Newspaper Page Text
January 31, 1912 ]
Mobil*, to. tak? much rest, Is enjoyinj
* week or two in his old Kentucky
home, in. Fleming county and elsewhere
He preached last Sunday for the Seconc
church, Louisville.
Rev. W, It. McElroy, Charlottesville
Va., will be glad to correspond with
churches desiring evangelistic services
or temporary supply.
THE HIGHLAND ORPHANS' HOME.
Our Highland Orphans' Home at
this Christmas tide was presented bj
Mrs. Neely, of Lexington, Kentucky,
with a large picture of Dr. E. O. Guerrant,
the tenderly loved founder of this
InRtttlltln T*V>?n ? ?
? .u? ntxo giveu an
honored place in our reception hall
where, by day and night, it is an ever
"welcome guest," looking down upon
the children of this home and the workers
in charge as a veritable benediction.
Clementina Stamps.
Clay City, Kentucky.
OUB CHURCH DEBT.
Some Encouraging Facts.
There are some very encouraging
facts connected with the accumulation
of the debt now encumbering the
Foreign Mission work and some other
interests of our general work. One oi
these is that the past few years of our
church work have been signalized by
marks of unexcelled achievement. Our
great Laymen's Missionary Movement
has stirred the church everywhere. The
great convention at Birmingham. Ala.,
the Union Convention at Greensboro,
N. C., in 1910, the Laymen's Assembly
at Montreat last summer, and the well
laid plans for a still greater assemblage
at Chattanooga, already a guaranteed
success, all indicate an activity
and a growing devotion to the interests
of the church, which are a pledge of its
greater-advance in the future.
Again, despite our indebtedness,
there has been a wonderful advance in
our benevolent contributions. Since
1908 we have sent out and provided for
one hundred and ten Foreign Missionaries,
and we have completed arrangemonta
+/> cnnri h ? - ? lAt
-u-v> iu ueuu iuuu miceii mure wiitiin
four years; the contributions to
Foreign Missions have increased from
$323,879 to $452,513, almost half a million
In 1911.
Once more, our church has been
aroused to unequalled efTorts to provide
educational advantages for our
youth. Both Davidson College in North
Carolina and our Theological Seminary
In Virginia have earnestly and successfully
appealed to our largest Synods to
make a magnificent increase of their
endowments. Within the last three
years this has been successfully accomplished.
Then the Synods of Alabama,
Georgia and Texas have heartily
fallen into line and are undertaking
grand enterprises In this interest. Now
while this is inspiring, be it remembered
that the streams of benevolence
needed to satisfy these appeals come
from the same contributors who supply
our support for the causes of general
benevolence. >fany of these contributors
give proportionately and systematically
of their Incomes for religious
purposes and If the claims of
one cause Dee.ome especially emphatic,
another cause mav he discounted.
As to these apneals for education,
how has the church responded? The
year 1908 was the banner year for
education, when the Synods aave $2K0,903
to this cause. Tn 1910 contributions
for ministerial education and for
schools and colleges were separntelv
renorted. That vesr^the aerreeate for
education was *1fl7.1R4. and for 1911.
*244.304. The flerures fall far short of
the whole, for manv donors tooV on
endowment notes, which were ^ever renorted
to the Preshvterles. Then let
us see how steadily the flow of benevo
THE PRESBYTERI
; lence increased. The total for all
r benevolent causes in the year 1909 was
. $3,057,075; In 1910 It was $3,855,913,
1 and in 1911 $4,042,428, and in that year,
despite the generous gifts to education,
, Foreign Missions reaped its largest
i harvest of $452,512. Therein surveyi
ing our work financially; there is no
room for discouragement, but a call
for abundant thanksgiving to God that
he has given to his people the grace
I of benevolence, and a call upon the
r church with zeal and devotion to thank
God and take courage.
Sincerely, W. D. M.
, Rocky Mount, N. C.
L
THE GREAT CONVENTION.
i Chattanooga's Hospitality.
The good people of Chattanooga are
HaItx, -1
tuoii luu oume ana win see mat
the delegates are well taken care of.
The announcement has Just been made
that the Presbyterians of Chattanooga
will give a reception to all the delegates
the first evening. Invitations
will be issued to all who attend the
convention from six to eight, the hours
between the afternoon and evening sescJnn
TXn% ll? ? *
, ?uiic iciicDuuieuiH are Deing
served In the Sunday School room, an
> organ recital will be given in the main
auditorium of the church. The First
Presbyterian church of Chattanooga Is
one of the most modern and handsomest
church edifices in the South and Its
pastor, Rev. J. W. Bachman, D. D., is a
royal host. There is, perhaps to-day,
no more believed and admired man in
our church than Dr. Bachman. He
has not only had the greatest honor
possible to a Presbyterian minister,
that of being Moderator of the General
Assembly, but is now the honored
chairman of the Assembly's Permanent
Committee on Systematic Benevolence.
Volunteer Service.
One of the most gratifying developments
in connection with the second
General Convention of the Laymen's
Missionary Movement to be held at
Chattanooga February fith, 8th, has
been the number of laymen who have
taken it upon themselves to work up
delegations. This voluntary service on
the part of layrr.pn is an encouraging
sign and we believe is but the beginning
of such service on a larger scale
by our laymen. After all is it not true
that the men of our church are ready
to serve If a big enough job is tendered
them?
These volunteer workers report being
cordially received everywhere and
as a result of their efforts, many men
will be in attendance upon the Chattanooga
Convention that otherwise
would not have attended. One man who
took the time away from his business
in order to do this work writes: "T
am getting a great blessing from this
work and hope those to whom I have
spoken can say as much. These are
strenuous days with me, 1 tell you, but
the Lord is with me and giving me the
strength and judgment to run the office
and do this work too." Over a dozen
men have been rendering most excellent
service in this splendid way.
The Program.
The program of the "Convention 1?
complete. The first day the history of
All* TTnro? orrt ool A*. wtakIc will V? ?
w V > . w. vinu .t.iDD.wH WUI R mil UC i UII V
presented. This record will thrill
every Southern Preshvterlan and In addition
to this for the first time will he
presented thronph the stereoptlcon a
eomnlete view of all onr hnlldlnes In
forelen lands. The next day. reports
will heard from the front which
will elearlv demonstrate the strategic
noslMon that, onr dhnrch possesses In
?he Missionary occnpatlon of the world
and the nnnarrelled onportnnlty he.
fore ns at this time. Then will follow
an entire session on "Missionary Edu
AN OF THE SOUTH
cation" and wha*1 can and should be
done to enlighten and enthuse the
home constituency. Missionary experts
will speak and likewise pastors who
have lead their people into Missionary
activity and liberality by giving them
the facts of missions.
The evening session of the second
day will bring two great addresses.
One by Rev. Egbert W. Smith, D. D.,
Secretary of Foreign Missions, and one
by Mr. Robert E. Speer, of New York.
Mr. Speer, by request, will present
the "Impact of Protestantism upon
Latin America." Mr. Speer has visited
soma America and speaks from first
hand knowledge. He will reveal some
of the methods of Rome and show how
Protestantism is bringing light and liberty
to priest ridden lands.
The last day will be the great day
of the feast. First, early before the
regular session, the Seminary and college
students will assemble at a special
meeting of peculiar interest to
them and at which time Mr. Robt- E.
Speer wil speak and also of our own
Church, Dr. T. Dwight Sloan, M. D.,
now one of the efficient secretaries of
the Student Volunteer Movement.
Then at the regular session in the
Auditorium the theme will be "Life and
Leadership," Mr. Speer giving his closing
address upon this subject. This
to be followed by President C. R. Hemphill,
of Louisville, dealing with missionary
leadership from the Seminary
standpoint, President Geo. W. Denny,
of the University of Alabama, for the
college, and Rev. R. O. Flinn, D. D.,
upon the need and requisite from the
ministers' viewpoint. leadership today
is the great need of the Church, and it
is exceedingly appropriate and timely
that this great theme should be so
thoroughly and exhaustively presented.
No man can afford to miss this session.
Around Thursday afternoon's session
centers perhaps more Interest than all
else. At this time, the Convention will
consider as a whole and in the nature
of a conference "The Assembly's Financial
Plan and the Local Church." From
every standpoint this will be considered.
It has been arranged especially vlth a
view of helping the missionary committee
and the diaconate. These men are
not able to get to our Church courts
and here Is a chance for them to get
Into close touch with, as in no other
possible way, the great benevolent
work of our Church in all its various
interests. Pastors have been asked to
call a special meeting of the diaconate
and to have official action taken and
some one or two of the board definitely
appointed to attend and to bring
back a full report of this important
session. In a number of cases, a special
fund will be made up and representatives
sent. We believe many missionary
committees as well as a like
number of our boards of deacons will
have, after this Convention, a new conception
of their opportunity for advancing
the missionary and benevolent
work of our Church.
The closing night will witness an unusjal
scene. The farewell service to
the Korea volunteers who will practically
complete the necessary number
of workers for our share of Korea will
be a wonderful sight. It will, likewise,
be the first time that such a scene has
ovar hoon t\aodIK1a T* w.111 a ?*"a
v. . v.. ?v?u puuu.uic, ll Will, we ll UBl,
ho but the beginning of the end and
that before many years our Church
will supply all the other fields as it *
has been permitted of God in a most
gratifying way to do for this wonderful
mission field.
Tt will Indeed be a privilege to he
at the Chattanooga Convention. No
church should fail to be represented.
The enthusiasm that will be engendered
on the return of the delegates
will bring new hope, new purpose and
(Ill) u
life to *11 cburcbes wbo send tbotr ntresentatives
to wbat will probably bo
tbe largest and most significant mooting
of Southern Presbyterians that has
ever been held.
A DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER.
We are glad to announce that Dr. T.
Jays, M. D., of Great Britain, will be
present at the Chattanooga Convention
of the Laymen's Missionary Movement,
February 6th-8th.
Dr. Jays is active in Laymen's work
In Great Britain and will bring a message
from the men across the sea. He
has also served as a medical missionary
for a number of years in Africa and
speaks with great power, not only on
Medical Missionary Work, but also on
"The Mohammedan Advance in Africa."
THE CONVENTION.
What a wonderful awakeuing it was
a few years ago which resulted In the
Laymen's Missionary Movement!
The enthusiasm aroused in that great
Convention at Birmingham spread all
over the country, not only among the
men, but women also felt its influence
and rejoiced and thanked God that the
prayers of many wives and mothers for
the awakening of their husbands and
sons had been answered. Wp foif inaM
fled In expecting the work of missions
to receive such an impetus and to be
kept up with such manly energy and
persistence that it would soon send a
wave of gospel light over all lands.
And now even greater results are expected
to follow the coming Convention
in Chattanooga. They are to meet a
great test there in this humiliating
debt that saddens all hearts.
What a grand thing it would be if
the first thing done in that meeting
were the wiping out of that debt, every
dollar of it! Then with a clear conscience
and sense of relief and with
rejoicing and thankfulness they could
proceed to plan greater things for the
coming year. Until that debt is paid,
how can we look for a blessing on any
plans for the future? The arrearage
of the past must not he allowed to interfere
with present and future work.
There can be no progress until the debt
is paid. If the work of the Convention
stops there it will be doing only what
ought to have been done before, and
will be making no progress. Will they
do this? What a question to ask of
energetic, consecrated business men!
Can it be possible that earnest thinking
men need the stimulus of a banquet
to arouse their enthusiasm to work for
the Head of the Church, whose whole
life was one of sacrifice, and who inculcated
the self-sacrificing spirit in
his disciples? What a beautiful evidence
of their willingness to follow in
the Master's steps it would be if the
whole Convention should resolve to devote
what would otherwise he spent in
self-gratification as a thank-offering to
the Lord for enabling them to first pay
off the debt, and put their Church work
on a sound, business-like and Scriptural
basis. B.
The fourth annnai Medical Missionary
Conference held at the Sanitarium in
Battle Creek, Michigan, held during the
early part of January attracted a large
body of missionaries of all denominations
now at home on furlough. The
conference proved to be attractive and
profitable. The presiding officer was
Rev. Lomuel C. Barnes, D. D., field secretary
of the Baptist Home Mission
ooara. ine program embraced nearly
fifty speakers, Including many missionaries
of prominence, and the meetings
were very largely attended. These
conferences seem to be an Increasingly
strong auxiliary of the cans# of Christian
-missions.
Geo. O. Teaney.