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14 THI Contributed WHAT THE ASSEMBLY'S COMMITTEE HAS DONE FOR TEXAS. Rev. A. W. Wilson, D.D. Twenty-eight years ago the writer Vttllltr IU & CAttS 1IUU1 X cuucoocc, uc 111& received, the day of his arrival, in the Presbytery of Paris. The Presbytery had lately been erected by the Synod, and embraced eighteen counties. Five active ministers constituted the active working force, and there were eleven organized churches with about four hundred members. Only four churches owned their house of worship. The salary paid to the ministers and the evangelist in 1880 did not amount to quite $4,000, and the contributions made to the benevolent causes were about $4u0. One of the big hearted ministers called the Presbytery the "little Benjamin." Since that time, five other counties have been added, and three transferred to other Presbyteries. Today there are twenty-one ministers on the roll, most of them active; fifty-three organized churches, with over three thousand members, all the churches except eight having their own house of worship. A study of the statistics of the Presbytery, as reported to the last General Assembly will show what the Presbytery of * Paris is doing in all lines of church work. How has this wonderful advance been accomplished? Eternity alone can reveal the consecrated sacrifices of the men and women who constitute the membership of the different churches; but without the aid of the Assembly's Home Mission Committee the result would have been quite different. A number of churches, several now self-sustaining, would not today be in existence had not the salaries of ministers and evangelists been supplemented by the Committee. Many houses of worship could not have been built had not the Committee aided by appropriations and loans upon easy terms. Over twenty churches have been thus aided in building, and about forty have received sup, plements to ministers' salaries. Some of these churches have shown remarkable growth, and are now vigorous and self-sustaining. Lest injustice might be done to some deserving churches whose surroundings have not been so favorable, mention will not be made of those which have made greater progress. The thought wished to be emphasized is this: The Assembly's Committee has been an untold blessing to the Presbytery. It is not using too strong language to say that every dollar appropriated by the Committee has borne rich fruit. This is only the beginning of what should be accomplished by the Presby* iciy wuu uie hiu ui tiie ^uiuiiuubb. There are at least three hundred thousand white people living within the bounds of the Presbytery; and a large majority of these, or their parents, came from the Eastern Southern States. They L . , . . > ... & _ ; 2 PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU are accessible by our church through the efforts of our ministers and Sundayschool workers. Many came to Texas to get homes for themselves and their children. Generally their life has been one of toil, of struggle. Not one half of this Vast population is reached as yet Kv fKn uj twc uiuuoub ct aiigciiwai viiui tuco with regular church services and Sundayschools. Many of our people are alive to the grave conditions confronting us. Quite a number of our laymen, as well as our ministers, are thoroughly aroused. A wide-awake laymen's organization is actively at work. Most of the churches have been visited by a minister and a laymen, and stirring addresses have been made, with thfe view of enlisting every member in Heme Mission work. In most of the churches active Ladies' Missionary Societies are organized, and the ladies have a successful Presbyterial Union. The result is encouraging, and yet we become appalled when we attempt to grasp the immensity of the work. Our prayer is that our beloved Phil rnh will pqqUio thn nr\nrki>tunitv hint now to enlarge the work, and by their contributions fill the treasury of the Home Mission Committee even beyond what the General Assembly asks. Dodd City, Texas. CHRISTIAN WORKERS' CONFERENCE AND DR. W. W. WHITE. At the close of the Christian Workers' Conference at Montreat, Saturday, August 14, 1909, Dr. McCallie of Chattanooga, rose and asked Dr. White for permission to say a few words, and then asked that Dr. Hill, of Maxton, N. C., take the chair. Dr. Mcuaiiie said: Some of us have been thinking of giving a little expression of our sentiment to Dr. White and his corps of teachers. Now, of course, we do not want him to feel "strutty," as he himself has just expressed it, but I remember our theological professor used to say, - "Young gentlemen, you ought to know what your congregation is thinking about your preaching. Not that you should desire compliments from them, but when they come up and say 'that has done good' mat is a compliment. mat any man may well feel proud of." It Is in this spirit that these resolutions have been drawn, and I will now read them. Montreat, N. C., Aug. 14, 1909. We, the ladies and gentlemen attending the summer conferences at Montreat, N. C., desire In this formal way to express our thanks to the board of managers for the wisdom they have shown in bringing Dr. W. W. White of New York, and his able corps of teachers as instructors in the sessions that are just now closing. We desire to place on record apd to express our nign appreciation or inese services, characterized as they have been by strong evangelical expositions of divine truth. We extend our hearty thanks to Dr. / TH. September i, 1909. White and his entire faculty and also through him to the able and consecrated men that he has introduced to this As semoiy, wnose lectures and sermons have been so interesting and Instructive. By rising vote, the congregation requested that these resolutions be sent to our leading religious journals for publication. Moved that these resolutions be adopted by a standing vote. Dr. McCailie: It seems to me (air and right that we should express our appreciation of the wisdom that has characterized their action and the interest they have taken in this Assembly, and of their earnest endeavor to give us something that has been really profitable and helpful. This Is also right since Dr. White comes from, another section of the country, to let him know that our hearts go out toward him gratefully and thankfully for the splendid evangelical expositions of the divine Word, and also, l may say, for that word he has uttered in urging us and leading us to a higher consecration and more earnest endeavors. Mr. Chandler: I want to make one statement in addition to what has been made. I think I represent the sentiments of many in this Assembly when I say that we do appreciate not merely the intellectual work, but the profoundly magnificent Christian unselfishness that has prompted him in all that he has done. I can say I hear it constantly and I feel myself to be under the influence and leadership of a man who demonstrates in close association, the profound, hearty spirituality that he has shown,?this is a blessing that we ought to express appreciation for. Dr. Hill: I heard a gentleman say today that perhaps a majority of the persons here present, had in them Scotch or ocoicn-irisn Diooa. fms is probably true?there is a large element of that kind in this region of country, and many of us know from personal experience that wherever you have Scotch-Irish or Scotch blood converted by the grace of God, they know spiritual food when they have it presented to them, and therefore I think if we adopt ihese resolutions we will give a very intelligent appreciation of what we have all heard. All in favor of this motion will please show it by rising. Vote unanimous. Dr. White: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: This action on your part was wholly unexpected on my part,?it is none the leas, nowever, appreciated. i am sure that I speak for all my associates when 1 say that we could not have had more cordial appreciation of our efforts than we have had from you. I have spoken to a great many audiences on both sides of the water,?on both sides of the world,?I have spoken to no audiences which have Men more attentive and " more responsive than you have been. You have not pronounced the "Amen" so frequently as I have heard it in some been and understand what quiet atten