Evening star., 1900-12-15

of the North Carolina Avenue NJ p. Church,
has accep ed the call to the pastorate Of
the Second Congregational Church in Ba,-
timore. He has foI several years past been
a member of the Wa ngton conference of
Congregational m n.SterS, and as heretofore
stated in The Star was recently rendered
the pastorate of the church named. He en-
tered upon his new duties Sunday last.
While In Washington recently Rev DR..
Thomas b. Nicely of the Sunday Sch,,.i
Union of the M. E. Church, whose head
quarters are in New York. explained to d
star reporter why movement has been
started to form home department in c n
nection with Sunday school work. There
are, said DR.. Nee y, great many pc d q
who do not go to Sunday school. Some will.
not go to Sunday school, and there are not
a few who cannot go to Sunday school If
hey will not or cannot attend then some
hing should be done for them though they
remain away. Some one has enumef ated
over thirty distinct classes who are absu-
lutely unable to attend Sunday school OF
the Shut-inS, first of ALL may be enumer-
ated those who are confined to their homes
by age OF inf1rmity.
Besides the aged and those afflicted hy
chronic Illness or other infirmty there
are mothers with the care of young chil-
dren, and in the same general class NAV
be placed both men and " ynen " h., are :,
hausted, or who believe they are utterly ex-
hauSted, by their weekly toll Then there
are those who have been called the shu :
outs, whose circumstances interfere with
their free action on the Saba III dav. sucE
as nurses, physicians, dl ug Clerks telegram
operators, railway employees poicemen sn :
d.ers and many others who are lesitimateIy
engaged, or, as they think, unavodapy ue-
tanned on Sundays. Then there are ihose
who are very remote or. Isolated and these
like the commercial traveller, who are NOT
permitted to remain in one place any great
length of time.
The need for the home department ia not
II
every church: it is needed in the great city
with its millions; 1t is needed in the towns
with their thousands: it is needed in the
little village. with its hundreds. and is mar
ttcularly useful in the Sparsely settled rI1raI !
region.
In a copy Of a summary Of the princnaI
work under the direction of the PreshIlta-
rian Church in the United States. received
here. 1t is stated that there are now thirty
two synods. 232 presbyteries. 973 Candidates
TOR the ministry, 1l0 local evangel sis $50
lie licentiates. 7.465 ministers. 264 hcensones,
2S,6O5 elders, 9,S95 deacons, 1850 churches
1.OO7 $50 cOmmrnicants and Loss OIL SUNDAY,
school members
During the year just closing the pastoral
relations of 4S2 ministers were dissolved
nations and COZ installat ons. The deaths
among ministers aggregated 141 and Of
members 12.30S. One hundred and sixtv-
nve new churches were organized and six
y were uiSSolSeu Inere We're also
added to the membership 9S.273 persons.
The net increase has been 23 7So AduITs
to the number, of 21,620 were baptized, as
well as 26,253 infants.
The contributions for home missions have
been LOSS. .367:, foreign missions. $50 S1I.
education, S117,139; Sunday school work
$117702; church erection. $I15, So: relief nInd
SJI .055: synodfcal aid. SOL 561; freedmen
$161 537: aid for colleges. S213 731. general
assembly. etc, So SS3: congregat tional, Sill
372, $685. and misee1laneous, $T7G.33o q total
of nearly $15, 100000.
Efforts will, It Is stated, be made IN or
ganiZe in Washington branch of the AS
sociate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The
denomination Is SMALL Numerically b,1t its
members are very aggressive and thew are
regarded as among the best church briId-
ers In the south, having increased 30 ner
cent in the last ten years. Under the lead
ership Of It's board of home missions the
church is constantly Invading new fields.
Within a short time beautiful churches, free
from debt. have been dedicated by the de-
nomination In Corsicana, Tex, and in RocL
Hill. s. C. The board of home mlssians
has oversight throughout the demon nation
Of all the city missions. the opening Of
new work and the assignment Of workers
and supervision of every church which re-
ceives aid from the funds of the SYNOD
which Is the highest ecclesiastical body In
the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church.
The Evangelical Alliance has sent ont an
appeal which in part recites that "at the
close of the last century concert OF
prayer was observed By many Christians Of