The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-05-24
HOME MISSIONS.

on Home Missions alludes to the unusual
trials experienced by many of the church
es during the past year-especially the
destructive drought in large extent of
territory, and the devastations of the re-
cent extraordinary floods in wide area
of the Mississippi Valley-but adds, that,
notwithstanding these disasters, "there
has been substantial progress in all the
branches of the Home Mission work. ="
The total receipts for all the objects of
this department have been $53,816.12,
which is $751403 in excess of the pre-
ceding year.
The receipts for the branch of Susten-
tation were $21,715.14, an increase of
So, l89 06. This increase is chiefly in the
Presbyteries of the Synods of Virginia
AMI of South Carolina and Florida. The
Committee observe that the statement
made last year that $4,000 is needed to
meet the exigencies of this field is still
emphatically true, and that eff the
churches of all the Presbyteries had made
the same relative increase as those Of
Abingdon, Greenbrier, and Montgomery
this amount would have been nearly APP
proximated, and if all the Presbyteries
could co@e up to the standard already
reached by the Presbytery of Maryland,
the receipts of this fund would be over
$15O,OOO."
There has been some encouraging pro-
gress in the matter of ministerial support
Reports from Sc Presbyteries indicate
that 50 per cent of the 755 ministers
wholly engaged in the pastoral work have
been adequately supported by their con-
gregations-an improvement on the pre-
vious year
1t is gratifying to note progress in re-
gard to the securing of manses, it appear
ing that 2O5 manses are now provided
by as many churches in 81 Presbyteries
There is an improvement also in the
number of selfsustaining churches.
There are 1873 ministers, who, for want
ofadequate support, are engaged in teach
ing, farming, or other secular business.
There are 800 churches vacant, at the
same time, because they have not been
able to obtain assistance.
An important fact is that there are ITO
organised churches which need houses OF
worship, but are not able to build them
without outside help.
The total receipts for Evangelistic
Work were 11,628.88 for the general
work, and $2,l93 %, special, for Western
Texas-an aggregate gain of $2,863.27.
Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida
constitute the great home mission field Of
the Church This branch of the work
has been extended largely since the last
report. There were Ga evangelists at
work in the whole field the past year,
which is an increase of 20 On the pre-
vious year. This department of the work
continues to give great encouragement.
Men are found, contrary to the fears en-
tertained some years ago, ready to enter
this field as fast as they can be sent. In
many cases their labors have been richly
blessed. Seventeen Presbyteries report
the organisation Of 80 churches through
the labors Of their evangelists, and 6l5
members were received in 10 Presbyte-
ries. The work largely increased during
the past year.
The receipts for the Invalid Fund were
$11,08803, an increase of $839.76, due
entirely to a legacy.
Receipts for the Relief Fund amount
to $6,682.22.
We publish elsewhere an abstract of
this Report.
THE REPORT ON FOREIGN
n