The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-30
Home Missions.
What Shall be Done With the Young
and Feeble Churches ?
BY REV. RICHARD M'ILwAINE, D. I

BY REV. RICHARD M'ILwAINE, D. D.
The opinion has been entertained by
some that the necessity for the General
Assembly's Sustentation work is tempo
rary and gradually decreasing and will
ere long entirely cease. No position can
be more untenable or more opposed to
the facts of the case This agency is not
designed to meet a temporary emergency,
but is part of the permanent machinery
of the Church, essential to the manifesto
tion Of her corporate life and expressive
of the active force che puts forth in full
filling her divine mission Whatever
tends to impair its vigor threatens the
efficiency of the Church. Whatever pro-
notes it, helps her to healthful and eff
fective discharge of her functions.
The State of the Church
A glance at the condition of the
Church will suffice to establish this state
mont. Most of our congregations are
located in sparsely settled, but impor-
tant communities. OF our one thousand
nine hundred and fifty-seven organiza-
tions, about seven hundred are too
feeble, either singly or in convenient
groups, to support minister. They
must be helped for longer or shorter
time if they are to have the gospel
preached in their midst. Of these, be-
tween two and three hundred have no
houses of worship and are not able to
obtain them without assistance, about
one hundred of which are anxious to
build, so soon as they can obtain assist
ance. During the last five years, two
hundred and thirteen new churches have
been organized in our bounds, and owing
to the increased activity in evangelistic
work, and the rapid increase of our pop
ulation, it is probable that many more
will be established in the next five wears.
Our section of the country is being de-
veloped with unprecedented rapidity.
New centres of population, in mining.
manufacturing, commercial, and agricul-
tural regions, are being found every day.
and the Church is being extended to
these. points. With exceptions, these
young plants need, from the start, nur
ture, and kindly assistance, and some of
them for long time.
The Duty of Helping the Weak.
1t is, to say the least, poor policy to
go on forming new congregations, unless
we are prepared to extend help to them
In their weakness. 1t will not do to con-
tinue this work and then leave it's fruits
to dwindle and die. When these churches
have been brought into existence and
have become part of our household.
they have claims upon us which we must
not neglect. The Christian law that the
strong must help the weak; that we must
bear one another's burdens, compels a
recognition of them as Christs and the
practice toward them of that kindly be-
neficence, Of which they stand in need.
Their Utility to the Church.
The young, tender and delicate plants
are Of use in the Church lust as infants
and the infrm are in our families. Tbev
are gwen to be nurtured and cared for.
in order that the graces of brotherly
kindness and Christian love may be ex-
ercised by us, while they, through our
charity, give thanks to God, and by his
blessing, grow up to be helpful parts Of
his Church. Now, can we afford to do
without them? For (1) 1t is out of the
weak churches of to-day that the strong
churches of the future are to come. (25
The most Of our candidates for the minis
try are found in Home Mission fields.
(3) Our town and city churches are large
ly recruited from weak country conprega-
tions. (4) It's only by bringing forward
new churches that we can extend and
strengthen our Zion for further and ever