The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-16
IHEPRESBYTERIANSIN
session IN JACKSON
Forty-frst Meeting of the
General Assembly.
DR.. RUssELL's VOTE
Close Contest With Or. W. S.
Hall for Moderator.
MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES
MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES
Reports on Relief Fund, Foreign Mis-
sions. Home Missions and Eduea-
ZION Were Read and Created
Much Interest-New Hymn
Book Proves satisfac-
gs
tory Education.
;sp.o,.l Dispatch to Tho Times.)

especial Dispatch to Tho Times.)
JACKSON. MISS. May 15.-The forty
srst session Of the Southern Presbyterian
General Assembly opened here to-day
ncrt auspicious1y. A large number OF
commissioners are present. The majority
of them are young men, and few a1e past
riddle life. The retiring moderator. Mr..
". w. Woods, of Memphis. preached the
opening sermon-a logical. eloquent and
;mpassioned presentation Of his subject,
Christian Schools, and the crying needs
nf the times.
It took four ballots for Dr.. w. T. Hall.
of Columbia, s. c.. to be elected mod
e-ator over DR.. Russell Cecil, OF Rich
r.ond. -
The FIRST annual report of the Executive
Cornmittee of Ministerial Relief was pre-
sented The General Assembly OF l9ol
established this work as a separate de-
uartu,ent, It having been formerly part
~ ,ha Homo Mission Committee. The
,,4,, committee Is located in Richmond,
sno for the past year has been composed
of Rev. Russell Cecil. .. D.. chairman:
Rev. R. p. Kerr. d D.. Rev Jere Wlther-
spoon. D. D.. Rev. J. CALVIN stewart ana
R,.,inFy Elders G.. R Cannon, John s.
o1nnce. C. D. Lerus, g II. Hrwes. ]. W.
C,,liine.nrth. Upr. r Miller and Captain
.Tohn A. Coke. Mr.. Hawes has acted as
secretary and treasurer Temporarily, With
o,,t compensation. and has discharged the
duties Of the Office with signal aollity,
faithfulness and devotion. This Ekeeu-
i've Committee has been incorporated by
m act OF tho Legislature OF Virginia
a manual of bylaws has been carefully
,,enare6 ana Is a complete setting forth
of the organization. objects, methods ana
forms which the committee proposes 10
use in the prosecution OF It's WORK. ! ms
manual provides that an annuity may oe
n51d to q minister over seventy years OF
s-e who has served the church for Pc
ri,d of thirty years. 1t also provides
assistance for disabled ministers, lay
missionaries and the orphan children OF
deceased ministers. The report recon-
,ncnds that no insurance feature be
a.lcnted for the purpose Of ministerial
-.,ie1 az the committee are satisfied.
nner a thorough Investigation. that such
a feature could not compete successfully
With our large life insurance companies:
ENDOWMENT.
The committee has devoted mucn ume
70 the question Of securing an endowment
<,!nd. Free donations OF $1,000 eacn nave
teen received for this purpose one Oh
,;,ese being from Richmond lady, Mrs.
y Y. Cannon. The total endowment fund
r,w bearing interest is s4.475.20. an en-
couras stng beginning. which 1t 1s hopeo
VIII grow rapidly from year to year.
plan for cumulative endowment, sug-
r..,ed by Mr. s. H. Hawes. has been
atonted by the committee and circulars
:. nj out to the churches with the request
for their cooperation. The plan Is to
ask OF each church an average contribu-
1ion of ten cents per member per month
io, five years. This plan has proved only
r,rtially successful, and it Is not pro-
,,o.ed to conftne all efforts to this method
The appointment Of a secretary to give
tts whole time to this work is earnestly
commended. as it is believed he could
secure large amount Of money Tor the
nermanent fund by travelling among the
enurches and awakening their interest in
Tins important cause. The annual support
3,.nd shows that there are AS beneficial
,,es on the roll, and the total receipts
,,ly s1422o9. The appropriations
=, zach beneficiary have been about $780,
Which small as It IS. is larger than usual
hut is wholly insufficient to meet the
needs OF the beneficiaries.
FOREIGN MISSIONS
The .orty-first annual report of the
Executive Committee of Foreign Missions
was also presented. The report opens
With nrofound thankfulness to God for
His great blessing in the efforts of the
church in this department. In Africa.
though the force of workers is smaller
than for several years. the professed con-
vcrtions have been greater than ever be-
fore and than in any other field. In China
the returning missionaries have received
warm welcome. and the people have
tound more readiness to hear the gospel
than ever before. The Korea Mission.
while much weakened by the coming
acme for vacation Of several ofllts best
workers also shows that the people
arc eager to hear the gospel. and ex-
njhited the spirit of self-help that has
characterized them. from the beginning.
In Japan the spirit of revival has pre-
vailed. and the best results have oeen
teen in the communication of new spirit
ns activity and elevation ot its spiritual
tcne.
Tho great event in Mexico was the or
SANITATION Of an Independent synod by
union Of the northern and southern
churches Both in that country and
Brazil the Presbyterian Missions have
gene far toward the ACCOMPLISHMENT OF
the end had in view IN all foreign fields,
The establishment of independent se1-
governing and self-propagatins native
churches. But for many years both these
countries will need fully as much as
sistance as they are now receiving IN
arangelistlc work and the development o:
institutions for Christian education aad
training of their native ministry.
THE INCREASE.
In the past ten years the mission force
has been increased from JOG to 166 and
the receipts from S1a3,990 to S164.S Spe-
rial emphasis is laid on the effort to Sc
c,,re the support OF missionaries by indi-
rjdual churches. In almost every IN
stance where churches have undertaken
this work it has resulted in large in
rreases-sometimes as much az three
Told of contributions to this cause. The
&nnctnfment of an additional secreta ry