Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-16
CAUSE OF FOREIGN MISSIONS
Enthusiastic Meeting Last Night at Kountze
Memorial Church.
STIRRING APPEAL FOR FINANCIAL AID
Protestant Churches Representatives
Manifest Deep Interest i'm the
Present Needs of the Mis-
sionHry Work.
TlRRlNG APPEAL FOR FINANCIAL AID

The past week has been one of unusual
throughout the United States and Canada,
and this season of thought and prayer for
missionary work eliminated last night, when
services were held in churches OF all denom-
nations in the cities, towns and villages of
this country and Canada. In Omaha a spe-
cial missionary service was held In the
Kountze Memorial church, and was partici-
pated in by pastors and members of nearly
all the protestant churches in the city.
The meeting was the most enthusiastic
missionary service held in this city since
that remarkable missionary service of the
convention of the Young Peoples Christian
union last summer. The auditorium of the
church was filled to its greatest capacity and
the gallery was largely occupied. Rev. a.
j. Turkle, pastor of the church, presided
over the meeting. The other. pastors who
were seated on the platform were: Rev. DR..
Warfeld, pastor of the First Congregational
church; Rev. S. Wright Butler, pastor of
the ST. Mary's Avenue Congregational
church.; Rev. John Gordon, pastor OF West
minister Presbyterian church; Rev. Alexander
Gilchrist, pastor of the Central United Pres
byterian church; Rev. J. NJ. Wilson, pastor of
the CASTELAR, Presbyterian church; Rev. f.
Fl. Sanderson, pastor Of the Trinity Metho-
dist church; Rev. S. b. Mccormick, pastor
of the First Presbyterian church; Rev. James
ID. Kerr, pastor of the Clifton Hill Presby-
terian church.; Rev. Leonard Groh, pastor OF
St. Marks Lutheran church; Rev. Samuel
NJ. Ware, pastor of the Second Presbyterian
church. and Prof. William w. Harsha, oil
the Presbyterian Theological seminary.
After the hearty singing of few mis-
sionary hymns, Rev. John Gordon read the
scripture lesson Isaiah XXXv. Rev. Alexander
Gilchrist then offered fervent prayer in.
voking the divine blessing upon the churches
of Omaha and the missionary movement
the world over Then the large audience
arose and sang, Hasten Lord the Glorious
Time" Rev. A. j. TurSle introduced the
sneakers. In the course of his Introductory
remarks he said
I'VE are glad to see many of you here
tonight-you who by your presence, signify
your interest in the cause OF missions
am especially glad to welcome you to our
church tonight In stating the object OF
the meeting / think l can do no better than
to read the call for this and similar meet
ings that are being held throughout the
country tonight. This call is issued by the
representatives of the foreign missionary
board of the United States and Canada"
The call contained an urgent appeal upon
all CHRISTIAN people in this and the neigh
action and a concentration OF Christian
thought for the cause OF church missions.
1t stated the necessity for renewed energy
among all Christian people at this time, and
EN- phasized the need OF more liberal con-
trioutons to carry on the work
Rev. DR.. Mccormick, pastor OF the First
Presbyterian church, was the second speaker.
He said he would lay the foundation fer
the exhortations that were to follow. The
first principle in the life of church mis-
81 command
the world and preach the gospels the
Christian who could not go to the foreign
field should go in spirit. In prayer, in con-
tlibution. THE supreme head OF the church
makes no mistakes" continued DIR. McCor-
mick, land he has ordered us to go into this
fight for Christ. 1t II not sor us to ques-.
tion the orders we have received OF him.
A United States senator, short time ago
said he favored the pfotection of American
citizens who were ip fpFeign lands for COM
mercial reasons while these who were there
for any other purpose should be allowed to
take care OF themselves. Can 1t be, my
fellow Christians. tnat commerce has come
to be OF more Importance than the preach
ing OF Christ's gosPei2 l would that this
country would learn a wholesome Lesson
from England, andi project its citizens in
foreign lands, no matter whether they are
there from commercial or missionary
-f1
"The nature of Christianity itself is the |
second reason for church missions. 1t is the
nature of Christianity to be outgoing, spread |
ing throughout the w0rld. You cannot keep !
1t In. From the earliest days of the CEN |
tury there has been in progress a move |
ment that has stamped the present century |
as the great missionary era OF the Chris |
tian church. We hays today a missionary !
movement that is the most glorious the world
has ever seen" Hjihi
Rev. DR.. Warheld pastor of the First Con-
gregational church, said II was useless to |
discuss the question whether the heather |
would be lost II we did not send the gospel |
TO them. "No matter about that" said Dr. |
Warfeld, 81 can tell you this: The Ameri-
can church is lost II 1t does not send the
gospel to these benighted people This CEN
tury has seen the development OF modern
Christian missions. Why should the twen-
tieth century not see the triumph OF this
1t has been well said that the
question of missions Is one OF finance, and
1t Is our duty to provide the funds needed
to sustain the work. There are today 267
missionary societies, and during the past
year they contributed to foreign missions
about l5500, ,000 This amount Is an in
crease of $l.100,0O0 over the contributions
Of the year before. but In our own country
here was a decrease In the contributions
10 foreign missions OF $4,000. The thumb
screw on the church contribution box for
Lhe cause OF foreign missions may be given
another turn and yet create no great hard
ship. but give substantial aid to those who