The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-23
CHURCHES AND
NEW CENTURY
How Various Denominations Will Ce|e-
brate the Event.
TWO AMERICAN CARDINALS.
Im.hcrans Plan to Establish Il Uni
yersity i'll Concentrating
Anniversary of Luz
ther'S Birth.
NYritten for The Times.)

NEW YORK. December 22.-Practlcaliy
everything calling itself a church VIII
observe the end of one century ana the
beginning of another, and with the e%cep-
ton of half a dozen every reilSlouS poaE
in the United States and England mas
Oh hand some neW-centufy FORWARD
scheme MethOdists of England set the
mace, and MethOdists Of the United States
brought the idea over the Atlahtic. Inc
start was made along finances ana SO
it mas come that the religious emphasis
of the new-century observances IS, on
the whole. monetary rather than spirit
ual Smaller religious bodies and also
religious societies have copied the ldea,
and the number of forward movements,
or. at least, religious things called by
that name, is most bewilderins. Ihere
is, at a moderate estimate, SlW,ooUVvJ
asked by the religious bodies Of the United
States on the hinge Of the advent OF u
new century Men in the churches VINO
are known 10 possess few dollars ana
to have charitable incllnatonS are haNills
to engage additionl of1ice-boys to attend
10 church foryard-movement callers.
Methodists have no fewer than TOUR
new-century movements on hand the
uriucipal Of these is the raising OF
s2O.CCOOOQ, with which to pay debts on
churches. 70 strengthen charitable efforts.
to endow colleges. and to help the funds
for aged ministers TO date almost
exactlv s1OAA9 coo have been subscribed,
the largest part for church debts.
Churches in different cities are organ
izing, some have already done so, ana
with the advent of the new year t!iey
will make combined efforts to raise a
fund with which to pay OH deots on III
churches within the respective city limits.
AN 1,, St1bSfriDnd
educational purposes. and nearly $1,000
600 for nrilanthropies. In England
the Wesleyans have raised practically all
of their ND,V1o guineas. Among edu-
cational institutions the university that
has gotten the most to date is the ONO
WESLEYAN. and the American at Washing
ton has done next best Together these
institutions have raised considerably over
Sl,0G0, 900.
FOR THE MISSIONS.
Methodisys have also MISSION fund IN
hand. The Bishops. when they borrowed
the English idea. left missions out of the
call. So The Missionary Society is to
try a scheme of its own, which is TO in
crease IFS receipts from S1.S00,oOo year to
50 GOO 900 Nethodists South seek to raise
a fund of 100000 to be employed in a
manner similar to the s2oooo,oo0 fund of
Methodists North They are working
along distinct lines, as those interested in
education. all interested in church debts,
all in hospitals. etc. No central fund is
gathered Int each goes where it pleases
and gers all it can. The General Con-
ference in chicago last summer authorized
a spiritual movement, which aims to get
2.coo,ClO new members as a new century
task. II placed Bishop Thoourn at the
had OF +b;s movement, but his uncertain
health throws much of the labor upon
= hers. the plan of this movement is the
holding Of central and union meetings in
q : nlanv cities as possible. This plan is
to arouse initial interest If the task is
aocomplished, the work is expected to be
done upon the Brotherhood OF Andrew
philtn idea. viz: One member going out
after and bringing in other members.
Two wears or more. ago Roman Catholics
discussed the plan OF taking q census Of