall be fixed at Jan. 1, 1911. Already
$12,500.00 has been subscribed, and there
is every reason to believe mat the whole
shall be raised in the time given.
The Board of Trustees are asking people
of means over the church to endow
scholarships, the income on the fund
given to go to some worthy boy, it being
always understood that such boy
shall work his way in part. Recently
two men have given a full scholarship
each of $2,500.00. Others are considering
smaller sums to be so invested.
inese sctiolarships are counted in the
amount to be raised by the Synod. Not
only will such an investment provide for
the education of some boy indefinitely
but it will enable the Synod to raise the
whole fund. What an opportunity for
people of means to leave a memorial!
Why put money in marble statues when
it can be used as a memorial to go into
the hearts and life, of some of the best
boys of the South, and develop the la
tent forces of a strong manhood? Is
there not some friend of the poor white
boy who will endow a scholarship, of
whatever value he chooses to invest?
These boys are appealing to the writer.
They cannot appeal to the church at
large. These will make our best men.
Who will give an ear to their call?
Rev. M. E. Melvin, A. M.,
Port Gibson, Miss. President.
"What right have you Christians to
come over here to China and bother these
DeODle with vnnr rolltrinn f"
_ # . w..DWM OUU1C UUV
asked John W. Foster, the Christian
Statesman, who once represented us in
that great heathen empire.. "It is the
right to give to others something that is
too good to keep," was the distinguished
diplomat's reply.