Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-11
WANT TO REACH ALL.
Movement to Bring the Church In
Touch With the People.
TO CANVASS BOTH CITIES.
Ocmmittees 70 Look After the Materially
or Reiigiousiy Dcstitute-Dr. strong 70
Be Invited to Richmond.

There was a very large attendance a.
the meeting Of Protestant ministers OF
Richmond and Manchester held Mt the
Young Mems Christian Association yes
terday morning to devise means for reach
ing the spiritually and materially destitute
OF the two cities. Every denomination was
fully represented, and the proceedings
were thoroughly characteristic OK 'he
sn,rlt OF brotherly love Tor which the
Richmond churches are noted.
T., the absence OF Rev. DIR. Hoge Rev.
I / Gravatt, OF the Church OF the Holy
TRINITY called the meeting TO order, ana
after prayer by Rev. DIR. Fair, Of Grace
Street Presbyterian church, the latter
wss upon motion made permanent chair
man.
DR. Fair made n few remarks acknow-
Lodging the honor. and Rev. J. t. WHIT
ley. OF Broad-Street Methodist church,
was elected secretary Of the meeting.
THE OBJECT.
Mr.. Gravatt stated that the object OF
the gathering was to get closer to the
ereat outlying. unchurched population.
and meet the charge that the Churcn
Is out Of sympathy with the working
D ople and the suffering. When some
great maIady comes upon us. when some
great accident befalls community We
are moved, but the ordinary course Vi
human woe does not move. The results
OF such work as was proposed WouId "
first, helpfulness TO the people IN me
churches; second, good done to tne neeiy'
third, the promotion OF CHRISTIAN uiu.y
and philanthropy in the community. MT:
Booth and said the city ought to be as
tricted and visiting committees nppolntcu'
Rev. Mr.. Goodwin, Of st. Johns chuIch'
said he thought that by such co-operaiIVe
labor the work of the Church woulu p
come better known. Philanthroplc enter
priscs are dependent upon the churches'
but are not so recognized. me CITY "'1
sion was an illustration OF TINS. feopie
took this aid as II from the aiusnOuse.
The world ought 10 know tnat tnls %
the helping hand of Christ The speaker
cited n New York incident. in when
crowd cheered the name Of Christ anu
Kissed the mention Of the Church, anu
continuing, said something was wrong
when this was possible.
LETTER FROM DIR. KERR.
The following letter from Rev. DIT
Kerr. of the First Presbyterian church'
WAS read, and passed by for the moment:
5l4 west Grace street,
RICHMOND, VA, December 10 !S'i,
To the Chairman Of the Meeting or the
Ministers of Richmond:
Dear Brethren,-I regret exceedingly
tha. il is impossible for me to be present
with you to-day, for l am deeply interest
ed in the success of the work In which
YOU are engaged. / write TO suggest tha''
II il shall be decided to prosecute the
hn Evangelical A
nance-which, think would De the hiosl
feasible pIan-that your chairman use
this letter as call for meeting OF
that body on the spot, this morning anu
that your meeting resolve itself into
meeting of the alliance and proceed at
once to business.
My term of office as president OF the
alliance terminates this autumn, or
rather has already terminated, and can
not, on any account, consent TO re-
election. / say this, fearing that your
kindness might suggest such thing.
In regular turn. it is the time now ior
an Eplscopalian to be president. and hope
some minister of that Church Will be APP
pointed 10 the Office.
With fraternal regard. / am.
Yours faithfully ROBERT p. KERR.
DIR. HATCHERS VIEWS.
Rev. DR.. Hatcher of Grace-Street Bap-
fist church, being called upon by the
Chair said he was not prepared TO speak
intelllgently upon the subject, but was
present to learn and take hold. lie
thought the proposition for the meeting,
originating with the Episcopal brethren
found justification in the fact that IN
spite of all of our churches there were
SO many people untouched. The PROPOSE
ton, coming in so lovely spirit, ought
ha
ministers.
DIR. W. w. Parker said he had contem-
plated calling such a meeting az the
present one. He thought the churches
ought to combine to furnish fuel TO the
poor 1t was disgrace to religion that
any one should suffer in Richmond.
church that has no poor and doctor
who has no poor patients would not DC
recognized in Heaven.
COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE.
Dr. Hatcher moved the appointment OF
q committee to formulate a plan OF pro-
cedure.
Rev. Jabez Hall, Of the Seventh-Street
Christian church, said no time ought TO
be lost. A plan for such work as was
proposed had been adopted elsewhere and
was justified by large experience. Such
a plan could be obtained from the Evan
gelicaI Alliance of which Rev. DR.. Strong.
OF Washington, Is secretary. He thought
DIR. Strong could be induced to come to
Richmond in the interest Of such work.
After some further discussion DIT.
Hatcher's motion was adopted. and under
II the following committee was appointed:
Rev. j. j. Gravatt, DIR. w. Il. Hatcher,
DR.. w. ]. Young, and Rev. Jabez Hall.
EXTENT OF SUFFERING.
The committee retired. and while they
were absent blessed be the Tie that
Binds" was sung, and then Rev. Mr..
Goodwin addressed the meeting. He said
he felt sure that our people did not know
the extent of the suffering in the city,
and gave instances in which men and
women were willing to work. but could
not get 1t to do. Ne matter what might
be our UNCONVENTIONAL differences we
could come together and help the suffer
ing. We were working for our common
Master in this cause. We could do this
irrespective of whether we were Baptist,
Methodist, Presbyterian. or what not. OF
course they would meet with cases of
imposition. He had encountered these.
There were men who drank their wages
up and allowed their families TO suffer.
He would like to have charge of all such.
He would prove to them harder task
master than the Egyptians.
DR. SLEDDS EXPERIENCE.
Rev. DR.. Sledd. of Centenary Methodist
church was. by request, the next speaker.
Vie said he knew there was a great deal
of suffering in the city. When these
cases came TO his attention. whether in
or out of his church. he relieved them
as far as he could. When he first came
here two gentlemen. one a Hebrew. had
told him that when he heard of cases
OF restitution to call upon them. He had
frequently done so, and they had re-
sponded nobly. There were instances OF
suffering which did not have claims upon