The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-12
PRESBYTERIAN UNION.
Bureaus of Lectures and Evangelical
ton PronoSed

The Presbyterian Ministerial Union met as
usual yesterday morning in the Mission home
of the Woman's Occidental Board. with Vice.
President Rev. d. Hanson Irwin in the chair.
The constitution was amended so as to pro-
vide for a committee OF corr espondence. to re-
ceive and introduce strangers to provide for
the seating aud comfort of all in attendance
and to tran sact such business by correspond
ence as may be assigned to them. The COM
mittee was made 10 consist of Rev. Il. N.
Bevier and Miss Minnie Berry.
Rev. John w. Ellis, DID,, read a paper en-
titled "For the Good of This Union" After
speaking OF the difficulty which the executive
the Intellectual and literary standard now
characteriZng it, by securing papers OF sur
hcient excellence for the purpose, he presented
plan designed not only 10 prevent any waning
OF interest but also to Increase the usefulness
OF the union.
The outlines of the plan are somewhat as
1olOWS: Let the ministry in the four pPesby-
teries bordering on the bay acting through the
union. unite TO sustain, first, lecture bureau
LOT the purpose OF securing the services of
quallned men from the East and elsewhere 10
deliver lectures in the larger cities and for
utilizing such home talent as may be available
10 tue villages and smaller towns. In this way
course OF halI dozen good lectures, conIin-
uing say from october till April, could be ar
ranged for in each place Of any size within the
district decided upon. Such lectures would
not only be educational, but they would supply
Iunds Tor carrying on the other branches OF
work proposed.
One OF these is bureau of information and
assistance, for helping vacant churches to OBJ
tam suitable pastors and aiding unemployed
ministers 10 secure pulpitS without the trying
and expensive waiting TO which. as things now
are, they are so frequently subjected. Such
bureau could also by correspondence with
ministers in the East who are DESTROYS of COM
ing here to seek for fields of labor prevent a
great deal Of dis ppointment such as that sur
Tered by men who now come among US from
time o time with vague or erroneous ideas of
the condition OF things.
DR.. Ellis would also have bureau of evan
gelizallon TO hold revival meetings and supply
eyangelistic labor wherever needed. By this
means many OF the weak and struggling
churches could be assisted, and enabled in a
measure TO overcome the disadvantage under
which they labor by reason of the disparity be-
tween them and the larger and more powerful
churches. Ii was thought that this work, as
well as that OF the bureau of Information and
assistance, could be largely or wholly main
talned from the revenue derived from the
lecture bureau.
The reading of the paper aroused good deal
OF interest. and Its various points were vigOr-
eusly discussed by Rev. MessTs. COlVer. Clarke.
w. E. Smith. Fraser, Brock, Munro, Scott,
BeVler, Perry, Woodwork and Irwin. The
matter proved so interesting that it was de-
clded TO resume consideration of it at the meet
ing two weeks hence.
Next Monday there will be general discus
sion of THE Elements Important To the Ser
mon OF Our Day." TO be opened by the acting
president, Rev. ID. Hanson Irwin.