The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-22
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Volos Debt.
A Word for the Greek Mission.

NO puullC appeal mas ever Deen MADE
for our church in Volos, nor have the
friends there laboring ever asked it; but
the following statement is considered due
to our mission work in Greece and the
missionaries there laboring.
Such statements are often made of our
feeble churches in this country, and none
feebler than this can be found in this
highly favored land of ours, Volos being
an outpost of mission work, in foreign
land and the church built among the
enemies of the truth.
Of the history of this church, its strug-
giles and difficulties, enough has been said
In times past. Its erection was not at
the cost of our Southern Church. but by
funds collected by Dr. Kalopothakes else
where. principally in England. The
completion of the church cost more than
the funds in hand, and more than it
would have cost had we had an Ameri-
can missionary on the ground during the
time of its being built, as was certainly
anticipated when it was begun. Mr..
Sampson was not then in Greece, and
DR.. Kalopothakes was too fully engrossed
with the work in Athens to give it the
personal attention he felt it needed. So,
when the church was completed, it was
found there was considerable debt upon
it.
The amount of this debt now is nearly
seven hundred and fifty dollars. To pre-
vent the high rate of interest in Greece,
ten per cent, friend in America has
loaned five hundred dollars, and DR.. Kali
opothakes loans the remainder. For the
whole amount DIR. Kalopothakes holds
himself personally responsible, and the
debt is a note, and never can become a
church debt But Dr. Kalopothakes' i'll.
health during the past year makes it very
desirable that he should be relieved Of
such care, and as is ascertained bv
private correspondence, compels him to
use the amount he has loaned, and that
amount must now be borrowed at ten
per cent interest.
1t does seem that, if these facts are
known, there are special friends to the
Greek mission who would be willing to
give something, each a small amount if
necessary, so that the work there may
be at once relieved of this incumbrance
and yet not diminish the contributions
to the regular church collections.
Our Greek mission has never brought
any Indebtedness upon our Church, nor
asked any appropriation for the erection
OF its churches, and this statement is now
made without the knowledge of, or even
suggestion from, any member of it.
1t may be further stated that the ex-
act amount of the debt is now believed
to be seven hundred and thirty-five dol
lars, and thirty-fve dollars of this
amount is promised from friend by the
LIST of January, 1881, if others will unite
in relieving this debt by that time.
A very liberal contribution of twenty
dollars in gold was recently made to-
wards the liquidation of this debt by a
mute, Mr.. Vespasian Hopkins, of Bed
ford county, Virginia It was of the
fruits of his own industry, and was a
generous and noble gift from a young
man, who, from his birth, has been de.
prived of the power of speech and hear
ing. May it prove an example to others.
The following facts, in connection with
the above statement, are of no little inter
est:
Volos is very favorably situated for
missionary operations in the provinces of
Thessaly and Epirus, about one hundred
and fifty miles north of Athens, and about
one hundred miles south of Old Thessa-
lonica, where the sainted G.. w. Leyburn
breathed his last Both of these places
were regarded by him as very important
in view Of missionary effort, and in the
former, his daughter, Miss I. M. Leyburn,
was located for some time performing ef-
fective service, though for a time encoun-
tering rather fierce opposition The pop
ulation of Volos consists largely of Greeks
and Jews.
The signs of the times betoken brighter
day for the whole field occupied by our
Greek missions. The Treaty of Berlin
stipulates religious liberty to such provin-
ces as may be added to Free Greece and
the annexation necessitates a revision of
the Greek constitution favorable to the
same. The English Government also has
pledged its aid towards the same un-
speakably desirable contamination. The
way will then be open for far more
extensive and successful efforts for the
spiritual regeneration Of the 6,OOOOOO
Greeks embraced within the territory of
our Greek mission. The Greek mind
too, has evidently been undergoing fa-
Vorabie change preparatory to such labor