New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-19
TUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
ar PEuNIoN-THE GENERAL ASSEM-
fiNI IN CmCAGo-A CHANGE IN FlNAhOiAn
d. FIVE MILLIONS FOR CHURCH
hhIr,,rNT-oTHER UNION MOVEMENTS

~,.p oF RFUNION-THE GENERAL ASShM-
f"N1 IN CuICAGo-A CHANGE IN flNAhOIAh
.r5oDs FIVE MILLIONS FOR CEOhOh
hhn,,rNr-OTHER UNION MOVEMENTS.
C,1'c,co Nav 15-After year of reunion
xs,,terans Of the United states are io'h'ns W.,
st interest for the meeting OF thei ~ ar, .he
- ,h,s week Your readers VIII ioiu'''ooi -
80, 81 tho two greater branches OF ,ne
denomination finally ac'oh 10 -, =; ,ace The
s,aorssion which was begun NJ o'' i'u a, ao.,,o
olS0" 49,. re- olansed since this toyiu cohs""iin"
H 80. hoen occupied with the reoohSueeioh
:, the Church the plan es,I,.tirr 90
Philadelphia Qs70 Assembly t"o ,,.,raots oto. .ho
rhfs,.. boards missionary disulcts' etei the
the beheNoeH' ',ssIon NJ proposed changes grow
con1ue1""vH ", o,d ~ new methods Of collecting
INK 0u y, - bs usual church contributions, the rals
80 . memorial fund OF S0O"" I'D ki"'i'"uo iOi '"o
..ovo, Of discussion and u'Ise" a"U n.y. 10,
o,,e,s abundant t. tax the u'i"VS' enc Aoe VI VIC
IT. General Assembly meeting every year. ana
people i 49, the cities is OF great interest always
so'S interest this year, by reason OF its gather
"' IN ,be reports Of progress and condition IRON the
i"N 'nrbes the boards, presbyterles, syn0ds, etc.
w. = opv stating, but debating and deciding upon
". +, is composed Of one minister and one elder for
~ nresbytery association OF not less than five
sts and another minister and elder for every
d,ouaI twenty-four churches associated in presby-
80 and il is the highest ecclesiastical authority
tnovp TO Presbyterians. having judicial as well
a. executive powers Until last year the two
Assembly ever they separated in 1887; but last
ar te delegates called "commssioners'1 from each
branch we're elected to meet in the same house and at
81, same Tine ami thus, concentrating previous action,
they formed new General Assembly. 1t Is tic
second here q these reunited Assemblies therefore,
which ccuvenes in the First (2ev. Arthur Mtchcll'St
church this week The "Old School" never have had
meeting here before; the New school, met here in
1855 aud the Rev. NJ L. T. Thompson, ID. d., now OF
Jamestown. N Y, was Moderator. The two branches
together number onetwenteth Of the people OF Chicago
among their adberent $3.50 communcants and are the
weathost Protestant denomination, as represented by
value Of church property G97s,OOO), in the city. The
Baptist who will hold their anniversaries here at she
same time have 45s7 communicates, and church prop
eTtY valued at s64e 600
The Assembly will convene on Thursday morning
when the annual sermon will be preached Icy the re-
firing Moderator the Rev. ]. Trumbul Backus, d. d.,
pastor in Schenectady, n. Y. The number OF members
win be about 500 elected 10y the Presbyteries As
reconstructed, the denomination has;
oqT%gR', tepo'. Of 1851 Sl3so''roo sri
tncTessc from previous year Cburrh.:;;... $50
ose chaTc snoihe1 50 $50 Presbyieres US7o7l) los
The bodies last named have, in the reconstruction
been arranged nearly by State and county or railroad
boundaries, possible aud have thus been greatly In
creased in members and territory and diminished in
number In the previous year psGe70, there were 81
synods and 25s presbyteres. An interesting item Is
afforded in the reports Of the loss and gain from other
denCmin: tons in ls697o:
Ministers dismissed other lCbSrehes dismissed to other -
nSss. received from other CtTrsSs, received from other
q -
The income Of the Church in 1920 was:
T EGss Mission. 60 a s For far G Sa 5So t'oo
Rof For Missions 80 90 o., For For Ministerial Relief sS S
20, Eiusaoa go ~ -'''' For Genera Assembly,. Sos
Tor Conrrreat nal ......t4 6l65
FoT PgPic.;oa 10 fi as For Msesneous 6o6a
reP0r''o'''''''''''' ''''0 &C. aols
During the year inst closing, effort has been made
TO put the denomination into working order in all its
churches colleges boards. and in all other matters
while al The same time the usual contributions 10 the
usual causes have been continued At the great mass
meeting in Pittsburgh composed OF the members OF the
two ASS hles of 100 the of S. 10000 was named
az requisite put the Church in readiness to begin her
the peOplr might upon record IL resolved TO call
tay pCpur action was ratified by the Reunited General
Assembly MAY last. II was announced several weeks
since M meeting your city, that four hths OF the
sum had raised and it Is now understood that inc
whole fund will he announced complete at tins Assembly
Owing 10 insuicency Of instructions from the Assembly
Il the churches many have misunderstood ana mlsrt-
ported their collections. that ii will hardly be possible
a. secnrc an accurate statement Of moneys raised
throughout the denomination during me year now Slo
ing but should he understood that the Memorial l9hQ
is specia collection, not merely INTO one treasury Dn
bestowed at option wherever moFe th'n tlo haon
yearly contributions OF cu iieVOi 90 iosti,,4ioHs
needed for the better pernanence OF lnsutHuohs'
for t6s reminding OF their churches others for some
scholarship, professors chair or other ena9Eft IN, IN
House in city 10 the fund OF benevolent Doald LII
'T The pf rennited Assembly appointed committee to
bav ms mattel In charge Mr. Winthrop 6. Gilman Of
your city being chairman, ana their report VIA DE oi
1noue Ell aracter. They will present 10 the Assembly
Tho r complete roll individual churches OF the de-
nomination. arranged in their new presDy teTGS ana S IL
DDS and these will have opposite their names the amounts
contributed ny them and the purposes OF these eonou
tons Doubtless .deTable discussion VIII grow out
OF this Che probably as one Presbyteiy Pamyri,
Missouri VIII send III an overture dshlnk the Asseuply
TO direct % further memorial fund Oh SOo'VVV uuIHG
ISL ana 1872. 49,. -, .,
bly, the most Interesting business before the Assembly,
will discussed i'll and upon the report OF special
4FHas q IVgg yam
wear uIUn the general subject Of the Finances OF the
Church, with Instructions to recommend 10 nls ASSEM-
bV 1ifh view 10 the uniform arrangement ana cd
simplifying and consolidating our various operations,
and !Or culstmg the vigorous and effective sympathy
and coon. ration an presbyteries and al our con
TccatiUns vita BOanis of the Church, they may
b. organized" Tie members Of this Committee are the
Rev Dr. j. Backus c. c. Beatty, j. c. Baekus, X H.
Booth, Il. W. PATTI r>On, II. A Nelson, D. " murray,
Alex Reed G. C. Hickman, Howard Crosby, and s. j.
Ncools; the Hon Messis. JOhu Soul Nlhhih strong
VIM. l.. Dodge, III. W. Mlllams (Jl PlueDuisn! anu 10 A.
Lambert and MeSSrS. Robert Carter, X. Nj. Onphanl
John MauaIuaker james NJ BrOwnCr, q. Def. Lord and
John HeWaud. 1t is understood that these gentlemen
VIII IeJOrt tavOrably upon plan that has been much
discussed IN the Church papers, proposing one central
tyeasur, for ali benevolent collections, thus making
radical change in the methods of administration, All
tho seven causes are now managed Dl boards
independent of each other, being In Pittsburgh
Freedmen), three Education, Publication ana NiniSte
Relied in Philadelphia, and the others IN NeW-N OK
The propositions from tine Committee win lie very
esy Discus ed for the whole subject Of systematic CIV
lug las been prominently before the people during the
year Many churches have adopted the treescat sem
10 genera satisfaction and depend upon systematic CON
trbung based on written pie ICES for their whole eX
pendituIc others keep the reutalpan and collect only
their money tie Boards IL this way but there Is
widespread Interest in the matter IN one OIm or another
Tire question Of SutCntatOn Fund for the pastors OF
church,, Is also still agtatod and President McCOsh OF
Prince ID College chairman Of committee TO report
this year. III connection with this, very strong
movement Is making TO destroy the " statcdsupply
business Ont OF tn 1000 ministers OF IIe ShuIcn OnE