The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-06
PRESBYTERIAN COUNCIL
PREPARATIONS FOR THE SESSION OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,.
Creed Revision the Most Important
Topic, but Representation and
Other Issues Will BE Up.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
ST. LOUIS, May 5.-Extensive prepare
sembly of the Presbyterian Church, which
will meet in this city for ten twelve
days, beginning on Thursday, May IL.
When the Presbytery of st. Louis held its
first meeting in this city, on Dec. is, 1917.
it consisted of four ministers and four
churches, and its territory included the
greater portion of Illinois and all the re-
gion west of the Mississippi. There are to-
day fifty-five churches in the st. Louis
Presbytery, twenty-five of which are in the
city. not counting those in the suburbs and
leaving out the large number of missions.
To these might be added the churches of
the Southern Assembly, as well as the
United and Cumberland Presbyterian
churches. and thus constituted the church
is 10000 strong generated by fifty preach
ers. who are assisted by as loyal body of
ruling elders as one can find in any pres
bytery.
The Presbyterians of this city are look
ing forward TO the meeting of the assembly
with great anticipations The sessions of
the Washington and Compton-avenue
Church. in whose edifice the meetings will
be held began it's work early in January.
as the committee on arrangements, accord
ing to the action of the assembly. Its first
move was to appoint the Rev. Dr. s. j.
Niccolls, of the Second Church. chairman
of a finance committee, and at his request
a meeting of the elders, deacons and trus-
tees of the presbytery was held, when the
plan was adopted of apportioning among
the churches the amount needed, and a
committee appointed to assist him in rails
ing the money. At a subsequent meeting
of the committee arrangements the fol-
lowing chairmen. of committees were ap-
pointed: The Rev. Drs. S. C. Palmer. re-
| ception committee; f. L. Ferguson, pulpit
supply committee: W. j. McKittrick. Sun
| day school mass meeting, and d. r. Will
liams, press committee.
| The women of the churches have been
| as busy, if not buster, than the men, in
| preparation of the annual meeting Of the
| Woman's Board of Home Missions, which
| is to be held at the same time that the
| assembly meets. A wise selection has been
| made in the selection of the chairman of
| the committee having these meetings in
| charge.-Mrs. Robert Rankin, of the La
| fayette Park Church. Mrs. Rankin, i'm
| mediately upon her appointment, called a
| meeting at her home of all the presidents
| of the missionary societies of the churches
| and the work was begun with enthusiasm
| Nearly every church and mission in the
| city is represented on the committees ap'
| pointed, of which there are fifteen, and il
would seem that every conceivable need
| will be supplied by the $50 earnest women
| who make up these committees.
The assembly will consist this year Of
| about six hundred commissioners. an eQua
number Of ministers and laymen. 1t Ii
| the feeling of many of the leaders in the
church that the representation should b.
reduced. that the meeting is too large K
| accomplish satisfactory results, not e
speak of the expenses, about $4,000 year
for travelling expenses, entertainment. etc
To this objection the answer Is made tina
the large meetings. while expensive. have &
money value in that the people in attend
ance become enthusiastic and arouse en-
thusiasm in the churches and presbyterfe'
which they represent. and much larger con
trfbutions are received by the benevolen
agencies of the church.
REPRESENTATION AND CREED.
The question of reduced representation
was fully discussed last year. The Rev
Dr. John +. Patterson, chairman of thu
special committee which had been consid
ering the matter for year, read two reso
lutions. The first suggested the prepare
ton of an overture which, if adopted b.
the presbyteries, would reduce the assem-
1
overture would reduce it to 300. Both wer
voted down. Several speeches were made
but the most effective was presented b.
the Rev. DR.. George w. F. Birch, of New
York, who said, in substances:
1.-THE time for reducing the General AS
sembly has not come, and l hope it neve
| will come. While we are PresbyterianS w
| should keep as near the people as we car
The larger the church the larger the as
| sembly should be. The greatest court Of tn
Presbyterian Church should be in constan
| touch with the smallest presbytery al
the smallest church in that presbytery. w
are talking here of changing our system
| 1 know something OF wire-pulling, but
have never pulled wire myself. / know
something about WIRE pulling in New York
| If the changes proposed were made yo
would find the Synod of New York run b
| saves us from the effects of wire pulling
Why, just look at it. brethren. The ques
| items which separated the church recentl
| ran over five years. / do not believe tina
| fifty men in any one year are returned [
| the next assembly. What does that mean
About three thousand men voted on thi
| question, and they all voted for the Bib
| and the constitution. Some one has Gale
q large assembly mob. Why Mr.. Modera
tor, you might as well call the children c
| Israel, who gathered three time year,
| mob. / wish / was prepared to speak o
this question, but you know what NEAR
dent you. brethren? / say what we war
| TO do in this matter is to let well enoug
alone. And then you talk about minister
without churches. In New York we hav
| many such, and / know them all. I hav
reason to know them all. AS / read til
| Lords commission a man does not AWAY
have to be preaching in order to be feet
ing the flock. And want to say somethin
else about the New York Presbytery
is very popular to refer sneeringly to u
| But 1 tell you that our presbytery is n
worse than any other presbytery IT is
SANDER against the New York Presbyter,
Many of the best friends that I have the,
| scarcely ever agree with me- but we a,
good friends nevertheless. Let us keep
the good old way and do the good Of
| work.
Perhaps the most important topic to I
discussed this month is that concernir
the creeds of the Presbyterian Churc
: Several overtures have been adopted /
presbyteries asking that revision of Il