Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-27
BUlLDING CHURCHES.
The Assembly Talks of Something
Besides the Briggs Case.
LAST EVENINGS SESSION.
The Report of the Board on Church Free
lions Received and Discussed-The Publi-
cations Board and Its Interesting Figures
Sabbath school Work.

last evening at the New York Avenue Presby-
terian Church. It began a. So'clock and lasted
for a couple OF hours. The meeting was de-
voted altogether TO routine business, and be-
yond the hearing of two reports from standing
Committees there was nothing OF any moment.
When the session began the galleries were
well filed and there was fair attendance OF
commissioners. but there was very little to IN
terest them. and when the time came to adj
journ many Of the commissioners had left and
there was not enough OF an audience left to
make corporal's guard.
DR.. Roberts. the stated clerk and vice mod
orator of the assembly, presided over the meet
ing and opened the exercises with a brief
prayer.
CHURCH ERECTION.
The standing committee on church erection
made its report to the assembly through the
chairman DIR. Stewart. DIR. Stewart referred
briefly to the history of the work done by the
committee in the half century since its organi-
zation. In that time 1894 churches have re-
ceived aid. They are located in forty-hve dif-
ferent states. and have received assistance to
the extent Of "a, 136. 625. and they now possess
property valued at SO 1876, POS. The value and
good accomplished BY the committee is proved
beyond a doubt. The past year has been
the most successful in the history Of the work,
but the resources of the board do not increase
in proportion to the needs and applications.
One reason for this is the present tendency
on the part Of the more prosperous communi-
ties to aid struggling churches In their own
midst. DR.. Stewart referred to the desirable
ity of the churches which had received aid
from the board paving it back as soon az they
Il arrrrev lrv7fr n
NAV receive the aid this would make possible
In concluding the report the committee sub
r,itted resolutions commenting the work of
the board, urging the various synods to secure
larger contributions, as at least S15OOOO for the
coming year. and that the older synods be
urged to see to it that their contributions to
the funds Of the board be larger than the de-
mands made upon the board by them.
Churches making contributions to particular
churches were urged to make them through the
agency of the board, and the report closed by
asking that the retiring members Of the COM
mittee be continued their own SUCCESSORS.
DIR. WHITES REMARKS.
The report was unanimously adopted and
then Rev. DIR. White, the secretary of the
board. was introduced to make a few remarks
upon the subject Of the work Of the board. DIR.
White said that now. at the conclusion Of the
semi-centernial Of the boards history, it was
safe beyond a peradventure to speak of the
board a. a success and as a necessity. One OF
the good results of Its life was the securing to
the Presbyterian Church of over ten millions
worth of property. Many churches have OF
necessity failed, and this was but to be ex-
pected, especially in the west. where no one
could tell what new town was going to be a per-
manent town. Yet the church would be rec
reaut to its own duty if it did not establish
churches in all towns. Sometimes the railroads
swing away from a town and leave 1t stranded.
Then the villagers put their houses on wheels
and trundle them off to the railroads. Then
there comes a request from the pastor of the
Presbyterian Church In that town to the board
asking that he be loaned some money to assist
in trundling the church along after the town.
The board, DIR. White said, does not build
churches 1t amply comes to the aid of a strug-
Cling congregation and furnishes a guarantee
TO them that their labor shall not be in vain.
Without a church edifice q congregation will
surely die. but it ia not a good thing to do all
the work for the congregation 1t must have
the self-respect that comes from doing what it
can for itself There should be necessity
for him to speak in support of the board. If q
father gives bread to his children he does not
think il necessary to speak on behalf of his
band. The board of church erection is but the
band of the church and does its work.
At the conclusion of DIR. Whites remarks
Dr. Stewart spoke briefly to show in particular
instances what good work the committee
does. especially in the west He was followed
by Rev. Mr. Gilchrist Of New Mexico, who told
what was done in the matter in his district, and
how much could be done by looking after the
sranu collections Rev. Dan1 L. Freeland of
Florida also started to speak, but he was called
down BY the moderator because his remarks
were mes pertinent to the subject in hand
CHURCH PUBLICATIONS.
Rev James ii. Brooks, chairman Of the stand
ing committee on publications and Sabbath
schnol work. then read the report of that COM
mittee. 1t spoke of the admirable manner in
which the business Of the board had been trans
acted, as shown by a careful examination of its
books. The money sent to the board Is most
securely kept and handled and used with the
greatest discretion. The board not only pays
all its own expenses, but for every dollar it re-
eeives IL returns q dollar and twelve cents.
During the past year the business branch of the
board had cleared a net profit of S3S, 6S1S1, of
which large amount had been turned over to
the publications department to spread the Word
of God into desoate places. Through its
agency more than 800 900 families had received
II least portion of the Word of God. while an
immense amount of Christian literature had
been placed where it would do the most good
Mr.. Brooks spoke earnestly of the destructive
influence over the youth of the land exerted by
obscene ard sensational literature and indecent
pictures. which are scattered broadcast over the
ing evil Is found in the dissemination of good
reading matter, and this fact speaks loudly for
moro generous contributions TO the board Of
publications.. One thing he desired to have the
assembly know especially was that the board
now stands ready to grant to any minister
church or Sunday school in. impoverished cir
cumstances q cole Stion of from 100 TO $50
books. many of them Of substantial worth and
such solid subjects as theology and history
&C. There is nothing tawdry about them. The
grant il made upon application certified to by
presbyterial committees upon the board. The
report closed with a number of recommended
tons as to changes in the periodical publica-
tions and on other matters of interest to the
board The report was received and the re-
commentators unanimously adopted.
DR. cRAvES's TALK
Rev. Or. Craven, secretary of tine board Of
publications. spoke briefly in reference to the
proposed additions in the editorial department
of the board. which, in addition to the books it
publishes edits twelve periodicals. During the
past wear over q. 10000 of these had been
Issued. and no publishing house in the country,
he thought, or in the world turned out a higher
quality Of work. With the new year it was in
tended to increase the editorial staff and TO I'M
dertake the publication of a new intermediate
quarterly and the addition of four pages to the
Westminster quarterly. The profits during the
wear of over S3S 900 was an abnormal sum. 1t