The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29
STUDENTS IN MISSIONS
Seminary Work Discussed at the
Ecumenical Conference.
Young People Needed Who Are Fired
with n Passion for Duty-The
Home and Foreign Fieid-Sup-
port for Those Lnboring Abroad

NEW YORK April 2s.-The first full
week of business sessions of the Ecumenl-
cal Conference was completed tonight with
public interest still at a high pitch. Today
was young peoples day" and the work Of
young people and the possibilities of evan
gelist work by them were discussed at
meetings in the morning. afternoon, and
evening Ii was also a day of appeal to
young people and old to volunteer for
service in the missionary field.
The devotional service at Carnegie Hall
this morning was led by Bishop Hendricks.
of the Methodist Episcopal Church South
Others who took part in this service were
the Rev DR. r. n Mateer, Of China; the
Rev. Dr.. Purves. lately of Princeton, now
pastor of The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
Church and Robert Z. Speer. During the
progress OF this service the hall filled
rapidly; at its conclusion there was one
of the largest audiences of the conference
in the great hall.
Dr. Hall said: Our Lord saw all human
life clearly. No mists of optimism de-
ceiyed him-no wells of pessimism blinded
him With this clear vision our Lord
Joined deep feelings Of appreciation and
divine compassion. Upon his own holy
soul he bore the griefs and carried the
sorrows Of humanity. And TO this clear
vision of the world and this deep feeling
toward the world our Lord added actual
effort for the world. His sorrow was not
the impotent lament of one who fain would
do vet cannot. His burden was not the
crushing burden of pessimists. 1t was the
weight of the sacrifcial cross.
I'VE are attempting to answer this
question: How can We so fire the young
men of the future ministry with the mis-
sionary passion? How make them leaders
of missionary churches The problem OF
the divinity school is. not how to tram
an occasional man for the foreign field,
but how to kindle the missionary passion
in every man that passes through the
school AS 10 the man Nho may possibly
have gifts for services abroad, it is his
neei as well as it is his right, to have
atmosphere ahoilt him that promotes the
deep self-disoovsry which may lead him
to volunteer: or that shall establish,
strengthen ard settle the purpose formed
in college days 10 10 his work upon the
foreign feld-
The missionary idea must conquer the
life Of every man who proposes TO enter
the ministry Of the churches. whether
abroad or at home. In the last anslysis 1t
is a secondary consideration Whistler any
individual student in the divinity school
has volunteered for service abroad The
primary and essential thing is that there
shall be within the school a sacred altar Cf
missionary passion. whereat the torch OF
every man shall be kipdled and the lip of
every man shall be touched with the living
coal
"As for the man who shall enter the
pastorate at home; be cannot be an able
minister unit his torch has been kindIed
at his altar his lips touched with this
lfx-fne anuf n.ra Et-r. fhse access in the
days OF his N inis;erial training. fail 10 pro-
vide him with worldwide interests neglect
TO teach him how 20 ljft up his eyes and
look upon haiNfhite harvest fields of the
world omii . conquer MIN with the mis-
sionars idea. and he goes forth into the
world tagging behind the eager spirit of
his time shaekIed with disadvantage. con-
demned in an age of cathClicity TO lead a
life Of provineialisln. He requires it for
himself chat he may become man of Wis
ion d man OF large ard powerful concep-
tion a man of capacity TO Inspire others
He requires this missionary passi,n,
not 50 much fer himself alone. but in the
name Of the church he seeks to serve. It
is his to overcome the resistance Of unre-
stricied prejudice II is mis- to awaken
the attention of apathetic minds which
content with the form. rather than tie
life of Christianity. are blinded by local
reIlglous interests 10 the larger questions
of the worlds evangelization II is his
TO educate the churchs intelligence:
knowledge is the true and substantial basis
OF an interest in missions. II is his to raise
at hcme supplies for the church abroad.
to find the means that shall maintain the
work Of God. The far OFF workers al the
front depend upon him to cooperate with
them by maintaining their supplies"
Prof J. Ross Stevenson. who had pre-
oeded DR.. Hall, in his speech traced the
origin and DEVELOPMENT OF the student
volunteer movement, saying that il had
been organizd as an outcome of prayer. at
Mount Vernon, in 1886, when 1C0 young
men, volunteered for service in the foreign
field; thence ii had spread over the whole
Christian world, with far-reaching effect
and greater promise. II served this i'm
portant purpose. he said. that it brough,