The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian. [volume], April 18, 1917, Page 12 (324), Image 14

About The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1909-1931

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It is hard sometimes to realize the
vast extent of these countries. it
studying this subject it would be very
advisable to get a good geography
and study the maps and all it will tell
you of the size, population and re
sources of these countries.
Mission work is being done in all
of them, and it is meeting with most
encouraging success.
Our Southern Presbyterian Church
has mission work in three of these
countries, Cuba, Mexico and Brazil.
Since the Spanish-American war
there has been religious liberty in
Cuba, but work is still carried on with
much difficulty and under much oppo
sition and persecution from the Ro
man Catholic Church. Nevertheless,
our missionaries, who are a faithful
and devoted band, are doing good
work, which is being well received by
many of the people. They teach day
school and Sunday-school for the chil
dren and have preaching and pastoral
work for all. They are laying the
foundations for a good, strong Church.
Mexico is our nearest neighbor. Up
to the beginning of the revolution
which has not yet been entirely quiet
ed down, we had a prosperous mission
work in the Northern part of the
country. This was beginning to make
a decided impression in the communi
ties in which it was carried on. There
were preaching and pastoral work
Sunday-schools and day schools.
When the revolution broke out our
missionaries and all others had to
leave the country, and all the mission
work had to be suspended.
When this work can be resumed is
uncertain. The new constitution of
Mexico, which has recently been pro
mulgated, guarantees religious free
dom, 30 far as personal belief is con
cerned, but so many restrictions are
thrown around its exercise that it is
rather hard to see just where the
freedom is to be found. It provides
that only native Mexicans may be min
isters of the gospel, the location and
the management of church buildings
are subject to government control, and
the Church is prohibited from con
ducting any schools except those of
the higher grades.
In Brazil, the largest of all the
Latin American countries, the South
ern Presbyterian Church has for many
years had a very successful mission
work. It has schools and colleges in
which large numbers of children and
young people are being educated and
young men are being trained for the
ministry. There are churches and
Sunday-schools, where the gospel is
preached and taught every Sunday,
and these churches are becoming self
sustaining with their own pastors.
The people in all these countries
are ready to be taught and are willing
to receive the gospel, when it is pre
sented to them.
There is wonderful material and
intellectual progress in all of these
countries. But there is no advance in
religion, except where the missionar
ies have gone.
If Latin America ever receives the
gospe!, it must be from the Christians
of the United States. The European
nations have left these countries en
rely t? U8( and lt ia proper that th<;y
s ould do so. Our business relations
and our political ties are becoming
closer and stronger. We ought to be
bound together by the stronger bonds
of Christian brotherhood.
Let us all pray for them, give to
send them the gospel, and all who can
do ao volunteer to carry them the
f news of salvation through faith
in a crucified Saviour.
The more Qod empties your hands
from other work, the more you may
know that He has special work to
give them. ? B. H. Garrett.
THE MONTREAT YOUNG PEOPLE'S
CONFERENCE
June 28-July 8.
In calling the attention of the
young people of our churches and Sun
day-schools and Young People's So
cieties to this conference, we want to
give distinct emphasis to the fact that
it is something entirely new for Mon
treat, and is not to be confused with
the Young People's Work that has
been done in connection with the Sun
day-school program heretofore. There
is to be a Sunday-school week later on.
This is a ten days* conference for
young people between 16 and 24 its
purpose is to get the young people of
our Church into this delightful and
bracing atmosphere for inspiration
study and recreation. Great care has
been taken to prepare a schedule for
class room work and an inspirational
program which will give our young
People a new vision of the work of
our Church at home and abroad, and
will stir their hearts with a new pur
pose to prepare themselves for the
service of the kingdom of God.
Study Classes.
?iTeXu b?0k and Seminary courses
will be given during the morning
hours in the following subjects: For
eign Missions. Home Missions. Mis
sions m the Sunday-school, Sunday
school Teen Age Work, Teacher Train
ing, Christian Endeavor Expert Effi
ciency, Sunday-school Methods, Wo
man's Auxiliary, Story Telling and
other courses for which there may be
demand. The latest and most au
thoritative text-books will be used in
these courses, and credit will be given
either for the completion of the course
or as the basis for further study.
The following leaders will have
charge of the study courses: John L
Alexander, Dr. John I. Armstrong.'
H r> Crook8' Prof- James Lewis
Howe, Dr. Homer McMillan, Dr. W
L. Lingle, Dr. Henry H. Sweets. Rev."
. ? Hai??nd, Miss Anna Branch
W r 1, Sam"eI N" Burts
W. C. Winsborough. Mrs. E. C Cronk
and Dr. Gilbert Glass.
Bible Study.
One hour each day will be given to
a constructive study of the Bible The
fact that Dr. W. W. Moore, of Union
Seminary, Richmond, Va? is to con
duct this hour is sufficient to assure
its instructive and inspirational value
fn' ??[e 18 a great drawing card at
of the Montreat assemblies, and
we announce his leadership for the
Bible hour with peculiar pleasure.
Inspirational Addresses
In addition to the class room work
some of the most attractive platform
speakers in America have been se
rt' w?m inspirational program,
i \r re' of Richmond, Dr.
J- M \ ander Meulen, of Louisville,
Dr. James I. Vance, of Nashville, Dr.
James Lewis Howe, of Washington
and Lee University, Dr. W. L. Lingle
of Richmond, Mr. John L. Alexander,'
of Chicago, are among those who will
tinies 88 the COnference at various
Music.
We announce as a special feature of
the conference a musical program
which is to be conducted by Mr
Charles M. Alexander, whose work
and reputation are world wide. He
is expected to have charge of the sonr
service every evening of the confer
ence.
Rocreation.
Montreat offers unrivaled advant
Imp* th? ref reational features
nich are necessary to the com
pete success of such a conference,
JIT1., k Cl,mbin*' swimming, tennis,
basball, bowling, etc., will offer relax
ation and pleasure to the young peo
ple diving the afternoon, which is to
be given over entirely to social and
recreational activities. There will be
organized recreation and competitive
games under the direction of trained
leaders. Mr. J. Richard Crozier and
Miss Martha Winsborough have been
engaged for this feature of the con
ference. Their work last summer
along these lines was most enjoyable
and successful.
Delegates should be sent to this
conference by churches, Sunday
schools and Christian Endeavor So
cieties. Officers and members of Teen
Age Sunday-school classes, leaders ot
Young ePople's Work of all kinds, and
all who would fit themselves for better
service along the most approved lines
in our churches cannot afford to miss
this conference. You will meet choice
young people form every section of
our Church, and will receive the inspi
ration of a larger vision of the work of
the kingdom. .
What It Will Cost.
Arrangments have been made for
conference rates so that the total ex
pense for the ten days, room and
board, including gate fee, will be only
$15.00. The Alba Hotel has been en
gaged exclusively for delegates. Res
ervation should be made in advance.
Special rates are offered by the rail
roads, beginning June 26, good for
seventeen days. Ask your railroad
agent for particulars.
A prospectus of the conference
with complete program will be sent on
application to
Gilbert Glass, D. D.,
Box 1176,
Richmond, Va.
]! Presbyteries
? HARMONY PRESBYTERY.
Harmony Presbytery met in the
Union church (near Salters, S. C.)
April 3, 1917. Rev. L. B. McCord at
the request of the retiring moderator,
preached the opening sermon and was
subsequently elected moderator. Rev.
H. A. Knox was elected temporary
clerk. All the resident ministers, fif
teen, were present, and 27 out of the
33 churches of the Presbytery were
represented.
Encouraging reports were presented
by the churches. A new church was
reported as organized by a commission
and was enrolled as "Baker." The
name of the Rosemary church was
changed to "Andrews," being situ
ated in the town of Andrews, George
town county.
Overtures to the Assembly were
adopted: That the Assembly order
the column for "Baptized non-commu
nicants" restored to the Statistical
Blanks for sessional reports and that
the Assembly use its episcopal author
ity to have every session keep a fair
record of its baptized non-communi
cants.
Report of the Foreign Mission Com
mittee was encouraging. About
$7,500 had been contributed by the
Presbytery for this work as against
$5,900 last year. This is the highest
record ever made by the Presbytery.
The Presbytery urged the strong
churches to support each a missioii
ary; the weaker churches to follow
the example of the six churches of
the Black River Union in engaging to
Rend out a missionary and support him
in addition to their offerings as hith
erto made. The report stated that
this plan was being adopted by church
es in other parts of the Church* that
five individual churches of the Pres
bytery were each supporting a mis
sionary; that there was a good pros
pect of two additional missionaries
being supported by this Presbytery.
The churches of the Presbytery con
tributed for the Home Missionary
work of the Synod and Presbytery
$1,279 and are in good financial
shape.
Commissioners to the General As
sembly: Rev. H. C. Hammond, of
Mount Zion church, and Elder J. M.
Montgomery, of Concord church, al
ternates Rev. R. C. Morrison, of Hep
zibah and Hebron churches, and El
der W. D. Bryan, of Union church.
Next meeting to be held at the
Bethel church, in Williamsburg coun
ty.
Rev. A. P. Hassel, of the Japan
Mission, was present and addressed
the Presbytery, giving an interesting
account of the work in that country.
An overture goes up to the As
sembly to the end that the Book of
Church Order be amended so that
each Presbytery shall pay the expenses
of itB own commissioners to the Gen
eral Assembly, returning to the old
plan; the new plan is not satisfactory.
The General Assembly has by its rule
practically made an addition to the
amended paragraph which is beyond
its constitutional power. The Book
of Church Order cannot be added to
or suspended by any rule of the Gen
eral Assembly.
W. H. Workman, Stated Clerk.
THE CENTENNIAL. OP THE FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF
WILMINGTON, N. C.
By Andrew J. Howell.
The First Presbyterian church of
Wilmington, N. C., celebrated its cen
tennial by a week of brilliant exer
cises from April 1st to 8th, 1917.
The centennial date was April 4,
1917. The entire spirit of the occa
sion was uplifting, deeply spiritual
and upon a scale of unusual intellec
tual character.
The opening sermon was preached
by Rev. Peyton H. Hoge, D. D., of
Peewee Valley, Ky., a former pastor
of the church, upon the subject of
"The Fathers and the Children."
Rarely has a grander note been sound
ed calling the Church to service and
achievement. Dr. William J. Martin,
president of Davidson College, deliv
ered an address on "The Highway of
Success," making it plain that all true
success comes only from a walk with
Jesus and an imbibing of his spirit.
Dr. Edwin A. Alderman, a former
member of the church, and now pres
ident of the University of Virginia,
spoke on "Democracy and Patriot
ism," and, with the voice of a pro
phet, he interpreted for his hearers
the meaning of the present struggle of
the human mind to And a just and
lasting idea of government, declaring
that men would emerge, from the
strife to conceptions of liberty taught
and foreshadowed in the Bible.
Dr. Alderman brought a personal
message from President Wilson, who
was on the program for the celebra
tion but was prevented by public af
fairs from attending the exercises.
The President was formerly a mem
ber of the church during the pastor
ate of his father, the Rev. Joseph R.
Wilson, D. D.
Rev. W. W. Moore, D. D., president
of Union Theological Seminary, Rich
mond, extolled the high mission of the
church in an able address on "The
Value of the Church to the Commun
ity."
Rev. Alexander Sprunt, D. D., pas
tor of the First Presbyterian church
of Charleston, S. C., and connected
by many ties with the historic church
in Wilmington, delivered a masterly
sermon on "Alpha and Omega," as
mentioned in Rev. 22:13, and Rev.
William E. Hill, pastor of the First