Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-25
SYNOD OF VIRGINIA.
PROCEEDINGS or THE SECOND
DAYS SESSION.
Dr. Hegc Exchsed--The Anniversary
Of the Adoption of the Confession
Of Faith EvaneeItration--The bible
Cause.

LEwISBURG. w. VA. September o.
Especially -Synod met at o'clock and
was opened with devotional exercises by
Rev. +. NJ. Woods. u. ID.
A eayel made from one Of the oak
rafters, which had been for a hundred
years in the roof OF the church in which
the synod is meeting.' was presented TO
the moderator in behalf of the church.
Judge George l.. Christian. OF the Sc
cond church. Richmond. presented the
excuse OF Rev. M. ID. Hoge. ID. d.. for
non-at,endance at the present meeting CT
the synod, and his excuse was sustained
as satisfactory.
The following paper was introduced and
referred to the Committee on Bills and
Overtures: 1.-THE Synod OF Virginia re-
CARDS with great interest the 250th ami
yersary of the adoption OF the Confession
OF Faith and the Catechisms of the West
minister Assembly, now approaching. and
which is TO be celebrated by our General
Assembly at its meeting in May. 1897.
With a view to the widest and most
effectual uses of the occasion for the edu--
cation and instruction OF the people, the
synod recommends TO such of the pres
byterles as have not yet taken action,
that arrangements be made at once for a
I number of simultaneous meetings in the
bounds of each presbytery during the
coming spring. commemorative and Illus
trative OF that noble standard of Presby-
terlan faith and polity throughout the
world"
CHARACTERIZATION.
Rev. j. Il. Booker presented the report
of the synod's Committee on Evangelical
rDt.t al 81, f1.
time covered by this report. eleven
months three evangelists have been en-
gagged in this work for a total time OF
twenty-one months. The following is n
summary of this very encouraging re-
port:
Miles travelled. 900; sermons, S7s; pas
toral visits. 10A: prayer-meetings and
Bible readings, ia; family prayers. e96;
conversed with 47S persons on the subject
of religion. Baptisms. sl-adults, Al; in
fants 40 Professions OF faith. SO; addi-
tions TO our church. 1l2. money raised by
evangeIists for all purposes, N,72l Money
expended by the committee on evangelis-
tic work in eleven months, 1854; raised
by evangelists, H,72l
Financial statement for eleven months
Receipts-R Received from former treasurer.
s2tOSi; received from churches from Oc-
tobor IS 1895. to September %. 1896 3d.
BELL; received from individuals, 25Sl5
Total S4 42i.10. Disbursements-Paid
evangelists on last years salaries. $780,
paid evangelsts for this year in full 10
September l. 1896 $3.50; expenses Of COM
mittee $40: balance on hand, N,zOo
Total. $4.i241O
Earnest speeches were made on this
subject by several members OF the
synod, showing the results of what has
been accomplished. and what are still the
needs OF the territory included in the
bounds of the synod.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the afternoon session the following
matters had the attention of the synod:
An overture from Abingdon Presbytery
touching a cheap religious newspaper
was referred to the Committee on Bills
and Ovcrtures
The Committee on the Bible Cause
made a report. from which the following
facts are taken:
There are in the Synod OF Virginia 49,.
74S members. who, last year contributed
81 OSs-about 21-2 cents apiece. Mary
land. the banner presbytery. gave less
than cents per member; West Hanover
gave less than l cent per member. East
Hanover within whose bounds the So
ciety has its office, gave but cents
per member 20 this cause.
An address on this subject was made
by Rev. William :. Campbell. secretary
and general-agent Of the Bible Society
OF Virginia. He showed the great need
in the world for Bibles. OF the 1900 O00,
600 OF the people in the world, less than
100000 live In countries, where the
Bibles is generally circulated among the
people. The Bible Society publishes the
Bibles for the missionary work of all the
Christian churches Of this county. and
furnishes them TO the missionaries free
OF cost. And the Bible Society sends it's
own colporters into many parts OF the
heather world to distribute Bibles. All
the churches in this country are asked
to contribute to the support of this
work. Last year the 100000 church
members Of the United States contributed
for this cause only $4,000 And the 10000
Christians OF Virginia gave only $21l0.
The report, with its recommendations,
was at this point put on the docket In
order that the order Of the day might
be taken up. This was the hearing Of
the report of the Committee on Home
Missions.
An address was made by DIR. j. n.
Craig the General Assembly's secretary
of Home Missions. He showed the great
need OF mission work in the South and
Southwest.
The synod then took recess until 1880
o'clock.