Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-01-02
BIG CENTURY PLANS.
EVERY cHURcH HAS AMBITIOUS
PROJECTS.
Religious Denominations Asking for
100000, oo0-sfethodists Have Four
Movements, the Finauciai oae BEING
Far Toward Success.


100000, oo0-sethodists Have Four
Movements, the Finauciai oae BEING
Far Toward Success.
With the exception Of half dozen.
every religious body in the United States
and England has on hand some new cen
fury forward scheme. Methodlsts OF
England set the pace, and Methodlsts OF
the United States brought the idea over
the Atlantic. The start was made along
finances. and so it has come about that
the religious emphasis o the new century
obseryances Is, on the whole, monetary
rather than spiritual. Smaller religious
bodies, and also religious societies, have
copied the idea, and there IS, at mod
crate estimate, $100000,090 asked by the
religious bodies of the United States on
the hinge Of the advent Of a new century.
Methodists have no fewer than four
new century movements on hand. The
principal OF these is the raising OF So
100000 with which to pay debts On
churches, to strengthen Charitable efforts,
TO endow colleges, and to help the funds
for aged ministers. To date almost ex-
actly 100000 has been subscribed.
the largest part for church debts.
Churches in different cities are organic
ing, some have already done 50, and with
the advent of the new year they will
make combined efforts to raise fund
with which 10 pay off debts ON al
churches within the respective city linn
its. About $3,5O0.O0 has been subserib-
ed for educational purposes, and nearly
81 100000 for philanthropies. In Eng
land the Wesleyans have raised practi-
cally all Of their 100000 guineas.
Among educational institutions the uni
versity that has gotten the most to date
is the Ohio Wesleyan, and the American
at Washington has done next best. To-
gether these institutions have raised over
81 100000. Methodists have also mis-
sion fund in hand. The Missionary So
ciety will try to increase its receipts
from 1,SoG, zoo year to $2,OOO,0O0.
Methodists South seek to raise fund
Of 100000, to be employed in man
ner similar to the $20,0o0000 fund Of
Methodists North The general confer
ence in Chicago last summer authorized
a spiritual movement, which aims to get
100000 new members as new century
task. 1t placed Bishop Thoburn at the
head of this movement, but his uncertain
health throws much Of the labor upon
others.
Presbyterians Want Money.
Presbyterians North and South have
financial new century schemes on hand,
and the former have a Sunday school
membership plan. The moderator of the
General Assembly North. the Rev. DR..
Charles A. Dickey of Philadelphia, is
spending his entire time in the interest
of money raising Presbyterians seek to
pay church debts. provide for local i'm
provements, help the work of the synods.
endow colleges and mission boards, and
increase offerings for work in China and
other foreign fields There is a Sunday
school movement which seeks to get 500,-
600 children into Presbyterian schools in
addition to the 100000 already there.
Congregationalist have not entered
heartily into new century scheme either
here or in England The only plan in
hand is the raising of $250,O0o with
which to strengthen the American board.
The suggestions made by the Baptists
IF the North are being adopted by Bap-
lists, white and colored, in the South.
These suggestions have a slight reference
to money matters The only reference is
to greater system in giving to all denomi-
national bencvolences. During the open
ing week of the new century many Bap-
fist churches will hold all-day prayer
meetings, and the fourth Thursday in
January will be kept as day of prayer!
for colleges. On the third Sunday in
April Baptist ministers will preach on
UNCONVENTIONAL progress during the CEN
f,,ssx nd NJ tha 1rta W Nov
one day will be given to speeches on Bap-t
fist achievement in all the world.
Two years or more ago Roman Catho-
lies discussed the plan Of taking a census
OF numbers and property throughout the
world, with view Of publishing early in
the new century the impressive facts or
data in mass and so making before the
world such tremendous showing as only
the Church of Rome could make, of mate
rial and spiritual achievement. The holy
year has been observed and the census
idea seems to have been forgotten. At
any rate the American churches are not
yet in the work Of taking this census. On
the closing night of the century mass
was said in all Catholic churches, a dis
pensation having come from Rome au-
thoFizing it at this unusual hour.
Episco paIians and Lutherans.
Episcopalians and Lutherans are not
making much of the new century coming.
The former will make much of the APP
preaching Lent, not alone in a religious
sense. but also in the Sunday schools,
Lent will see more services than ever be-
fore, and the children In the schools nam
ed will push their combined offerings for
missionsfbeyond the 100000 limit,
stint which they have had for several
years. but have never yet reached. The
new Brotherhood of st. Andrew Presi-
dent is trying to put new life into that or
ganization. aud a part of the plan is the
holding of a summer instead of an au-
tumn national convention next year.
Lutherans are getting ready to observe
with much formality the 400th anniyer-
sary OF the birth of Or. Martin Luther.
They talk Of founding Lutheran univer-
sity as a memorial of the occasion. The
date is 1917.
Christian Endeavorers take note of the
new century by recommending all State
conventions during 1901 to hold celebra-
tons and by appointing the Cincinnati
convention in July as a time of special
rejoicings, 1t happens that the Endeavor
movement is twenty years OF age next
1 vnnr and So :, birth day and n new ct,u-