The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-16
CHRISTIANS IN FORCE
LARGE ATTENDANCE UPON THE MIS-
SIoNARY CONVENTION.
Finances in Good Shape-President's
Address-NotabIe Papers by Women
Prominent in the Work.

The missionary conventions of the Chris
tian Church opened with the first session of
the Woman's Christian Board of Missions
at the Central Christian Church yesterday
morning. At an early hour it became ap-
parent that the building was wholly mad
eQuate to contain all the delegates that de-
sired to attend. Chairs were placed in all
the aisles and every available. inch of room
in the auditorium and the lecture room
adjoining was made use of. Despite this
many could not obtain entrance, and these
put in their time seeing the city or in par
ticipating in an all-day social at the English
Lutheran Church. The sessions at the
Central Church were almost continuous
from early morning until late at night, dur
ing which time many interesting addresses
were delivered and the preliminary conven-
ton business transacted. AT the Denison
the secretaries of the state missionary or
CARNATIONS held morning and afternoon
meetings in which they formed a permanent
association and carried out a programme
of addresses. The ladies of Roberts Park
Church kindly turned their building into a
restaurant and furnished roast turkey and
other toothsome viands to the hungry Wis
itors at both the noon and supper hours.
No less than four hundred took dinner with
them, and as the church is only three blocks
from the place where the convention is
meeting it was regarded as a great conve-
nience, and the ladies having charge of the
lunch are receiving much praise for what is
termed their Christian courtesy. They,
however, will not set any lunch on Sunday
DELEGATES NUMBER 1900.
The number Of delegates who have regis
tered thus far is something over eight hum
hI1t ybn r1fv ~
at the hotels and with friends who have not
yet signed the blanks at the Lutheran
Church 1t is estimated that over twelve
hundred delegates are now present in the
city, but more are expected next week.
those here now being principally such as
are identified with the c. w. B. M. The
entertainment committee is still anxious to
receive offers of more accommodations, as
it is finding itself unable to supply all the
demands made upon it. Howard Gale, who
has practically lived at the Lutheran
Church for week, says that the committee
has done a mountain of labor, and that
while things are running reasonably smooth,
some trouble is beng experienced in pro-
Vidlng for the delegates A pOstofflce and
bureau of information is maintained at the
Lutheran Church. while a large number of
pages are at all times at the service of Wis
itors
Considerable discussion is going on among
Ae delegates as to the practicabllity of uni
Ging the work of the various organizations
SO far as the raising of necessary funds is
concerned. As it is each church is called
upon about once month to make con-
tribution for some missionary purpose, and
it is thought that if the collections were
limited to four year the members of the
churches would give more literally to the
cause. 1t is proposed that each organiza-
ton receive certain proportion of the
quarterly contributions, and that they all
unite in making those contributions as large
possible. A general missionary fund
would thus be instituted and no demands
would be made upon any church for any
special purpose, ali money donated for mis-
stems of whatever kind being put into the
egates seem to be a unit in favor of this
idea, and it will take. practical shape be-
fore the conventions close.
Many of the Indianapolis Disciples of
Christ, and also a large number of those
from outside the city are recalling the fact
that the conventions of the church as
sembled IN this city just ten years ago.
They also met here in 1881, 1873. and 1870.
The growth of the missionary work of the
former meetings in this city. The Ameri-
can Christian Missionary Society reported
receipts of only $4,5299l in 1870, Sc, 1884 in
1881 and $l9,5126 GA in 1887, while last year the
receipts were $76, 337. "A. This is a statement
of but one organization, but the others
show similar growth. Since the meeting
ten years ago the church extension fund
has been organized, a fund which one year
ago amounted TO $129,7 over three
hundred loans have been made and not
dollar has been lost, very remarkable
showing. as church property upon which the
money is advanced is of character tiht
loan agencies will place no risks upon. The
attendance at the present conventions also
shows how great a growth has been
achieved in the decade since the last In
dianapoliS meeting. Those who were pres
ent at that assembly state the attendance
as being less than a third Of the present
gathering. The convention met in the
old Central Christian Church, which
stood on the corner of Delaware and
Ohio, and all the delegates were entertained
at the homes of the church members.
Since then a number of the leading spirits
of the church have passed away, notably
Isaac Errett, Samuel X. Hoshour and Love
n jameson, and in general the younger ele-
ment has displaced the greater portion of
the delegates who met in this city ten years
a.