The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-20
MISSOURI.
THE CAUSE IN KANSAS CITY.

THE CAUSE IN KANSAS CITY.
To these unacquainted with the work
of our mission in Kansas City. word
Of explanation might instruct as we'll az
interest.
A word about the field. The two Kan
sas citiee, practically one city, have q pop
ulation of over 100000 people. Stand
ing twenty-fourth in point of population
in the United States, commercially
it ranks tenth. 1t is the grain and
stock market, and the chief distributing
point of the whole southwest territory.
Immense wholesale and warehouses, ele.
vators. stockyards. and packing houses,
cover an area miles in extent. It is the
key to the southwest by virtue Of its po.
sition and its ample railway facilities.
1t has more trunk lines and railway sys-
TENS than any other city in the United
States except Chicago, and at the rate
new roads are building into the city it
will not be longer than two years and
Kansas City will be the greatest railway
center in the country.
AS Kansas City is the commercial key
to the southwest, so also it must be the
religious key to this vast and rapidly
populating territory. Already the
Catholics, Christians, and the Salvation
Army have their southwestern head
quarters here. The Methodists. Baptists
and Presbyterians are here likewise.
The Universalists must follow suit, ie,
travel in the highway opened by COM
merce. Many Universalists are yearly
going into this new country with the
tide of emigration, and if we no not fol-
low them with churches, we will lose
them to the cause. Kansas City, by
virtue of its position, must be the source
and stay Of these new churches, or in
other words, it must be the headquarters
of Universalism in the southwest terri
tory. 1t is the most important strate-
gic point in the the present missionary
operations of our church. We must
occupy it all hazards. Can we do it?
Read and see!
You have probaly read of the great
effort that was made last summer to
establish our cause in this city, and the
happy result in the settlement of a per-
manent pastor Dec. 1st., 1896. Efforts
to establish church here date back as
far as 1881. None, however, bore organ
lied fruit until DR.. Shinn in 1890 organ
lied Ladies' Aid Society for the pur-
pose of raising funds to build church.
In 1893 bank failure lost more than
$500 of the building fund. Numerous
other discouraging factors have retarded
the growth of the building fund, but
brave as the bravest in trying circum-
stances, the Ladies' Aid Society today
is one of the main stays OF the work.
Soon after the organization of the
Ladies' Society, Y. P. G. U. and a
Sunday school were formed and be-
tween the two devotional services were
held every Sunday for over four ears
While nothing startling has been &C.
complished since the arrival of the
pastor, matters have assumed an as
pect of permanency they, never wore
before. Encouraged over the present
outlook, and believing that our growth
would be more rapid and substantial il
we had church home of our own, the
parish voted on June to buy lot and
build chapel. This edifce is to be
dedicated December l, if possible. One
reason we have chosen this time for car.
rying out our building project, is the
low price at which we can buy our lot.
Building materials. too, are being sold
now at figures that make this the time
for US to erect our edifce. 1t is said by
those who know that we can buy our LOT
and build our chapel for one third less
money than we could have done it two
or three years ago, or we will be able to
do it two or three years in the future
To buy suitable lot and build chapel
that will meet our needs will cost be-
tween 81. 800 and $4,000. our estimate be
ing $4,000. We reckon our resources tc
be in the neighborhood Of $1,000. The
balance of this sum we propose to raise
among our friends.
This, in brief, is the situation at Kan
! sas City. We hope our friends will view
it as hopefully as we do, and in recogni
ton of the work we propose doing
send US word of sympathy backed ur
by check or bank note.
Yours for the cause.
CHAs r. EAST,
Pastor First Uniuersalist Church