The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-05-24
THE SOUTHERN PRESBTTERIANs.
The Thirty.Ninth Annual Session
Raising Funds for Missionary

| Raising Funds for Missionary
Work-nivorce md Pe-Marrfage.
Atlanta, Ga. May 1s.-Commissioners
| Of the Southern Presbyterian General
Assembly, which is holding it's thirty
| ninth annual session here in the Central
| Presbyterian Church of this city, met
| for the first business session to-day.
| The attendance was larger than yes
| terday and an active interest was
| shown in all the proceedings, not only
| by the 200 commissioners but by large
| number of visiting ministers and lay
| men of the Presbyterian Church off,
| cially connected with the Assembly
| and many resident Presbyterians. To-
| days session opened with devotional
exercises, after which routine business
was begun. Stated Clerk Alexander
read the committees which had been
appointed by the Moderator. They will
direct much of the work of the As
| sembly.
The committees on records for each
State included: North Carolina, ]. F.
| Floyd, H. L. Money; Virginia, j. I.
| Wade, D. NJ. killam.
Interest was intense as the stated
clerk read the overtures from the
| Synods and PresbyterieS of the South.
The oVertures were referred to the
| proper committees and constitute the
work which will come before the AS
sembly.
The Presbytery Of Suwanee, Fla.
protested against the Spectacular and
theatrical features of children wear
ing fancy costumes in the exercises to
| be held On children's day, May 9th.
A time was set apart for raising
| funds for foreign missionary work. The
| question of divorce and re-marriage
| will be leading enc. The Synod of Ala
| bama and the Presbyteries of Memphis
| and Norfolk sent in oVertures asking
| for definite church laws governing the
! re-marriage of divorces.
| The question of the salaries for secre-
| tares of the Executive Committee will
| be an important one, many overtures
| being filed asking that no increase be
| made in them.
| On the adoption of new hymn book
| there We're overtures strongly protest
ing against any change this year on the
| ground of expense.
| The report of the Executive Commit
| tee of Foreign Missions was submitted.
| In part it says: The largest number of
| additions to the native churches re-
| ported in any previous year was 523 in
| 1898. This year the number reported Is
| GAP, an increase of more than 100. The
| largest number of additions in any one
mission was IFS, in Northern Brazil,
| and the next largest ia, in Congo,
| Africa"
| The reports regarding finances says:
| The receipts for the year from all
| sources were s161 ,531, including $3.50 OF
| funds expended and returned. The net
| receipts were S161, 10 This is SIG, $50
| more than has been received during any
| previous year.
The report urges a larger income,
| saying that between $780, and $1,000 Is
| the least a missionary can be support
| ed upon and that the Church has 1863
missionaries in the field. The report
| shows twelve new missionaries sent
| out during the year.
| Under the caption present needs OF
| the Church." the report takes a gloomy
| view of many of the foreign mission
| fields More missionaries and apprOpria-
| ton from the Church are urgently ask
| ed. The committee asks for a regular
| annual income of not less than 100000
| Other features Of the mission work
| under the jurisdiction of the committee
| are progressing satisfactorily.
The night session was taken up by
| he reading Of reports. In addition to
| the report of the Executive Committee
| on Foreign Missions, statements were
made by the committee on Foreign Cor
| respondence, Publication, Education for
| the Ministry, Colored Evangelization
and by the permanent committee on
Church and Christian Education.
Reports were also received from the
Assembly's home and school at Frede-
ricksburg, Va, the Columbia, S. G.,
| Theological Seminary, the Union Theo-
| logical Seminary at Richmond and the
| Divinity school of the Southwestern
| Presbyterian University at Clarksville,
Tenn.
kilograms, signed Moderator Martin
and Stated Clerk Alexander, were sent
| to the General Assembly Of Cumber-
| land Presbyterian Church. in session at
| Chattanooga, and to the General As
| sembly Of the Presbyterian Church in
the United States at st. Louis convey
| ing fraternal greetings and the wish
| for divine blessing. Tonight the ses-
| sion was devoted mainly to praise
! service.