The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-01
Annual Meeting of the Ladies
Home Mission Society.
AT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
FINE MUSIC-SHORT SPEEChE'o
ON MISSIONS.
A REQUEST OF $4,000 is PAID
Same Statistics Showing What Tas
geen Done For Missions IN the
Alberarle Presbytery
the Past Year.

the Past Year.
Missions was the subject discussed
# a most interesting and enjoyable SER
vice at the First Presbyterian church last
right. The meeting was under the aus
pices of the Ladies' Society of Home Mis-
sions. of which the lamented Mrs. +. q.
Reade was so long president, and which
is now presided over by Mrs. M. A.
Towles.
The exercises consisted Of Scrip
ture lessons, prayers, and brief and
pointed remarks by the pastor, Rev. DR..
Daniel: President Dinwiddie, of Peace
Institute, and Mr.. w. s. Primrose. There
was also spirited congregational singing.
and special music rendered by Miss End
Smith and the young ladies OF Peace
Institute, and Mr.. Leo. Heart, OF Dur
ham. ~ :,
In opening the service DR.. Daniel read
the ninth chapter of III. Corinthians, anu
then made some appropriate remarks oh
the work of missions. He said that we
sneak of home and foreign missions, but
that the time has long since passed when
the distinction can be drawn.
4 ssThe nations at distance from us
are in one sense very near, and others
that in point of distance are very close to
us in other senses are sometimes yer!
far away. Every Christian is mission
ary. The spirit Of missions is the spirit
of christianity. And in this connection
L am glad to say the women are
doing so much. Amongst our best work
ers for both home and foreign. missions
in all denominations are the women.
But there is peculiarly touching in
terest connected WITH this meeting To-
night. 1t is almost an anniversary with
u.s.. 1t is almost the anniversary of the
death of Mrs. Reid, who was for so
!, many years-from its organization to the
time of her death, ! march,, 1886
the president of this organization.
DR.. Daniel then made some comments
upon the chapter just read and drew
therefrom some useful lessons as to CIV
ing by Christians. He said the glver
reaped a double reward-thee happiness
that comes to his own soul and the graft
.t.rle, of the receiver of the gift He who
q gave to missions, he said, gave to eternai
2 life and eternal happiness.
The next speaker was President Din
widdie. of Peace Institute. He said the
great Teacher said Love thy neighbor
as myself" This meant, he thought,
that so far as the interests of your neigh
bors are committed to your care you shall
look after them with the same earnestness
and zeal as you would look after your
own interest. This applies, he said. to
salvation. You must look after your fell
lOwman's salvation as you would after
your own.
I'VE are like city set upon hill
great light A ray of light once set
or it's mission will never stop. But
that ray diminishes in power the further
it gets from its source. Our light must
shine here-must be powerfully
concentrated near us and around
us. Don't neglect foreign mis-
sions. But remember that your
can't 1 be true to foreign missions
and build them up until you evangelize
North Carolina. You have no confidence
in the man who is always talking of max
ing the people in China or Africa or
India good and neglecting his own
family.
Il don't want to be understood as op.
posed to foreign missions. We don't do
enough for foreign missions. We spend
more for our breakfast coffee than We do
for foreign missions. And yet withal the
foreign missionary has a better and
easier time than does the home missionary
in the destitute fields of this State.
There is no doubt about it. We need
more home missionaries. There lis a
9 broad, rich field for this work in the
Eastern part Of North Carolina, and
other sections too. There are heather
there as ignorant Of God and Christiani-
~ as are the people of China There
are thousands of people in this State who
never hear the name of Jesus from year.
end to years end
At the close of Dr. Dinwiddie's re-
marks. Mr.. w. S. Primrose spoke touch
ingly of the first president of the Ladies
Missionary Society, and the noble band
of women who compose it. He then
gave some statistics of the work accom-
plished in this Synod during the past
year.
For the past twenty years the subject
of home missions has occupied some
what prominent place in the considera
s ton of the Presbyterian church in Norta
Carolina The Synod and each Presby
terry is now recognizing the great i'm
portance of the work. and is systematic
ally employing the limited means at com
mand to accomplish the best results I'M
der divine blessing.
Statistics are not always interesting
liut it is we'll to know what we are do
ing During the year ending with tho
meeting of the Synod, November, 1896
a part of the work accomplished in tho
home mission felt is as follows
Eight churches have been organized
II Sunday schools: ; church buildings
have been repaired: - day schools are
maintained; A ministers are employed
for a whole or part of their time, and
nearly 600 additions to the church IL
the outlying fields of work.
"Albemarle Presbytery during the year
contributed to home mission work az
follows: For Presbyterian home mis-
siOns, $3.50: Synodical missions. S571
General Assembly missions, 1854; max
ing a total of 81, sos 1t has received
from tho SYNOD $500