The record-union., 1894-12-19
The BOARD OF CHURCH EXTENSION.
Rev. W. A. Spencer Makes an Nd
dress on Its Work.
Churches Built for Homeless Congre-
gations-Good Work Among
Foreigners.


spending Secretary of the Board of
Church Extension of the Methodist
Church, addressed the congregation at
the Sixth-street Methodist Church last
evening upon the work in which he is
engaged.
DR.. Spencer said that travelling as he
did 80, ,0G0 or 200 miles year, he made
it his practice to speak every night, and
he was glad to have the opportunity OF
doing SO tonight He had been unable
to speak in Sacramento heretofore. There
never was time in the history Of the
church that 1t was more alive than now.
The hearts and minds Of its mem bers are
alive. Gears ago, in India, looking at
the multitudes OF heather gathered to-
gether, he little thought that the church
would gain such toothold there, but he
had heard the Bishop of India say lately
that through the efforts of the mlssiona-
ries fifty Hindoos day were being con-
yerted to Christianity.
The present war between the Japanese
and Chinese would, he thought, result
in opening wider their doors TO Christi
anity. Russia will soon perforce build
railroad across Siberia from ocean to
ocean. He believed that GOD would SOW
the seeds of the foreign missions in
mum berS over the world TO carry the glad
tidings to the nations.
He gave an account of the conversion
OF the first bohemian convert in the
United States and said that now there
were twenty men preaching Christ to the
Bohemians. Aid had been given to build
a bohemian church III Chicago within
two blocks of the place where the dyna-
mite bomb eight years ago killed and
wounded sixty people. Another church
is going up in the midst Of the anarchists.
He spoke of a number of other churches
which had been built by the Church EX-
tension Society.
He was foreigner himself and had no
wish to speak against foreigners, but the
great danger to the country is from ior-
eign immigration. While the Immigrants
themselves may not be largely criminal,
their children are far more likely to be-
come criminals than the children of ma
tive born parents. They grow up more
easily to sin and crime and are danger
to the great cities, where the masses of
foreign population congregate.
The dynamiter is among US. They are
scattered all over the world. The unas-
Simulated foreign ideas that strive to
clutch the throat OF the Nation cannot be
kept down by standing army. They
cannot be controlled by legislation
fitty-one per cent oil the voters of Chi
cago are of foreign birth. Fifty-nine per
cent. OF them are in the slums. They are
a menace to the life OF the country, and
there is only one way 10 reach them. The
city has become absolutely rotten under
the unassimiiated foreign aggregation,
making ali frauds on the ballot
So in New York. In RivingtOu street
they are huddied together, $40 of them
in a single building-men and women,
boys and girls, all living together in the
same rooms. On the other side of the
city is tive-story building filled with
earnest, self = sacrificing, intelligent
women, who are to-day striving to re-
deem these poor creatures from sin and
misery and Int them to a higher life. One
of these noble women, the heiress TO mill
ions OF dollars, is devoting her lille to this
work.
He spoke of the society he represents,
starting twenty-eight years ago, bank
rupt, which had by Gods aid grown to
its present strength and usefulness. For
seven years past ii has built three
churches day on the average, but in
throughout the whole nation who are
asking its aid TO supply them with places
to worship. During the tWenty-eight hit
years OF its existence the Board OF EX-
tension has 0isbursed over S5.0J0,000. 1t
has ii loan fund of over $500, 900, which is
available only for loans. 1t has at pres
ent :, 800 homeless congregations.
The Board OF Church Extension has
said for several years past that for every
dollar raised for the work III California
it VIII add = to it 10 prosecute the
great work. There are many churches
that are III debt and VIII have to lose
their buildings il they are not helped.
There are moro uusheltered Methodist
congregations in this country than those
OF ali the other Christian churches in il.
lie espoke their aid Tor them, tnat they
might be able TO have places in W which TO
worship their kedeemer.
Mr.. spencer is an eloquent speaker and
placed lae matter in such y light before
his hearers that it WAS evident that when
the proper time comes they will not be
back ward in extending aid to the move
meut.