The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-14

by DR.. w. M. Haigh, Western secre-
tary Of the Baptist Home Mission So
ciety, with headquarters at Chicago.
After a brief review of the difficulties
through which the society had passed
in past years, he expressed his firm
hope in the success of the society from
the present on. He then turned his at
tentiOn to the proposed plan of "dOub-
ling up of small churches, which, he
thought, good, but requiring discre-
tion in its exercise. He also touched
upon the matter of self-support and
district missionary service.
The report of Rev. J. w. Conley,
chairman of the commission on syste
matte benefcence was then made. His
first recommendation was for the dis
tribution of literature explaining the
plan for systematic giving, and the fol-
lowing plan was recommended: That
the churches be arranged into five diff
ferent divisions, to one of which each
church shall belong, it's relation to the
same being designated in the Baptist
annual by the number of the division
to which it belongs.
1.-The National Commission was then
discussed by Rev. DR.. H. L. MorehouSe.
''The great problem before us is this"
he said, How to get every member of
Gods church to contribute regularly,
systematically and conscientiously to
all of the objects of work before the
Baptist church. We do not discipline
people for failure to keep their finan-
cial pledges he continued Its about
time we begin.'' He approved the
plan, proposed by the state commits
sion, to divide the churches into five
divisions and fix the objects of bene-
fcence. He impressed upon the con-
vention the Importance of symmetrical
development concentration of effort,
and responsibility to the church organi-
Zation, in which the contribution is
made, and conformity to its rules.
This is not to get more money out
of people, but to get right motives for
benevolence into the hearts and minds
of the people," he emphasize In
considering the matter of our gifts to
church work it ought to be remembered
that one-tenth of our income is not
always all that we should give Our
capital belongs to God, and we should
be ready to give it, Report was re-
fe1red to the board with power to act.
After question box on the subject
Of beneficence, and a solo by Mrs.
Buckbee, of the First Baptist church,
Rev. w. B. Riley delivered an address
on christian Use Of Property" His
address related chiefly to the matter of
individual beneficence, which he felt
had been curtailed to an extreme de-
gree. He urged giving according to
the prosperity bestowed, and empha-
sized the proposition that nothing less
was acceptable. Mr.. Riley in refuta-
ton Of the charge that ministers are
not good financiers, said that as a rule
they made as much as average busi-
ness men. IF was to go into business
and didn't make more than most busi-
ness men, I'd quit" he said.
Last nights session of the Baptist state con-
vention proved the largest of the week thus
far. Every seat in the hoIse was taken.
chairs were brought in and finally the doors
into the lecture room had to be thrown open-
After a short praise service, conducted by
President Emerson, Rev. F. Linden, one of
the state missionaries, and pastor of the
Bethel Swede church, of Duluth, was called
upon to report the condition of the work
in his field. In responding he stated that
his church was the center of population OF
10000 Swedes in the city of Duluth, of which
500 were members; that if his church could
be free from the embarrassment of debt it
would be able to reach not only the Swedes
of Duluth, but of all the surrounding coun-
try.
N. L. Christian, recently called from dis
trict missionary work to the pastorate of the
Danish Baptist church. of Kasson, Mon,
urged strongly a greater ehv,. among the
Danes of the state Various other branches
OF the work were presented by Rev. 4. II.
Helnnemann, r. ]. Kennedy, a student mis-
sionary, and Rev. G. H. Gamble, respect vely.
Rev. e. R. Pope, in very happy style
then called upon the convention to contribute
funds for the purchase Of a gospel wagon
and team of horses for the use of Rev. c.
t. Hallowell, district m ssionary of the North
western district His request met with
cheerful response and within fifteen minutes
he had g and C MT but $3.50, the amou 1T
asked for at the outset. He further announced
that the money to meet all of the bolis for
the current year now actually practically in
sight.
Rev. DR.. H. L. Morehouse, field secretary
of the American Baptist Home Mission So.
ciety, then delivered an able and stirring ad-
dress, ore of the ablest and most powerful
addresses of the convention, on "Our Great
est Need
Our. greatest need is not more money, !"
he sa1d mot better missionary methods nor
half dozen other things that might be
named, though all are desirable, but more
Christian love- Without love liberal giving
profiteth nothing. Without love church
benefcenee and endeavor are comparatively
nothing. Is not, therefore, the greatest need
love-? He then named as the three great
objects of love, God, fellow Christians and
the unsaved and claimed that each of them
demanded the love of every true Christian
who wished to be symmetrically developed in
the Christian life. He closed with a pas
of this greatest of Christian graces in the
hearts of the clergy and laity alike. The
address made deep impression, and, though
nearly an hour in length listened to
throughout with the closest attention.
Today's session will open at o'clock
at $50 with discussions of interest, espe-
cially to Sunday school workers. The after
noon session, beginning at e. will continue
the same general topic while the evening
session will be devoted to the Publication
society.