The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-10
HOME MISSION MONEYS
PRESBYTERIAN BOARDS METHOD
OF HANDLING THEM CRITICISED.
Special Committee to Investigate the
Indiana Plan to Meet TO-MOr-
row in This City.

The special committee on Presbyterian
home missions will begin its session in this
city tomorrow. For several years there
has been growing criticism Of the Home
Mission Board and its methods From the
time of it's establishment the plan has been
that all contributions collected for home
missions in the Presbyterian churches
throughout the country are sent direct to
the Home Mission Board in New York and
by this board the money is reapportioned to
the various cities for their missionary
work The work has grown to such proper
lions that for several years past the board
has handled annually over $1,0OO,0OO. The
apportionments made by the board have
created dissatisfaction. in various States
and then there have been crit.cisns of high
salaries paid and extensive methods en-
ployed by the board.
The opposition to this method of handling
home mission money first took definite
shape in the Charlottesville Presbytery
some years ago, when Governor Mount, DR..
Kane and others urged that each synod
should take care of it's own home missions,
as far as possible, and that if any surplus
were left it should be sent to the Home
Mission Board to be redistributed among
those synods not financially able to take
care of their own home missions. This idea
rapidly spread over the State and the In
diana synod took it up and determined
that henceforth it would take care of it's
own missions and send the surplus to New
York. 1t now sends to the Home Mission
Board about $4,000 year. This method
became known as the Indiana plan and was
adopted by Illinois and several other
States. 37s3rart
AT the assembly of 1896 a special commit
tee had been appointed to look into the
affairs Of the Home Mission Board and it
was the general expectation last summer
that this committee would in it's report
have something to say upon. the Indiana
plan. 1t confined its recommendations to
some reforms in the working method of
the Home Mission Board and declined to
make any recommendation on the main
subject, except to offer a resolution that
a special committee Of fifteen be appointed
to consider the matter. r The committee
made this explanation:
Your committees also gave careful con-
sideration to the matter of synodical and
Presbyterian self-control in the admins
tratiom of home missions in its relation to
the work and interests of the board. There
is a pronounced feeling on the part OF some
of our supporting SynOdS and preSby-
terieS that the work. within their immeSii
ate bounds can be more efficiently directed
by local control Several synods have al
now caring for their own work. 1t is not
the province nor the purpose of your COM
mittee to challenge the right of synods and
presbyterieS in this matter nor to pronounce
Judgment upon any of the various plans
now in operation. We are impressed, how
ever, with the Importance of maintaining
sympathy and co-opefation throughout the
whole work of. home mission administra-
ton. 1t therefore seems to your committee
that the subject is one that should receive
careful attention in order that if possible
some method may be devised that will pre-
serve the constitutional authority of the
presbyterieS in the matter, allowing variety
of administration according to different
conditions, and yet promote the efficiency
of the general work under the direction of
the board"
The resolution was adopted and the fol-
lowing committee appointed: The Rev. John
l.. Withrow, ID. D., synod of Illinois, chair
man; the Rev. John Dixon, synod of New
Jersey; the Rev. w. p. Kane, synod of Illi-
noiS; the Rev. John s. Mcintosh, synod
of Pennsylvania; the Rev. Samuel j. Mic
coils, synod of Missouri; the Rev. ]. Nc
Cluskey Blayney, synod of Kentucky; the
Rev. r. NJ. Hayes synod of Oregon; the
the Rev d. S. Tappan. synod of Ohio the
Rev. VIM. II. Logan synod of Baltimore;
the Rev George l.. Spinning, Board of
Home Missionsi Governor James A. Mount,
synod of Indiana; Charles E. Vandeburg,
synod of Minnesota; Victor L. Lane, synod
nessee
The committee will meet tomorrow in
the Century Club room at the Denison
House. Tomorrow evening mass meeting
will be held at the First Presbyterian
Church, at which General Harrison will
tertained at luncheon at the Denison House,
with Governor Mount presiding