Evening star., 1902-02-21
Religious Work. :

Religious Work
"There are a number OF indications that
give us reason to believe that a strong and
continuous evangelistic campaign will soon
be carried on In all our associations. The
year that has just closed has brought to us
many new and rich experiences. The fact
Is plainly before us that each association Is
trying as 1t never has before to keep the
first things first The Baltimore assocIa-
tiOns have united in several large and very
successful meetings at Ford's Opera House.
with such speakers as G. Campbell Morgan,
Charles H Yatman, T. Dewitt Talmage
and Fred B. Smith. They report $50 pro-
fessed conversions and fifty having Joined
the church.
-. ashington continues to hold all its
Sunday afternoon meetings at the Columbia
Theater with the same remarkable success
as In the past. The leading evangelistic
speakers In the country are secured and
special musical attractions are engaged.
The work done is most thorough and the
continuous effort put forth has resulted in
great good They report 557 professed con-
versions and twentynine having Joined the
church.
'The Wheeling association has been
greatly blessed this year and is exerting an
influence for outreaching any previous year.
All the Sunday afternoon meetings have
been held at the Grand Opera House. with
an average attendance Of 800 per Sunday;
and the future promises glorious harvest
They report tWenty-seven professed con-
versions and fifteen having Joined the
church. The Wilmington, Del, association
is also having an religious awakening.
Their mems gospel meeting Is being held
every Sunday In the theater, with an aver
age attendance Of over COO They report
la professed conversions and fifty-seven
having Joined the church. Cumberland,
Md, has held several services for men
only at the opera house, which have result
ed In a remarkable growth in their religious
0fh y,lo
ater meetings have been held, speakers
have been secured from a distance and the
services made strictly evangelistic. They
report sixteen professed conversions and
eight having Joined the church
This Is the meaning Of our twentieth
century campaign for young men, keeping
foremost the fundamental principle of our
associations namely, the saving Of young
men for Christ and the church.
Boys Department.
"As In other sections of the country. the
work for the younger young men'-the boys
In our midst-has been one Of the weak
points In the interstate field. Boys are but
men In miniature, and If we are to reach
the men Of tomorrow promptly and effec-
lively we must begin with the boys Of to-
day. Every association should engage in
some specific line Of effort among the boys
OF Its community. We might as well have
their cooperation, their enthusiasm, their
activities their souls, now. as to wait a
few years and probably miss them eter-
nally. There are now seven associations
doing definite work for boys, with a mem
bership of 674 Good results have attended
the educational work conducted by the Bal
ttmore Central Association. In view of the
tremendous Importance Of this branch of
our work, associations are recommended
wherever possible to employ special secre-
taries, giving their full or portion Of their
time to the boys department, as the size
and conditions Of the local needs allow.
Two conferences have been held, one at
Baltimore, at which twenty-eight delegates
were present, representing four associa-
four delegates representing seven associa-
ticns. Both gatherings have inspired
deeper interest in work among boys. and
win be done this year for our boys than
ever before"
Young Men in Rural Districts.
"Poolesville. Nd, has thoroughly demon
strated during its thirteen years Of associa-
ton life what work can be accomplished In
small towns and districts. They have q
population of $50. membership OF forty
f1ve. and an association building valued at
81 900. Two meetings are conducted weekly
in the village and several meetings each
month in the neighboring districts, and the
entire community has been richly blessed
by the efforts put forth by these faithful
workers. 1t is our earnest desire that this
work increase until the Young Mems Chris
tian Associations In the small towns and
counties be thoroughly established and the
hundreds Of young men in the rural dis
tricts brought to knowledge OF the truth.
There are at present twenty-eight corre-
spending members at points, some Of which
have done excellent work during the past
year. In both acquainting the young men In
their district regarding the privileges Of
the associations. and giving those leaving
the village or county and going into the
cities letters OF Introduction 20 the general