The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-22
PRESBYTERIANS IN SESSION.
General Assembly Of the Northern and
Southern Churches Convene.
INTERESTING ANNUAL REPORTS READ.
A Missionary Elected Moderator at the
Southern Assembly-Reports of Com
mittces and Boards.

DlRMiNGHAM, AlA.s May 2.-lSpeclal. =
The tbirty-frst annual session Of the General
Assembly Of the Southern Presbyterian
Church convened at II o'clock at the First
church this morning. Out of the $50 com
missioners entitled to seats 137 answered to
the roll-call and others have been coming in
all the day.
The opening sermon was preached by Rev.
James Park, ID. D., OF Knoxville. Tenn. Ills
discourse was on Elisha at Dothan and the
protection which God Afforded his servant "a
a type OF the protection that he affords to his
people at all times and under all circum-
| stances.
After the sermon Rev HampdenC G. Dubose,
| of Soochwa. China was elected moderator,
this being the first time in the history OF the
| church that a missionary has been elected 10
| preside over the General Assembly.
Rev. r. ii. Nall of Fort Worth, Tex, ana
Rev. Edwin Muller of Louisville were elected
| temporary clerks.
! REPORT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
In the afternoon the report of the executive
| committee was heard. The receipts for foreign
missions during the year amounted to sll3,--
| 600, being $1,000 more than the receipts Oh
| any previous year. Eleven new missionaries
have been sent 90 the field.
The committee on home missions reported
| $50 900 received for that cause and about the
same amount expended.
COMMITTEE OF EDUCATION.
The committee on education reported 229
candidates had been assisted out OF the re-
| cepts for the year. which receipts were S2l.OO
| Uwenty-One colOred divinity students were
| reported in attendance at the Tuscaloosa IN
| stitute. The question of revising the cate
! chism will not be discussed.
The special work OF the session will be TO
| devise plans for the home and foreign mis-
sions.
The Northern Assembly.
DETROIT. MIcH.. May 21.-The one hundred
and third General Assembly Of the Presby-
terian Church opened at the Fort-street
| Presbyterian church, this city, at IL O'Clock
| this morning. There were COO commissioners
in attendance when it opened. OF this large
| number it was impossible 10 get any complete
expression of the case of DIR. Briggs. The
! New York delegation. which was poled,
stands about three to one against Dr. Briggs
! The business of the day was opened promptly
! at II o'clock 10y the call TO order OF the mod
erator. Rev. W. f. Moore. ID. D.. Of Colum-
| bus, O. DR.. Moore delivered the opening ser
mon.
DIR. GREEN ELECTED MODERATOR.
After the sermon the assembly adjourned
| for luncheon At o'clock it reassembled
for the election Of its moderator, naming of
| committees and clerks and for the adoptonOt
! rules for the government of the assembly.
v. 4.
! elected moderator. DR.. Green IS sXty-sX
years old. an alulnnus of Princeton, and Tor
! the past forty years has been the occupant of
| the chair Of Oriental and old Testament Lite
rature at Princeton. lie has written He
brew grammer and other text books, and was
one Of tho transatOrs Of IAnse's Commen
tary He is considered one OF the safest and
most learned men in the church.
ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE ASSEMBLY.
g. a. s,.ro,,lic Of xrbot tha IN
nual reports 10 the Presbyterian General As
sembly will show: -,
The report of the home mission board will
! show that the fiscal year closed with debt OF
| about 900 hanging over the work The
causes of the debt have been the unexpected
falling of of legacles which were 100000
less last year than for the year previous The
contributions from churches and individuals
were larger than in any year previous.
During the year the board OF education has
had under its care 500 candidates, an increase
of thirty over last year. A large proportion
of these came from the West. The total re-
ceipts were S806.06 an increase OF 5000 over
the previous year. Still there is a deficiency
and with $500 debt hanging over from
previous years the board at the close of the
fiscal year. April 18th, was sl6,OOOin debt
REPORT OF THE TREASURER.
The report of the treasurer of the board of
missions for freedmen shows Just enough
money on hand to pay all liabilities. The to-
tal receipts for the year were 9155. .O7S which
shows falling off as compared with the pre-
vOus year, which Is accounted for by the fact
that during the wear 1890 the board received
S34. 900 IN the shape of two legacles. During
the year three hundred ministers and teach
ers have been supported in the field and c4O,-
coo have been added % the real estate values
owned by the board. The churches and pu-
pills during the year contributed $4,000 to-
ward self-support
ABBATH-sCHOOL MISSIONARIES.
The Sabbath-schOol missionaries during the
year have established 1,209 schools with 4, ,8i3
teachers and t0.525 scholars. They have
given away 1862 Bibles, 81 ,29l library books.
IA Sol 472 tracts and ,096 Bibles for reciting
the Shorter Catechsm. The board Of aid re-
ports 1,173 contributing churches against
2.O3O last year. OF these AZ are encouraged
by the board under promise to contribute to
their neighbOring schools. This has the
effect of decreasing the amount actually COM
inc into the treasury. so that this year 1t only
amounts to S30,502, but the entire volume of
collections is S39.77s, as against e35; 73l last
year. Total receipts. S9,3O3; grand total
from all sources, SAG, ,3S7l5; last year, S94,-
$50.
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
The board of foreign missions is still in debt.
The occidental board Pacific coast received
sl0S5l; Southwestern board, s7749; New
York wOman's board OF foreign missions,
S67 O39 Womans board of Northwest. SEQ
9l4. Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of
Philadelphia. S126,OOO
The women of the church have sent to the
mission house during the year $4,000. The
board of church erection received S98, ,726,
which with unexpended balances gave it
The total membership of the Presbyterian
Church including the Dutch and German Re-
formed Churches in the world in 1890 WAS
20. 265. 500. of which 1,562,s99 were in the
United States.