The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-03
FOREIGN MISSION
\ WORK AT OUR DOORS
Efforts to Spread the Gospel Among u
the Recent lmportatioas.
DESCRIBED IN AN ABLE PAPER
II Was Read Before the Members Of
the Ladies' Home Missionary
Society Of the First Presbyterian
Church. .GOOd Work That Is Being
Done tor God and Society in This
Valley.

Done 1Or SOQ ana Scclcty IN "AS
Valley.
At a recent meeting Of the Ladies'
Home Missionary society of the FIRST
Presbyterian church the paper printed
below written by friend OF the society,
was read by Mrs II. V. Logan. The so
ciety, of which Mrs. James Archibald Is
president, is a most progressive one ana
Is doing great work along the lines
for which 1t was organized. The tue ot
the paper above referred TO Is Foreign
Missions at Home" and 1t treats the
subject In this exhaustive manner:
Foreign missions at home. The field of
missions Is the world. The church Is IN
the habit of making distinction between
the home and foreign field which Is en-
tirely consistent with the unity OF the Cos
pei work. The Lord Himself made dis
preach the Gospel among all nations, but
he begins at Jerusalem. The reasons Tor
beginning at Jerusalem are Just as I'M
pressive today as in the day of Penta-
cost. Indeed, they are founded In the ma
ture of the Gospel itself. 1t cannot be
preached unto all nations except by the
missions begun at home and all the vir-
tues Of patriotism are involved IN the
that careth not for his own is worse than
an ihfidel." Therefore the distinction be-
tween home and foreign missions, while 1t
IL especially necessary for convenience
and clear understanding has a reason
which Is wrapped up In the Gospel itself.
There can be no war between the two.
The neglect OF the foreign field cannot
be atoned for by the cultivation OF the
home. Nor can successful foreign mis-
sions ever diminish the demand Of the
home field.
The providence Of God In different gen.
erations has wiped out all possible dis
tinctions by so overlapping the two fields
that We cannot touch the one without
reaching the other.
BROUGHT TO OUR DOORS.
That Is especially the case in the home
field, while right at our doors 1t Is filled
found in the foreign field And we have
lived to see actual foreign mission and the
demand for foreign missionary work at
home and within sight OF our own doors.
We have now TO go neither to Europe,
| Asia or Africa to plant our MISSIONS for
| the Lord has brought all the races into
our own land and identified them with
us.
We have been accustomed to have the
home field pressed upon us as line or
The progress Of the nation across the con-
| t.Ient The field OF home missions. we
| have been taught. Is ever sweeping west
ward with the tide of emigration. Home
! missions and the west have been synO.
| .ys. and SO far as the native-born popu-
alton is involved this Is true. The new
-ttlements must be helped to plant the
| .ospel institutions.
| But in the last twenty-five years, by im>
| Migration OF foreign populations the
| ,aoie character of the home field Is
| hanged. Thcre is no greater field OF
| Jome missions than is TO be found in the
| .ly of New York, where are to be found
| ,JOO Bohtmans, with perhaps not dozen
| missionaries 10 teach them the Gospel.
But We have Immediately at home, In
| he stale OF Pennsylvania. one OF me
| lost varied and NJ coy fields for Christian
| Hort trAt can BE- found in ali the land
| And liz these two counties, Lacioa .nud
| "nd Luzerne, which enclose our beautiful
| 'h,ley, there is afforded us a specimen
| which is startling to every Christian
| We have here the kind of people thai
| are to be found In all the coal and mining
| districts and manufacturing centcrs OF
| he whole state Such an immense COM
| nuni.y VI fore igners have taken posses.
sion that the native American can hardly
eel al home. And the great mass look
| With entire Indifference upon them be.
| rause they know not what manner of nlel
| they are.
| FACTS FROM THE CENSUS
1t Is well to look them In the face ant
| inquire into the character of their fani
lies when in the name of homo missions
We are called upon to send the Gospel int,
| he darkness of Utah and To mountai,
| homes OF TIE southern Appalachian chain
| Here are some OF The facts derived from
| the government census and reports of ou
| business enterprises in these valleys:
| In these two counties We have go col
| i.ertts which employ from 5000 to S0Gi
men as hand workers. And to these tn,
workers in our shops and factories in OIL
| -chemeS or transportation and public i'm
proVemert we will find quite u majortJ
uI our population that are not only for
elen-born. but shut OFF from rs by for
/ q. ~
| eiSn-tongue popula lion in the last tel
| years has been ut the rate of so per cent
There are more than 10000 of these for
eisners in these counties today. Six year
ago there were 10000 more foreign moth
ers than native mothers in these countie
| and the increase of this immigration ha
been much greater than any other. Thes
are emiGrants from eastern and south
ern Europe. There is an immense variety
both Of race and language; there ar
Slavonics, Of whom there are 10000 Ii
Russia and Austria. There are Bohe
mians, Poles, Lithuanians, Slavans, Hun
garians or Magyars ana Italians. Withou
exception they are poor and compelle
TO be hand-workers. a large body c
them call themselves Greek Catholics
A large number of them are reformed
: either Lutherans or Calvinists: larg
number OF these are of German tongue
There are fully $1,000 of these people, a
mingled together. who. within the las
few years, have shown a decided dispos
tion to build themselves homes and de
termine the character Of our commun
ties.
: What religious teachers they have ar
either entirely incompetent or the teach
ers Of false Gospel
Such Is the field. increasing in its pre-
portions with the Increase of our sue
cessful industries and the building of ou
cities. Until within six or seven year
no Protestant effort was made to reac
these people with Gospel teaching. Ou
First church had the honor of begin IN
that work IN establishing the Italia
. missions, which has been most success
, full from the start, and the old pastor
, | this church brought the claims of the m.
, | sion to the presbytery and with the al
Of some of the elders of the church SUI
ceeded in securing an organization
m!ssionery movement reaching toward a
these races. And when he resigned h
pastorate by unanimous vote of the pre-
bytery he was appointed to superinten
and advocate the mission; and since No,
ember 1893. has given his whole time to
|, TEACHING THEM THE LANGUAGE
r 1t was found impossible to secure reli,
BILE workers In the tongues of all the.
peoples, and the only practical work ws
to attempt to teach them our Gospel
English, securing only such number ,
o ministers as might form a connecting lin
: between our American church and the,
neglected masses and to organize fr,
kindergartens and Sunday schools for Il
little ones who could be readily taug!
n in tongue; with these, night schoo
, for older children and adults willing
). upon these lines, has been a growing SUI
: cess for three years.
A complex duty has fallen upon tn
presbyterial committee, which Is ince