The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-27
THE INDIANA BOARD
PRESBYTERIAN HOME MISSION
COMMITTEE IN ANNUAL SESSION.
Expressions of joy Over the Success
full Separation from the New York
Board-A Dinner.

AS fitting close to yesterdays annual
meeting of the committee of home mission
work of the Indiana Synod of the Presby
terrain churches a dinner was given last
night in the banquet hall of the CONNER
cial Club. Prominent ministers and lay
men from all parts of the State and
eral from Illinois were present Among
those present from outside the city were
DR.. w. p. Kane, of Bloomington, ILL.,; Dr.
j. p. Hutchinson, of Jeffersonville; Rev.
r. V. Hunter, of Terre Haute; Rev. A. A.
Pfanstiehl. of Lafayette; DIR. Cunningham
and State Senator Mount, of Crawfords-
vile: Judge Bonner, of Greensburg; Rev.
James Williamson, of Thorntown; DR.. IL.
u. Johnson, Of South Bend; Rev. E. S.
Scott and DR.. ID. p. Putnam, of Logans-
port; Rev. Mr.. Thomas, of Marion; ex-
State Senator Rstine. of Charlottesville:
Prof. J. L. Campbell, LIZ d., of Wabash
College; Rev. Mr.. Lawson, OF Fort Wayne;
Rev. Frank Hayes, of Muncie; Rev. c. A.
Beatty, Of Rushville; Rev. j. +. Baird, CT
Seymour; j. Z. Taggart of Jeffersonville;
Rev II. Nj. Gossard, of Forest Hill; Rev.
r. G.. Rosscamp, of Greensburg; {. NJ
Thomas, of South Bend, and Rev. L. ID.
Tyffe, of Charlottesville. The ministers of
all the leading Presbyterian churches in
this city were present.
A feeling that the breaking away from
the board of New York, three years ago,
had been successful was predominant, and
those present, especially those who had
worked for this movement, were happy in
the occasion. Rev. M. l.. Haines, pastor OF
the First Presbyterian Church of this city,
acted as POSTMASTER and spoke on 1.-The
Occasion He said that those assembled
before him represented the eight preSby-
teries of the State and, further, the
churches, reaching over three hundred IN
number with a membership of over forty
thousand. He said that when the Presby-
terans of Indiana started out for them
selves in this matter, that failure and re-
course to the old board, that of New York,
had been predicted He said he was happy
to see that failure had not been reaped
and he said from the showing of the money
spent in home missions, which amounted
TO nearly 100000, that the board of New
York could easily see that the Indiana
board had and would be able to steer for
itself in the future. He said the dinner was
but mode in which to express the happi-
ness and enthusiasm of all Indiana Presby-
terianS over the occasion.
Rev. A. A Pfanstiehl. Of Lafayette. re-
sponded to the toast do and Dare" He
said that if the Indiana Presbytery had
not dared what they did in breaking away
from the board of New York, and had not
had the energy and push which they after
wards exhibited and which he believed they
always possessed, they would never have
done or accomplished what they did. He
said IL was a daring spirit controlled by a
capable mlnQ that reapeQ the greatest ben
efits in this world. He stated that church
work was not a thing far off or incompre-
hensible as many supposed it was, but a
matter of fact and business. In speaking
of mission work, he held that much of the
success of all Christian work in any of the
denominations rested mainly with this
branch.
j. l.. Campbell, Ii. D., professor at
Wabash, spoke on "The Molding Influence
of Presbyterianism on the State Said
he: "PreSbyterianism, labeled Scotch
Irish. came from its home over the ocean
and found new home in the Eastern
States. From there it had been brought
had settled down in Indiana. The results
are plain to be seen. legislators judges.
among the distinguished contributions of
this church to the State" To have pro-
dueed all this. Presbyterianiis.m must have
had strong influence in this State, and
would. he believed. continue TO maintain
s.The Growth of the Indiana" was the
subject of an address by Rev. w. z. Kane.
d. D., of Bloomington Ill. Mr.. Kane was
one of the first to agitate the breaking
New York board. He said he had OBJ
served the results, and this all enthusi-
astic Presbyterian church members had
also observed. He said the Indiana Synod
der the control of the New York board
the weak churches grew weaker and the
general interest in Presbyterianism tagged.
When the new order of things came, vigor
and new strength seemed to be instilled
III the minus Oh all TresDyterIdIlS. ne Sdlu
that this idea, originative with Indiana,
was having its influence upon like deDom-
nations of other States. and he said he
would not be surprised to hear that the
home mission work in other States had
passed into the hands Of the local State
committees.
Rev. S. c. Dickey. State superintendent of
the general mission work, then spoke on
1.-The Work of Our synod" His speech was
mostly statistical. He said that in 1888,
when under control of the New York board,
there were but gil churches in this State.
He said that this figure had been at
standstill for twenty years, but as soon as
Indiana took hold Of the matter for itself
churches in the State at the present time.
The membership In 1888 was Sl,i7S, and at
the beginning of this year it some
thing over Al, 900. In 1888 there were seventy
vacant pulpits, while at the present time
there are but six. In 1883 but little over
5000 raised for home missions, while
the hard times, $1,000 will be raised In
1888 there were 1876 ministers At the present
time there are 260 ministers and fourteen
students. Since the LIST of December $50
members have been added to the Presby-
terrain churches in the State Where one
officer had been employed during the con-
troll by the New York board there are at
: the present time five officers. The five have
preached $50 sermons and have raised 1850
for home mission work. The superintendent
has travelled n 900 miles i'm the welfare of
the work since the change. Rev. Dickey
also gave numerous figures showing ex-
penditures and receipts, but he said that he
estimated that 49, $50 had been saved by the
change After Rev. Dickey's address i'm
of those present who had proved themselves
active in the work.