The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-06

America:
-First-The Organization of the Presbyte-
rial Committees
l. A presbyterial home mission committee
shall be elected and chairman appointed
annually at the spring meeting of presoy-
| terry.
officer of the committee; he shall preslde
at committee meetings, receive ana ulsIlo-
ute funds under the direction OF the com
mittee keeping a correct account of the
same. giving and receiving receipts Lor az
| moneys handled. He snail be member OF
the synodical committee and shall appoint
a representative to the synodical committee
| meetings when unable to attend himseH.
8. 1t shall be the duty of the home mis-
sion committee to visit all fields asking Tor
| aid and all localities where there is a pos
| siblity of organizing either church or sun
| day schools at least once a year, ana 10
| use due diligence in acquiring thorough
| knowledge of all mission fields within the
| L. A committee Shall sit in connection
| with the regular meetings OF preSDytery,
| and oftener if deemed advisable, and receive
| the representatives of all churches and To-
| calities applying for aid seeking 10 learn
| the abilities and necessities of these helds.
! The committee shall recommend the group
! ing of churches and fields to the best adj
vantage and assist them to secure suitable
pastors and supplies.
| 5. The home mission committee shall re-
port to the presbytery semi-annually its
! grouping of churches. the money Wilich has
! been raised and disbursed, giving estimates
| and an account of the work performed.
| making such recommendations as the work
may seem to require, all of which shall be
| subject to the review of the presbytery
6. 1t shall be the aim of the preSDyIery,
| through its committee, to group its weaker
! churches into convenient pastor3tes as
| economically as possible to stimulate the
| churches to generous giving and to self
| support. And so far as possible to aid
from year to year. The presbytery shall
| exercise its episcopal powers in all these
| matters.
| Z. The churches receiving aid shall give
| full report semi-annually to the commit
| tee upon blank prepared by the Board OF
Home Missions and shall report at such
| g. Presbytcry Will use It's own discretion
! in the employment of evangelsts. it being
| understood that grants of aid to presby.
teries are made upon the basis of an eco
| nomcal grouping of churches into pastor
| ates. Presbyteries can then use their grants
| for the support of pastors or evangelists
| or both.
o. The initial assessment shall be based
| approximately upon the average yearly con-
| greSational expenses for the period of three
| years next preceding the initial assessment.
| This assessment will be the minimum
amount expected from the churches. The
! presbyteral committee will not make final
| arrangements with its home mission
| churches and their pastors until the amount
| asked for by presbytery has been reviewed
| by the synodical committee and by the
| home board, and the final grant reported
| back by the officers of the board to the
| chairman of the presbyterial committee.
| 10, The churches will forward all home
| mission money direct to the treasurer of
the board, at loo Fifth avenue, New York:
| The actual expenses of the committee shall
| be paid from the presbyterial home mis-
| sion fund.
-Second-The Organization of the Synod
| ical Committee
| /. The synodical committee shall be
| composed of the chairmen of the various
! Presbyterian home mission committees.
! 2 The officers Of the committee shall
| be a chairman a secretary and treas
| urer GAP The chairman shall be elected at
the annual meeting. of synod, and he shall
/ nal tha n 10 nTQCi6Q
| sign Synodical orders, report to synod for
| the committee and be a member of the
flee. OBJ The secretary and treasurer shall
! be designated annually by the committee.
He shall keep correct record of the pro-
| ceedings of the committee, notify the men,
bers of called meetings at least one week
| before the meeting, and care for the synod
| ical funds subject to the order of the COM
mttee.
g. The synodical committee shall meet
| in connection with the annual meet
ing of the synod and on the first Tuesday
| of May, and oftener When SO ordered by a
| majority of the committee.
| A. Duties of the committee: (a) 1t
! shall receive reports from the presbyterial
committees review and equalize the esti-
| mated grants asked for by the various
| presbyteries; it shall instruct the chair
man of the synodical committee, who, by
| virtue of his office, is also member of the
| board of home missions, as to the needs of
| the synod and the character of its work
| in order that he may fairly represent the
| synod before the board. The committee
shall advise with presbyteries as to the
employment of evangelists seeking to unity
| the work in the synod and to make all pos
sible advance at strategic points. OBJ The
| committee may employ evangelistS or
superintendent, or both, where the nature
| of the work seems to demand these. it be-
ing understood that funds for the employ
| ment of superintendent will be granted
by the board only to Notwithstanding
| synods and where the work is of an excep-
tional and frontier character. (c) AT the
annual meeting of synod the committee
| c1-aD civ n full N work
performed during the year, with resume
| of the work of the preSbyteries, and make
such recommendations. for future work as
may seem wise, all of which shall be re-
| s. The members of the synodicaI COM
| mittee shall be entitled to their actual eX-
| penses in the performance of synodical
| work, Il bill of which shall be made out ana
Endorsed by the chairman and forwarded to
| the treasurer of the home board semt-an-
nually.
| The Organization of the board of Home
Missions
l. The Board of Home Missions shall con-
sist of the chairman of the home mission
committees of the synods of the Presby-
terian Church in North America.
2. The officers of the board and their
duties: (a) There shall be a chairman, a
secretary a treasurer and executive
committee. (b) The chairman shall be
elected annually by the board from among
| its own membership and he shall serve
| without remuneration 1t shall be his duty
to preside at the meetings of the board, to
| general interests of the board. (c) The Sec
| rotary shall be elected for term of three
| years and is ex officio d member of the
board. He shall be the executive of1cer or
the board and shall devote his whole time
to the interests of the work. 1t shall be his
| duty to carry on the official correspondence
| for the board, to visit the Synodical COM
| mittees and synOdS, and to present the in
| terests of the work to the church at large
| as he has opportunity. He shall sign all
.orders on the treasurer before any money
| shall be paid out Id The treasurer shall
! be elected for a term of three years and
shall be a member of the board ex officio.
! He shall give ample bond, keep the financial
affairs of the board in business shape, re-
| ceive all moneys, giving duplicate receipts
| for the same promptly. One receipt shall
| go to the donor, or treasurer sending the
| funds; the duplicate shall be forwarded TO
! the chairman of the presbyterial committee
within whose jurisdiction the payer is To-
| Gated. He shall pay out funds upon the
order of the secretary not otherwise pro-
| vided for by the rules of the board He
| shall notify the synodical chairman quar-
! terly of the amounts paid in the various
/ presbyteries in his synod. (e) The executive
/ committee shall be composed of the chair
/ man, secretary, treasurer and two other
members of the board elected a the annual
meeting of the board. The executive COM
mittee shall have power to carry out the
/ policy of the board. their travelling ex-
r@rSes being paid from the home mission
fund.
Z. This board shall have custody of the
| home mission interests of the Presbyterian
control of the General Assembly of the
| Prpsbvte rfan Cburch shall rpT,CTf 70 fhe