Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-26
OPENING SESSION
Pan-Presbyteriam Alliance to Begin
Business Tomorrow.
INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS BY DR.. LANG
Welcome by Or, Radcliffe Of New
York Avenue Church.
WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION

| The opening session of the seventh gen.
| eral council of the Pan-Presbyte AL
lance will be held tomorrow morning at
1890 o'clock at the New York Avenue Pres
| byterian Church, where all the sessions
will be held during the ten days the meet
| ing will be continued There will be a
| meeting this evening of what is known
| as the executive commission of the alli-
| ance, and at that meeting matters relat-
| ing to the program and other details will
| be acted upon.
| The opening session tomorrow morning
| will be devoted entirely to public worship.
| The moderators of the several assemblies
| represented in the alliance will take part
| in the exercises. and the sermon will be de-
livered by Rev. DR.. John De Witt, d. D..
professor of church history at Princeton
Theological Seminary. DR.. De Witt is a
! prominent figure in the Presbyterian
! Church. He was born some fiftyseven
years ago in Harrisburg, Pa, and is a
graduate of Princeton University. He stud
| led law and afterwards studied theology.
He has held several pastorates, and prior
| to coming to the Princeton Theological
Seminary was professor in Lanes Semi
nary at Cincinnati and also in McCormicks
Seminary in Chicago.
First business Session.
AT 2 o'clock the first business session of
the council will be held. The roll of dele
gates will be completed and then Rev. DR..
Radcliffe. the pastor of the church, who as
the head of the committee of arrange
ments has borne the burden of the work
of the local preparations for the alliance.
will deliver the address of welcome The
president of the council Rev J. Marshall
Ia Lac nd will
make the opening address. He is expected
to arrive in the city this evening, and dur
ing his stay here will be the guest of Gen.
John w. Foster 1405 | street northwest
Dr. Lang is recognized as the leading man
IN the Scottish church He is the pastor
OF the Barony Church of Glasgow, a
prominent church in that country. He is
now sixty-hve years of age, but such is his
Vlgor that he has the appearance of being
at least ten years younger He began his
ministry at the time of the disruption of
the Church of Scotland in 1s4a. having
peen appointed minister of the parish
winch Rev DR.. Blake, the late honorary
secretary of the alliance, had been pastor
me latter cast in his lot with the Free
Inurch and therefore was compelled to re-
sign his passionate. In spite of this pecu-
mar experience the two ministers remained
warm friends all their lives
Or Langs term of service as president
or the council terminates with this meet
ing, and the day succeeding the final adj
Journment an election of his successor will
DE held. 1t is not known. of course upon
whom the choice will fall, but as the Sc
lection will be made from the representa-
tlVes of the western section and as the
United States has already been given this
honor. 1t is thought that some one from
the represtentatives of the churches IN
Canada will be chosen. DIR. Caven of To-
ronto is spoken. of in this connection.
White House Reception.
There will be no session of the council
tomorrow evening the 6e1eOateS will
go to reception rendered by the Presi-
dent OF the United States at the White
House. Thursday there will be three ses-
sions, one in the morning at 10 o'clock.
another in the afternoon at o'clock and
the third in the evening at S o. clock and
practically the same program will be fol-
lowed on successive days, except Satur
day. when the council will not meet.
The hustle of preparation was noticeable
about the New York Avenue Church to-
day. Upstairs the decorators Were at
work, and result of their efforts the
auditorium will be handsomely adorned.
Garlands of myrtle suspended from the
gallery front, and the pillars supporting
the galleries, well those on the pull
pit platform, are entwined with the same
material. The ceiling of the pulpit is can
opted with smilaX, while palms and other
foliage plants form attractive back
ground on the pulpit platform, and
massed all the lodges of the windows.
Between each window is a grouping of sage
palm.
The pulpit platform will be occupied by
the chair and table of the presiding officer.
Below, the right and left, will be the
tables Of the American and general secre-
taries, while circling around the platform
will be desks for the representatives of the
press. Seats for the delegates will be re-
served in the front part of the auditorium,
the space being indicated by banners bear
ing the word Reserved" The remainder
of the pews on the main floor, as well as
those in the galleries, will be open to the
public.
In the lecture room the first floor of
the church provision has been made for
the various needs of those who attend such
assemblages. The seats have been removed
and tables scattered about supplied
with writing material. In the northwest
room "A placard indicates that the commit
tee on railroads has its he aduuarters there,
while in the northeast room is found the
information bureau. In the southeast room
a post office has been established. and in
the center of the west side the committee
on pulpit supplies is located. The office
of the general secretary, Rev. G. D.
Mathews of London, England is in the
southwest room.
Arrival of Delegates.
The delegates are coming in today quite
rapidly. Rev DIR. Radcliffe, who, in addi-
ton to his duties as chairman of the COM
mittee on local arrangements. is also on the
committee of hospitality, was at the church
today receiving the delegates and assign
ing them their places as they came in.
The work of DR.. Radcliffe has involved
great deal of care and attention. He has,
however. been ably assisted by Mrs. Rad
cliffe The committee on pulpit supplies,
of which Rev. George n. Luccock is chair
man. in it's work of assigning delegates to
fill the local pulpits is governed by the fol-
lowing regulations:
No assignment of supplies will be made
even to Presbyterian churches without ap-
plication.
All private arrangement with delegates
! for pulpit service should be Immediately
reported to the committee.
Delegates who for any reason cannot
serve if appointed are requested to make
known that fact to the committee. In the
absence of such information the commit
tee will assume that all delegates will
preach if assigned pulpits.
Elder. AZ Office Bearer.
The duties of the elder as an office bearer
ri of