The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-11-18

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pays q good salary becomes vacant the ses-
sion soon have plenty of offers, and are
perplexed to decide whom they should hear
and ifthere was com nittee of Presby.ery
on whom they could throw the res pons
billy Of rejecting men they would gladly
do so
Breh ern should be willing to seek their
fields through PresAytery They should say.
ms did one lately, whose ability is equal to
his loyalty, 81 would not become 9 csndi-
date upon my own motion before any
church, but should feel bound by my or
dinstion VOWS to go to any church which
Presb ytery might direct mo to supply"
In brief we would cay that the duty of
Presbytery towards the vacant churches
under its care consists in seeing that these
churches faithfully perform their own
duties as set forth in our Form of Govern
ment," in furnishing them with the preach
ing of the word so far as ossible, and in
affording them the best facilities for secur-
| ing pastors
III Consider briefly in the second place
the great need for the performance of this
duty, and the exercise of this care by Pres
bytery
It, we'll known that there is quite
| Presbytery that are not able to support
pastor. and the most of them being off tn c
| line of railro I'd communication, iud it dit.
fcult TO secure supplies for themselves
The territory in which some of these
churches are situated is destitute of evan
gelica, preaching by any denomination
This is emphatically the case in a large
portion of Elk county With the exception
Of ST Marys- which does not be long to
| our Presbytery-we have but one small.
| church-E kton-with membership Of
| sixteen scattered ovet district of country
having ra iius of eight or min miles
| This organization has been neglected until
it has scarcely an existance, and the whole
| region of country was for a considerable
length of time destitute of the gospel
This year local Methodist minister h is
been preaching there part of the time Bu'
| there are many persons there who are
anxious to have Presbyterian preaching
and it is our duty to give it TO them if il
| ca1 be done The whole county, having a
population of at leasl 5000 is destitute, 50
far as our denomination is concerned eX-
cept st Marys At Wilcox a Dutch Re
formed Presbyterian churca has occupied
the ground The great majority of the
| people do not belong to any church 1t is
| as truly ullSSlUHHTy SIuuuu do any VI Ou'
| Western territories AMI the fields are
white already to the harvest-would tuat
there were reapers sufficient TO gather il.
1t is undoubtedly the first duty OF Presby
terry to fsster and noursh the churches al
| ready organized, but it is 80 a duty to
furnish The gospel o other destitute places
which desire it, or which may grow intU
| churches
| t. With nopnlatinn
| probably 5000. we have one lutte church
0 twenty-three members. and the other
deuc minations are not strong The county
is sparsely settled. but f,om the NUN.
Der of inhabit ants many of them must be
without the means of grace. In that par
of Clarion county north of the pike, with
an estimated po pulation of 10000 we have
| only four little churches whose combined
membership Is tut egnty-seven, and only
one of these Mill Creek-is regularly
supplied. The churches of the other evan
gelctl denomin nItrons are also small Ia
the part of Vel ango county belonging to
our iresbytery he destitution seems TO be
nearly as great.
rs we see these small hocks scattered
over the mountains Of sin and wickedness
without any shepherds to protect, guide
and fee them, our compassion should be
aroused IN their behalf
Ill. This leads US to notice in the
Mjrd place some Of the methods in which
Presbytery can best furnish tae gospel to
these destitute fields.
Here we should learn a lesson from our
Saviour, and pray the Lord of the harvest
to send forth lahorers into his harvest.
But we must unite works with faith and
in order to accomp. .ish this work most sue
ces,fully, we should have Presbyterian
| Missionary TO preach in the weak churches
and destitute places, to visit the G pie,
and do the general w.rk of an evangelist.
The means to sustain such n missionary
beside what could be raised ON the field,
could be easily provided If the ruling elders
IN our Preshytery would undertake 1t.
If this method is not deemed dract icnble
at present. then it is The duty Of our pastors
| to % forth two by two,and visit these dest-
| ute fields trusting thai the Great Ssep.
herd Of the sheep will abunddntiy bless
tuer labors n their efforts to gather into
| t e true fold those that are scattered abroad
After tie above discourse an earnest ani
delightful Conference was held on the same
topic. A deep interest was nanfested in
the prosperity Of our vacant churches and
missionary fields. Il Stanamy Committee
on Vacant Churches and Presbyteria
| Missions was ordered to BE- appoluiei TO
have control OF the vacant churches, mis-
sion fields aud supplies il Presbytery. The
ruling elders in all our churches were re
sppcttuly requested 20 contribute Ave dol
lars each, or see that it be provided, To-
The support of Presby teral Missionary
for six months; and dthct the ministry he re
sponsible for furnishing an equivalent ser
| vice for sic mouths more. The following
paper, defining some Of The duties Of the
committee on Vacant Churches and Res-
| byler:al NJ 'ssOns was adopted;
l. That the committee have supervis-
| ion and control of all missionary work
within our bounds, including vacant
| churches and missionary fields of labor not
| yet organized as churches.
, That in answer TO request from va
| can't chur3hes and with reteren e 10
| churches that have ma ie no requests for
supplies, appointments be made by said
committee for their supply with preaching
| taking care to so group these churches anu
missionary field together, as TO form con
vcnient fields Of labor.
3 That it shall be their duty 10 stir Up
these vacant churches and missionary
fields, TO raise by subscription as much ae
they can to sustain the preaching of the
gospel among them; and having ascertniued
what amount can be raised for the support
of a Presbyterian missionary to secure the
services of such a missionary as in their
judgment will most successfully prosecute
| the work.
That the committee shall have charge