The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-18
PROTESTANT CRUSADES
MISSION WORK OF BAPTIST AND
OTHER DENOMINATIONS.
Efforts to Convert Catholics in Porto
Rico and Cuba-Rev. W. H.
SIOan's observations.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE Rev. w. Fl.
Sloan, the Baptist minister who held the
first Protestant religious service in San
Juan and the first English service ever held
on the island of Porto Rico outside of
Ponce, has just reached this country after
a tour that lasted six weeks and covered
every part of the island save two or three
towrs on the very eastern end. The Rev.
NIr. Sloan held the service in San Juan
which mentioned in the dispatches the
other day in the office of the secretary of
the interior, Spanish Catholic of liberal
ideas. Speaking of church prospects in Porto
Rico Mr.. Sloan says that the church build
ings do not belong to the Roman Catholic
Church, but TO the Spanish government IT
had q long interview with the secretary of
the interior, in whose office I preached"
he says. and he told me that not only all
churches on the island but also all monas-
teries, converts and rectories were built at
government cost He said that with the
transfer of authority from Spain to the
United States all of these buildings become
the property of the American government,
which may, if ii wishes, dispossess the
Roman Catholics. I do not suppose it will
wish to do that and 1 mention the point
merely as a fact unknown 1 think, to the
people at home, and perhaps even to the
United States government itself The secre-
tary Of the interior offered me a church.
however, and in Mayaguaz a very fine church
was building at the time the American
troops under General Miles landed. 1t is of
steel frame and was up even to the spire
Upon the coming of the American troops
the workmen dropped their tools, which tools
! saw scattered about the unfinished build
no IF he 81.
take the church and finish it.
Before 1 left the island l organized four
Baptist churches having a membership of
from forty to eighty each. 1 visited Caguas.
Salinas. Cavey, Rio Piedras Juana Diaz
Areclbo Camui, Isabelle, Aguirre and Guav,
anna, preaching IN all of them. The people
came IN great numbers 10 hear me Al
tFsJ 1 was little known and had to remain
III me places long enough to advertise nv
self, but when l had been on the Island
about d fortnight the papal vicar, the chief
roman Catholic preiate on the island pub
iished a letter in a San Juan newspaper for
bidding Catholics to attend any Protestant
service and telling the people a whole lot Of
Jmngs concerning Protestant beliefs that
are not true at al: He told the people that
We deny that Christ was born of a Virgin
refuse TO accept the apostles creed and do
not read all of the Bible, but only part of
Il that suits our notions. Immediately this
brOadside against me appeared had to do
no more advertising. The people came to
my services in great numbers often more
theaters, in one case the mayor of the city
Mrlng one Tor me, in halls and in an Of
fee, as in San Juan.
Il do not attribute the great outnOurinp
OF people to hear me to any ardent religious
tendencies, but rather to their curiosity,
ana TO their desire to honor an American
The people are very grateful to Americans
Their loyalty to us is quite remarkable. AS
IN most Spanish countries, the women do
services are very poorly attended Ere
quehtIy had ten times larger congrega-
tons than did the Roman Catholic priest in
we same town ana time. While saw some
things in Porto Rico Catholic affairs as
Ior example; priests having and owning to
having families and children, ] am bound to
say that church conditions there are much
superior to what they are in Mexico where
nave labOred for the past twelve years"
The Rev. Mr.. Sloan preached in Spanish
and his sermons We're for the most part con-
trasts between Roman Catholic and Protes-
tant methods, especially as regards educa-
ion the separation of church and state
the stronger moral life and justification bv
falth rather than by sacraments He con-
sldelS the outlook very hopeful indeed, from
MS point OF view, but says much assistance
VIII have to be given from churches here,
unless the United States government be-
slows some of the churches xvbjcb ~ Soor,o.
10 own there upon the Protestants, for the
people are very poor.
The American Church Missionary Society.
which is auxiliary to the Protestant
Episcopal Board of Missions seeks to find
two Episcopal clergymen who can speak
Spanish and are willing to go at once to
Havana to inaugurate work there. The
salary that will be offered them will be from
1920 to $1,S0G a year, according as they are
married or single men. There has long been
a mission in Havana and throughout the
entire war lay reader has maintained serv-
Ices. the only Protestant service in Cuba.
Now the society desires to develop this mis-
sion into a church, and ii need be is willing
10 undertake the construction of a preten-
found who can speak Spanish it is the in
tehuon OF the society TO engage two who
are willing to go and allow them time to
learn the language. This time will be. the
society says, six months or so. The societys
work at MatanZas is being resumed and
Clergyman in charge of it. The society says
II has the funds to engage two competent
enc willing men at once' if the men can be
Bishop-elect Lucien Lee Kinsolving, of Rio
Grande do Sui has arrived with his family.
He came by the coast route from Rio de
JaneiTo, and the purpose of his visit is to be
Brazil. : :
More than one-haIf the official bodies of
the leading Protestant churches have now
taken action concerning the seating Of Rep
resentative-elect Brigham H. Roberts, of
Utah. in the lower house of Congress at
Washington. These bodies include Presby-
terians, CongregationaliSts, Episcopalians,
BaptiSts, l.utherans, Disciples of Christ,
mted Brethren, CgudkerS ana reformed
Church in America. The form of these pro-
tests is put on the ground that the election
OF Representative Roberts was a violation
Of the covenants made between Mormon
leaders and the general government when
tab was admitted as a State; that under
such circumstances his admission as a mem
her of the House of Representatives at
Washington would be act of self-stulti-
rCation by the government; would afford
encouragement of the renewal of polyga-
nous practices in Utah; would offend the
moral sensiblities of the Nation; and would
he "a stigma upon the national legislature
I'm the estimation of the civilized world.
The Baptist Home Mission Society has
just voted to inaugurats in Cuba and Porto
Rico Immediately a vigorous missionary eff
fort The territory to be covered is all of
Porto Rico and the two provinces of Cuba
lying east of the trocha line. The society
has instructed its corresponding secretary.
Gen. 7 hOmas J. Morgan to engage a general
missionary for each of these districts and
such assistant missionaries as funds may
permit. 1t has also voted that the sum of
$4,000 iS needed for church edifices during
The first year, and for this sum an appeal
Is to be made at once to Baptist churches of
the country.