Newspaper Page Text
January 22, 191J ]
The Napkin i
The "Talent Money Plan" has been
offered to our Church as a means of
radBing the debt now resting on our
Foreign. Mission Committee. This plan
has been widely advertised In our
Church. It has been approved by our
Executive Committee of Foreign Missions
and has received the endorsement
of many of our most thoughtful, wise
and conservative ministers and laymen.
r uiuiciuiuic, aw uao 'inrcu awcpica uuu
put into operation In not a few of our
churches. ' According
to the time honored custom
of Presbyterianlsm, criticism has been
offered and the "brakes have been applied."
This criticism has come from some
of the wisest and best men of the
Church, and some of those who criticise
the "Talent Money Plan" are men wrho
have labored most largely and effectively
for the cause of Foreign Missions.
tliii ttrUn i ohmit tVilat Awtflnlom 9 T m if
uui) ntiai awwufc bum vuuvtoui; xs3 lb
necessary? 'Is the plan one that calls
for criticism or is it a plan about -which
some may differ-without condemnation?
A few years ago Rev. J. A Wilson
was pastor of one of our old Presbyterian
churches in the country. The
church has a splendid history for noblo
work, hut it hud never been noted for
liberality in. giving. The pastor, jealous
and eager for the enlargement of
the work, sought to lead the congregation
to increase its gifts to missions and
education. They stood fast to the traditions
of the fathers and gave little. At
length he hit upon a plan. He (bought
a bushel of choice cotton seed and held
<1 great church and Sabbath school rally.
He explained to the young people
that he wanted ahem each to take a
small bag of seed, plant one furrow
with that seed and tend it with the rest
of the crop. In Ihu harvest they were
to gather that iow and keep the product
separated from the it*', of the
crop Then bring the incscwse to hLm
to be soM for missions and education,
lo the surprise and delight of all, old
and young alike, that congregation had
several 'hundred dollars to devote to
these causes. Much -more for these two
causes than the whole congregation bad
been giving to all the benevolent causes
in years past. That was a case of "Talent
Money." And I for one wish that
many of our churches which now feel
that they are not able to give anything
to our Benevolent causes would try the
plan. 1 cannot agree with my friend,
Dr. R. P. Campbell, that the proper
operation of the "Talent Money Plan"
would 'be inconsistent with the principles
so ably set forth in his excellent
sermon. I agreo with him most heartily
in all that he has to Bay against
"church trading." I have no sympathy
with so-called church ' fairs, concerts
and bazaars" for the raising of money
for the church. I agree with him that it
almost, If not altogether, "makes God's
house a house of merchandise" and T
wish thai all of our jmuisters and sessions
would view these devices as he
does. But it does not seem to me that
the argrmen'. applies to the "talent
money." Dr. t'ampbell las pr??-ited
the distinction between the two in thes?words:
'"The auswor :s found i*? ihie
t-irr.plo consideration; In the on.** cast
(viz.: that of the farmer maklnc money
and giving it to thb 1 i?niv th*
and th<j giving aie kept distinct in th?
ether case (that of the churc-j Ml?)
they are so intertwined that it i< impossible
to sepnrnte the one fr>-i tLe
other."
The "Talent Money," it is true, is to
be furnished by the officers of the
church, but the church is to have nothing
to do with the trading and the individual
who uses the talent money is
not to trade in the name of the church
or on the virtue of the cawe to which
Ifle FK?8BYT?KIJ
ror the Talent
the money is to toe devoted. It is to be
a private enterprise in which the name
of the church does not appear and
therein lies the difference. Let us refrain
from criticism and so refuse to
provide the napkin for someone who
would otherwise use even such a talent
as this.
I trust that many will adopt the plan
and heartily operate It. Then on the
19th of March, throughout out church
let us celebrate the (birthday of David
Livingstone and wipe out the debt on
our Foreign Mission Committee.
Melton Clark.
Greensboro, January 6th, 1913.
AN OBJECT LESSON IN STEWARD.
SHIP.
Dr. Robert E. Vinson, Professor of
Blhllral Theology and President of
Austin Tlieologlcnl Semlnnry.
In order that the detot upon our Foreign
Mission Executive Committee shall
be paid It Is necessary that some detin.
lfe plan be adopted by our Church as
a whols. It may be that no specific
plan will meet the cordial approval of
an our anurcnes ana peopie. mat
would be too much to expect when we
take Into consideration the independence
of thought which characterizes
the average Presbyterian church and
church member.
It is also necessary that the plan
adopted shall interfere as little as possible
with the effort to systematize the
finances of our Church along the line?
of general beneficence.
After considering the matter for a
numiber of weeks, [ am of the opinion
that the Talent Money Plan, suggested
by Dr. Smith and adopted by the Executive
Committee, will meet the present
exigency better than any other
which has been suggested up to the
nine. 1 oeneve uiac wis pian
will irivc an object lesson in stewardship
to our people of such importance
that no pastor can afford to overlook
it. It cannot possibly, in my Judgment,
ofTend the conscience of any man to
use this plan. If that be the case,
then it seems to me to be clear that
our people should throw themselves
heartily into this plan, and make it
the success which it ought to he, and
which it can be if properly worked.
IX HONOR OF THE KAISER.
Elaborate preparations are on foot to
celebrate the twenty-fifth year of the
muaci a icign uu June 19. It Will DC
one of the greatest festive events since
the creation of the empire. All Germany
will endeavor to show appreciation
of the Kaiser, who during the
quarter of a century, has placed the nation
in the front rank of the industrial,
commercial and naval as well as the
military powers of the world. According
to the local press, the other twentyfive
rulers of German states, including
the Kings of Saxony, Bavaria and Wurlemburg,
are coming to Berlin personal
ly to congratuls* the Kaiser and to
participate in the celebration. The
United States and all European countries
will send special embassies for the occasion.
The Archduke Francis Ferdinand
of Austria will represent Emperor
Francis Joseph, though there is talk
of a bare possibility of the aged monarch
of that country, if he is strong
enough, coming here personally to repay
the Kaiser's many visits to Vienna.
The Kaiser -will signalize the occasion
by commuting the sentences of many
prisoners and pardoning others. He
also will grant titles of nobility.
The rolling stone my get no mloss,
But Just a word in its defense?
It ftains itself a handsome gloss
And gathers much experience.
i H Of T B ? SOUTH
UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINABY.
Major F. P. Leavenworth, of Petersburg,
has presented to the Seminary a
finely executed picture of his father, the
late Rev. A. J. Leavenworth, founder of
tho Leaven worth Fund, which has accomplished
so mrqch good in aiding
young men in the Presbytery of East
nauuTcr WIHJ cApcii IU uvcuiuc lureisit
missionaries In getting their theological
education and missionary training. Rev.
A. J. Leavenworth was a remarkable
man and did varied and far-reaahing
work as a minister and educator. He
was tho first pastor of the First Presbyterian
church, of Charlotte, N. C., and
later pastor of the Second church in
Petersburg, and for many years the
head of a flourishing school for girls In
that city. From his youth he was deeply
interested in the foreign missionary
work, and this interest expressed itself
in various ways, and especially towards
the close of his life in the creation of
the fruitful Leavenworth Fund.
Prof. Geo. M. Sleeth, of Pittsburg, is
giving the students the very kind instruction
in the art of expression which
the faculty and friends of the Seminary
have so long desired. There is absolutely
nothing of the copper-plate
style of elocution a/bout him. He teaches
a manner that is above all things
natural and vital. The artificiality
which has vitiated the work of so many
teachers of elocution seems to be absolutely
eliminated from Prof. Sleeth's
method. The statement of the celebrated
(English preacher, Dr. Watkinson,
that Prof. Sleeth was the best teacher
of the art of expression that he had
ever seen is one which can now be
readily believed at the Seminary.
At the request of Dr. Burrell, who is
to deliver the firBt series of the James
Sprunt Lectures, a slight ahange has
been made in his dates. The lectures
?~411 nn V* lnotno/1
V> ill >UCf)lU UU 1 *- UI UUll ? VVU iUOVV-wu VI
February 4th as announced last week,
and they will be given every evening at
8 o'clock n th eSemnary Chapel from
February 6th to 14th, inclusive, except
Sunday. The subject of the lectures is
"The Sermon, its Construction and Delivery."
The lectures wdll 'be open to
the public and all ministers especially
are invited to attend. On Sunday night
February 9th, Dr. Burrell will preach
to a great combined congregation in
one of the churches in the city.
Washington nnd Lee University: The
work of the second term was begun
promptly at 9 A. M., Friday. January
3rd, and by this time everything is well
under way again. To-night (Tuesday,
January 7th), the Y. M. C. A. held its
regular weekly meeting, and as the
speaker was Dr Egbert W. Smith, they
gathered in the Lee Memorial Chapel.
The general public was invited and a
goodly number availed themselves of
the privilege, having heard Dr. Smith
last Sunday night. They all listened
again with profound attention while the
speaker set forth strongly, clearly, and
with dfipn Rolpmnin- tho tromonHnnii
- ?? ?--ar ??- ? # ***w ..
issues the great heathen world is facing,
and the wide and deep influence
Christian missionaries have had in
stimulating and directing the great
changes taking place in these days.
The three special countries he mentioned
in illustration were Bulgaria, China,
and .lapan. Bulgaria has startled the
great powers of Europe by her sudden
leap to the forefront of the political
stage In Southeastern Europe; and the
seeds of liberty have been implanted in
the minds of the Bulgarians for many
yrais pusi ai rvooert college, wnien was
founded 'by* an American, Mr. Christopher
R. Robert, was formally opened
July 4th. 1871, and has ever since stood
on the shores of the Bosphorous like a
heacon light, shedding its (beams of
Christian education far and wide
throughout that region. China's new
political birth, becoming a republic
(65) 17
after a revolution unparallelled in history.
could he traced very clearly to the
work of Christian missionaries. Dr.
Smith made a strong appeal to the
young men present to consider the question
o( putting their life-work where
the lever of their influence would he
placed, not under individuals, but under
nations. This address makes a worthy
companion to Dr. G. W. Painter's great
lecture on China. A. H.
LOCAL HOME MISSIONS?BULLETIN
NO. L
To the Congregations of the Presbytery
of Atlanta, Greeting:
Your Commttteo of Local Home Missions,
feeling that you thave a right to
know the facts In Tegard to your own
Home Mission -work In Atlanta Pe9bytp.rv.
tnlroB ? ? ?* ? *
?, .... na/ ul acquainting you
with what your evangelist, Rev. F. D.
Hunt, and your committee, is doing;
and with the condition of the work.
You are helping hi this work, no less
than 35 churches, arranged in 14 groups
and ministered unto in the gospel, by
as many pastors. All the groups are
supplied, except one which has Just
become vacant.
Without this assistance most, if not
all, these Churches would have to close
their doors and the congregations become
scattered. Since the fall meeting
of Presbytery six new ministers
have been enlisted in this work.
The Ommewood United Presbyterian
church, with its pastor, Rev. Wm. Dun -
vjiu, hub oeen transferred to our Presbytery.
This cihurch has "bought a
beautiful lot in Ormewood, and occupies
a strategic point. It has a church
building also out on the River Carline.
Wallace and Gordon Street church have
united on a satisfactory basis. Two
lots have been secured on Gordon Street
and Luclle Avenue, and a handsome
church building will be erected with
the proceeds of the sale of Wallace
churoh and other funds.
East Point has been occupied. Rev.
E. A. Thomas has taken the work in
hand. A lot has been iimniit ** -
? v > , ujiu tui:
building will begin soon. Tallapoosa,
which has been pastorless for two years,
has secured the Rev. E. W. Russell,
nnd is taking on new life.
Conyers, Smyrna and Luther Hays
have secured the Rev. John D. Keith
as pastor; he has already gathered in
a number of new members and reorganized
the work of these churches on a
better basis.
The blessing of God rests on our
Home Mission fields as is seen in the
spirit of harmony among the churches,
the additions to their ranks, and their
increasing liberality.
Our evangelist, Rev. F. D. Hunt, has
been indefatigable in his labors and
ministers to the whole field. To carry
on your work as it is now, requires
$6,000 a year. This you will see Is
$1,500 every quarter.
We are trusting you to put this in
oar hands.
If the churches would come up to
their apportionments, only averaging
$1.00 per member, we could enter other
pomlslng fields.
Brethren, above all, pray for us.
May the 'blessing of the Head of the
Church rest uiion vnn
Yours in the work,
Local Home Mission Committee
January 1, 1913.
This generation of unevangelized
people at our very dooTS is upon our
hands. We are responsible to give
them the Word of God and the gospel
of Christ. They will pass off the earth
with us. The next generation of believers
cannot take care of the present
generation of unbelievers. That is our
work. What are we doing with it?