The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-06-14
Letter from Greece.
ATHENS. May 20. 1882.

MesSrS. Editor8,- The Missionary for
May has just reached me, and l have read
with great pleasure brother Phipps earn.
est appeal for a church building, and
heartily endorse all that he has said.
There are special reasons arising out
of events that have occurred since his
letter was written that make it even more
imperatively necessary that we should
have building for church and school in
Salonica. These circumstances have been
set forth in letter to DIR. WILSON,
Might not ask you, however, to repu6-
hsh letter which appeared some year
and half ago on this subject, in your
paper, over my signature? think it i'm
portant, as that presented another side Of
the question.
Please state also how much money was
sent to you for this object. While in
England two years ago l collected seve-
raj hundred dollars towards this object,
so that beginning has been made Some
efforts made by US here to purchase a
lot, with borrowed money, came to moth
ing, through the treachery Of the Greek
from whom we wished to buy. 1t is to
be hoped this effort will be more success
ful. Yours truly, T. R. SAMPSON.
The following is the letter which Mr..
Sampson in the letter above asks us to
republish. 1t appeared in the Central of
February 2, 1881. We think that the
best way to place the facts before the
readers of the Central is, as Mr.. Sampson
requests, to republish this letter. In an
swer to Mr. SIMPSONS inquiry, we will
state that we received last year and for
warded to DR.. McIlwaine $23 for this
church. We hope that the full amount
needed for such purpose will be fur
nished without delay.
ATHENS, December, 9th 1880.
MessrS Editors,-I have noticed with great
qualification the earnest appeals which you have
made in behalf of some of the weaker churches
at home, and the generous response with which
these appeals have been met. J. hope it will
not be thought improper for me to ask you to
say few words in behalf of the little church
at Thessalonca. The few brethren there have
made generous contribution themselves. and
while in England last year / received some three
hundred dollars more for them, but they still
lack twelve or fifteen hundred dollars to pur
chase lot and put up a suitable edihce. The
considerations which have moved me to make
this representation to you are these
/ l. The town has eighty or one hundred
thousand inhabitants and no Protestant church
! 2. Such building would do for church and
school house at the same time. We are obliged
| to have a school, as the children are excluded
from the public schools Of the Greek community
If they attend our Sabbath School
I 3. Our preacher there was driven from the
last house he had because he preached in it.
and brother Phpps obtained the house he has
now only on the condition that he would not
preach IN it,
4. The house in which our preacher lives
breaches, and has the school, is very far from
the bulk Of the people to whom he wishes 10
preach, and from all the members of the church
D. The Greeks are very much preiudiced
against preaching in a private house. This
with the last mentioned fact. reduces our AN
diences to from twenty to thirty Der Sabbath
while ] am confident that in a more central
position and in a public building, we would
have from Fifty to one hundred at least
g. Brother Phipps has now entered this field
with hearty good will, and it does seem to be
the duty Of the Church to remove, as far as DOS
sible, the difficulties Of which have spoken.
Cannot you place some Of these facts in
your own way, before my friends, acquaintance.
and Chrsts friends, Of whom so large a number
read your valuable paper, and do for this little
company Of struggling Christians, what you
have done forso many at home
Let this be over and above what the Com