Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-04-24
ARIZONA PRESBYTERY
Successful and Inspiring Session Just
Closed at Tucson.

The largest and most enthusiastic
meeting in the history of the organiZa-
ton is reported After the opening
meeting in the Baptist church Wedces-
day evening. the Presbytery assembled
in the assembly room of the Indian
school for business, Thursday at a.
m. Rev. H. NJ. Shields of Bisbee was
moderator, with Rev. Geo. a. Logic and
G. NJ. Love as temporary clerks. y
large amount of routine business WAS
transacted. There was present at the
session every member of the presby-
terry, fifteen in all. with five elders, and
number of visiting brethren.
The reports from the field were for
the most part very encouraging. Con-
siderable building has been done dur
ing the last year. of both churches
and manses, and more is proposed for
the near future including a very fine
church at Bisbee the building site
alone having cost $4,000.
The report showed that there We're
fourteen regularly ordained ministers
in the territory. with one licentiate.
two local evangelists, seven Indian
helpers, and one Mexican helper.
There are twelve American churches,
five Indian and two Mexican churches,
with thirteen additional preaching
points regularly supplied during the
year. One new church was organized,
that of Chloride, and two additional
new fields entered, that of McCabe and
surrounding camps, and that of the
Navajo Indian mission. A man is also
under commission to enter a new In
dian mission field, whose support is al
ready provided for The Sabbath
School committee of the presbytery re-
ceived word during the session, that
the board of Sabbath school work
would support Sabbath school mis-
sionary in Arizona if the committee
would find the man. The committee
was instructed TO secure a suitable man
for the field. The Home Missionary
board of the church has made a grant
of between nine and ten thousand dol
lars for the work the ensuing year.
While the Woman's Board of Home
Missions is probably spending mort
money in the carrying on of its adj
mirable Indian school work at Tucson.
than is expended by any other mis-
sionary agency in the territory. and
possibly more than all others combined.
This school work at Tucson could not
but be viewed with enthusiasm by any
lover of missions or by one having the
best interests of the home land at
heart. Here is very efficient super
intendent with his fifteen adult teach
ers and helpers, educating and training
for useful Christian lives one hundred
and fifty Indian children. This year
the first graduates go cut. and the con-
trast between these who have com
pleted the course, and those just enter
ing, is such as to reflect admirably up
on the value of the work accomplished.
These children are mostly of the Pimas
and Papagoes. and this work in con-
nection with the Indian churches. with
their eleven hundred members. makes
It enc OF the most interesting phases
of home mission work
The membership Of the Presbyterian
church in Arizona was shown to be
1852 members, an increase over last
year of 252. The Sabbath school MEM
bership is 224O and the total amount
of money expended during the year for
all purposes of the church was $50. GS6.
Altogether this church was shown to
be the largest and most aggressive of
all the forces for Protestant Christian
ity now gagged in the territory.
An interesting item Of business was
the petitio1ins Of the presbytery by
number of the citizens of Tucson for
the organizing of Il Presbyterian
church in that city. This petition was
received and Il committee of the pres
bytery was appointed to confer with
the pastors and officers of the evan
gelical churches of the city and the
signers of the petition, as regards the
desira bility of organizing a Presbyter
ian church, preserving the supreme
spirit of comfy, and the best interests
Of the church CT Christ.
This committee did it's work as best
it could in the short time allowed, and
reported that it had interviewed all
the pastors and some officers of most
Of the churches, and after obtaining
their views asked them to be present
al the presbytery when the matter was
discussed. = communication was read
from the Episcopal clergyman oppos-
ing the organization. The representa-
tives OF the churches were then given
the privilege of the floor. and the pas
tors OF the Baptist and Methodist Epis-
copal churches and two members of the
Congreg2 tional church spoke, heartily
endorsing the proposition as d duty OF
the Presbyterian church, and means
of future benefit to the work of Christ
in Tucson. One representative of the
Congregational church spoke. strongly
opposing the action as detrimental to
the interests of the Congregational
church. After full discussion a mo-
ton was carried that in view OF the
large Presbyterian constituency and in
view CT the large unreached popula ton
OF the growing and prosperous city and
in view of the large interests of the
church in its Indian school with its
teachers and helpers and pupils. all
needing pastoral oversight and train
| ing in church doctrines and methods,
| and Il church house, that a committee
| of five be appointed to visit Tucson in
the near future, and after conference
with the congregational church and
the Congrcgat ional association of ti:e
territory in the interests of comfy. il
the way be clear, to organize a Pres
| hyterian church.
Such a committee was appointed
and committee was named to visit
! the congregational association meeting
This week in Tempe, extending the fra
terral greetings of the presbytery, ana