The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-19
VIRGINIA NEWS,
Reported for the Dispatch.
PRESBYTERY OF ROANOKE.
UNION THEOLOGICAL sEMrsAaY.


UNION THEOLOGICAL sEM1sARY,l !
| April 10, 1870.
Saturday morning Presbytery resumed
Its sessions.
The 9th day Of September at - NJ. wa,
fixed as the time for the next meeting.
Rev. Alexander Martin was chosen to be
commissioner to the General Assembly, with
Rev. T. n. Whaley as his alternate. Mr.
Richard ' Gaines, ruling elder, was chosen
rs the other commissioner, with Mr.. vii
liam G. Friend to be his alternate.
Rev. j. B. Shearer, chairman Of the Stand
ing Committee on Publication, reported
calling the attention of the Presbytery to
the call from the committee in Richmond
for the Increase of their capital, according to
the recommendation of the General Assem-.
bly,, and "the possibility OF enlisting every
minister, or an elder or a deacon in every
congregation, as an agent for the distribu.
tlon and sale of books and tracts, and for
the increased circulation Of the Chsldren's
Friend. Ten dollars devoted to small sup.
ply Of books in each congregation would be
amply sufficient"
Rev. John M. kirkpatrick reported from
the Standing Committee on Foreign Mis-.
sions that twenty out of the thirty churches
of the Presbytery had contributed during
the past year about $500 to this cause, and
urging more liberal and jealous co1pera-
ton in this great and blessed work.
| Rev. John II. Davis, from the Committee
on Education, reported that during the
year one candidate for the ministry had
been recommended to the Assembly's COM
mittee for aid, and called the attention OF
members to the humilating fact that the
contributions from the churches Of the
| Presbytery last year had not, by more than
one-third of the amount, equallsd the ap-
preparation of the Assembly's committee
for the aid of our one candidate.
Rev. II. A. Brown, from the Committee
on Missions, reported that last year twenty.
nine of the thirty churches Of the Presby-
terry had contributed an aggregate of about
800 TO the cause Of sustentation, and had
received from the Assembly's committee
nearly 500. For this year the Assembly's
committee has already granted us s641
whilst twenty-three churches have con.
tributed to this cause not much over $500
Only one Of the seven remaining churches
is q strong one, so that when all shall have
contributed, ut the present rate the total
amount will scarcely reach $500.
The following resolutions were passed
l. "That this Presbytery cordially ap-
proves Of the measures indicated in recent
circular from the Committee of Sustentation
for the purpose Of carrying out fully the
recommendation of the General Assembly
to secure minimum salary of $3.50 to every
minister who is wholly engaged in ministe.
rial work.
2. "That those churches which have not
yet this year made contributions to the cause
of sustentation be cnjoined to do SO at the
earliest practicable moment, and that they
be urged to make them, if possible, twenty.
five per cent. larger than those Of last year
and that those churches which have taken
| IL. Al, ha i,
solicited to make supplemental contribu.
tions at least to an amount equal to twenty.
five per cent. on those already made.
8. "That the attention of the members Of
Presbytery who may be sent as supplies to
vacant congregations be called particularly
to the order Of Presbytery requiring them
to take up collections on their visits to such
congregations, that they may secure con.
tribution from each Of them for the cause
Of sustentation.
At halcpast II o'clock Presbytery took O
recess and repaired to College church to
unite with the Presbytery Of West Hanover
in meeting for the furtherance Of the cause
Of suStentation," having reference to the
the sustentation of weak churches.
DR.. Dabney read the report Of the Susten.
tation Committee of West Hanover Pres
bytery, showing the condition Of their
field, the number of vacant churches
and the want of laborers. He exhibited
also the great disparity between the con
tributions of their churches to this cause
and the amount received from the Sus
tentation Committee. The average con
tributions were but thirty-two cents pei
member.
The report was followed by forciblc and
eloquent address from Mr.. Blakey, a ruling
elder from Charlottesville, and by other
earnest addresses from several members o.
Roanoke Presbytery, enforcing the obliga
tion to cooperate fully in the endeavor o
the General Assembly to raise the salary Of
every minister who gives his whole time tc
ministerial work to $3.50. II every church
connected with the General Assembly that
has not yet made contribution to the
cause will do so, and if those which have
made their contributions will make another
to the amount Of twenty-five per cent. Oh
the former, the thing can be done.
One Of the speakers said that the average
salary of the fourteen members Of Roanoke
Presbytery having charge Of congregation:
was not over 1865, and OF ten of these, sery'
ing twenty churches, but $465.
The contributions of last year from the
churches of this Presbytery (every church
contributing but one) averaged about thirty
cents per member. There was danger
that this year they would fall below twenty
five cents but an average of fifty cents pei
member, it was thought, might easily BIZ
reached by the proper effort, and II oul
churches thus showed a proper zeal to dc
what they could the Sustentation Commit
tee would be the more ready to extend tc
us the aid W hich our present great weakness.
and deStitution call for.