Evening star., 1901-05-17
SOUTHERN METHODISTS
RESULTS EXPECTED OF RECENT
MISSIONARY CONFERENCE.
Large Attendance and Unexpected
LibernIity In COntributiOns-WOr
in Foreign Fields.


| just now of the results anticipated from
| the discussions had at the recent mission
| airy conference of the NJ. Z. Church South,
which was held at New Orleans, La, dur
| ing the last week in April. A minister
| who was present said to Star reporter:
| The attendance was very large, number
| ing more than 900 delegates. including
| the bishops, about 100 presiding elders and
| many other members of the church. The
| pastors We're out in force. In addition to
| the 900 delegates fully 1000 other visitors
| We're in attendance from outside New Or
| leans The program, in general scope, en-
| braced the general field covered by the
| ecumenical conference. Each speaker
! authority upon his particular subject,
| and but little time was spent in general
! tiles. The great minds of the church south
| were reinforced by leaders of other denomi-
| nations. The NJ. e. Church was ably rep
! resented by Rev. DIR. ]. +. Goucher, Bishop
James NJ Thoburn, Prof. F. D. Gamewell
| and Mr.. John K. Mott, and fraternal inter-
/ course was one of the most delightful fea-
| lures of the conference. Eloquent dis
courses We're delivered to packed audiences.
Endowment Created.
while extensively this conference could
! in way be compared with the ecumenical
| conference, intensvely it was more power
| full If one judge by present indica-
| tions. AS an illustration it may be stated
| that Sunday evening Bishop Galloway de-
| livered an address of remarkable power
| upon Lessons From Master Missionaries.
| At the conclusion of his address he re-
marked that an endowment was needed
| for the university at SooChow, China. AT
| once contributions began to pour in-faster,
! indeed, than the secretary could take them
| down. BY 10 o'clock the amount had
! reached SD 900, and the bishop suggested
| that they ought to make it So, 900. When
| ,. lrE ehld no
! to be abatement in interest and during
| one of the most remarkable scenes of the
| kind witnessed the amount rose
| steadily until by midnight $51,OOO and
more had been subscribed. Outside of the
| Simpson or Christian missionary alliance
meetings, this Is probably the largest
amount ever subscribed to missions In
this country at single meeting.
Not only was money offered very freely,
but lives also We're placed the altar.
The following evening, after a direct and
The Responsibility of the Young People
for the Evangelization of the World
thirty-three young people met the mission
airy secretaries upon the platform and Of
fered their service upon the foreign field.
An immediate result of the conference
was the determination the part of tine
leaders of the church south to Attempt
great things for God, and expect great
things from Cod Rev. DR.. James Atkins
embodied the sentiment of the conference
| in the statement that For the work of the
we must not De governed by the
standards of the past DR.. Lambeth, the
missionary secretary, therefore proposed
and the conference unanimously adopted
the proposition to send out during the next
five years 100 missionaries and to raise
S5OO,OOO in addition to the regular annual
offering. This is significant when one re-
members that the church, south, including
the wives of missionaries, has but 100
workers in the field today and their total
regular gifts are $4,000 per annum If the
NJ E. Church exclusive of the Woman's
Foreign Missionary Society, were to plan
like increase, it would within five years
send out about 250 missionaries and give
S250O,0OO over and above the amount now
annually expended by the missionary So
ciety
Propositions Advanced.
Rev. DR.. w. R. Lambeth senior mis-
sionary secretary, after a mastery presen-
tation of history. policy and outlook of the
foreign missionary work of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, made the fol-
lowing propositions, which were heartily
indOrSed by the conference:
First, readjustment in the composition
of the board, providing for a larger repre-
sentatlon of laymen, closer relation be-
tween the annual conference board of mis-
stons and the general board, the holding
of .aidyear meetings in every annual CON
ference in which the presiding elders Ep-
worth League and Sunday school shall be
represe 1ted; increased emphasis placed
upon the preparation and wide dissenina-
tlon OF literature adapted to meet the de-
mandS of a new era in missions, and the
organization of classes for the systematic
study of missions in our colleges, woman's
missionary societies, Epworth Leagues and
Sunday schools.
Second. That the board of missions ex-
tend its annual sessions to at least three
days and meet from year to year in diff
ferent sections of the church, that two or
more carefully prepared papers be read at
each meeting, to be followed by conference
rather than discussion leading to the
adoption of definite and helpful action
Third. A more thorough organization of
the office force, securing a well-furnished
bureau of information; q staff of assistant
or departmental secretaries who can be
trained for the work; larger clerical force
of skilled workers, and an equipment which
would bring the administrative department
abreast of any business Office in the coun-
try.
The church must provide twentieth CEN
tury equipment if she would grasp twen-
tieth century opportunity. The Illinois Cen
tral Railroad Company, with it's head de-
partment in Chicago and division de-
partment in New Orleans. has a track of
5000 miles. We have six great mission
feds; the road has passenger list of 49,
oviUo, while we have population of so GOO.-
Co IN the fields we occupy. In the New
Orleans department alone the expenditure
for stationery amounts to $4,000 per an
mum, while we expend only $4,000. The sal
aries of officials amount to $4,000 an
nnally, ours aggregating $500. The salaries
or the clerks and attendants of the rail-
road are s2t6.057 per year while ours
amount to s.. 100. The office expense ac.
count of the road is Sl02 600 while ours is
only $1,000 In the New Orleans depart
ment there are forty employees, while our
I central office has but two clerks and one
stenographer.
System of City Missions
| Fourth. The establishment of a system
OF city missions under the auspices of the
! general board. The administration of these
| missions to be under the supervision of the
/ central office. through an assistant secre-
| tary; the missionaries to be accepted for
| service by the committee on candidates as
! in the case of foreign missions; their ap-
polntment to be made by the bishops in
| charge of the annual conference in which
/ they are to be employed; their support to
| be assumed by the churches of the CITY or
J town in which, under suitable conditions
/ the mission Is to be established, and the re-
| latton of such work upon the part of the
/ general board to the Woman's Home Mis-
| sion Society to be thoroughly sympathetic
| and cooperative at every point
| Fifth. The inauguration by the board
| OF missions Of an educational campaign or
forward movement to begin upon the ad-
| 1Ournment of this conference the tbree-