The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-09

taxing official action in this connection
was a conference held in Charleston,
). g. The beginning Of the uncay
scuool was small, but its growth has
been rapid AND now in Southern Meth
o1ism we have 5000 Sunday schools,
800. 900 scholars.
l love children and have no apology
10 make for tais n for dedicati ls
my lie 10 this work II 1 covet one
epitarh above another il Is this: HE
loved children and was loved by them"
Any Methodist pastor who does not
believe In or ignores the Sunday school
1eglecIs his work and is untrue TO his
profession. The work of the Sund
school we have been extensive and
intensive. In the past hundred years,
which is the age of our Sunday schools
We have been extensive by going out
and reaching and bringing in all classes
or children into the Sunday school,.
And l can't understand how any pastor
can be true to his church and forget
or omit the children's day exercises and
offering. We have gathered in the
children by the thousands and tens Of
thousands.
The home department, the cradle TO /
and many other departments OF Sun
day school work have helped the Sun
'ay chool to be extensive.
L believe in a four fold religion. / be-
lieve in a heart religion an experiment
tai -eliP o., a experience which kno s
the sins forgiven.
believe in a head religion-an intel
igent religion, a religion hat will NAIn
us t, ~ why We are Christians and
Methodists.
1 believe in a hand r~eligion-in 4
religion that shows friendship and
is charitable.
And ! believe most Of all in foot re-
ligion. religion that goes from house to
house. In the first cha piers Of the book
of Acts We learn that the early apostles
had foot religion and the latest tribute
Peter paid to our Lord was "Ha went
about doing good. Thus we know
hat tie extensive part of the Sunday
100! Is.
Now I want to give you three equa-
uions of the pastors 1ppDrtui -ty. The
two parts of the equation are church
roll and the Sunday school roll. The
first equation is: The Sunday school is
equal to the church rcll. The second
equation is, The Sunday school roll is
larger h a the church rcll. The way
to make a church grow is to make the
sunday school go.
All right for the extern side. The
unsolved problem is the inter sive side,
and this is the problem which our
church has given me the work of help
to solve.
We have lead as Il denomination in
the south and L do not say this invid-
iously to other denominations, for no
doubt 1 have friedgs here of other de-
nominations. We Nave LED and we have
no apology to make for it. E"ery body
likes our Methodism whether they be-
'ieve it or not. l do not wonder that
the masses of the people are attracted to
our church. Take on: Sunday school
polity and there i nothing 81 admirable
IN 81 Nv 1A~ 80. "
credit that we LEAD all denominations in
the South. God has granted us this
honor and we tn nk Him tor it.
THE church is demanding Sunday
school pastors now more thar ever.
n Dolity is finer than that of our
Sunday school which gives US Sunday
school institutions or conventions and
so many other means by which to ad-
vance Sunday school work. No. there
is no polity finer than GUS. Finally,
we must consider the generations Of the
future. God has granted to US the
n of leading in the past hundred
years. Who is to lea1 in the future.
God grant that we may. if we do, now
ever, we must do it by winning the hill
dren now. The OLD way was to have
revival meetings and saw. men by this
means, and 1 hope these meetings will
continue. [ hope no one will misun-
derstand me. The revival meeting has
been the primary plan curing the past
hundred years, but it will Ia secondary
in the future. Gods plan is to save the
children and the cnurdren must be
saved if the church is 10 stand in the
future. The Sunday school should be
the evangelist Of the children and saw
the children. Show me the .Cacher of
any country and I vii! tell you what
the country of the future Will be. And
it is equally true that SIS gees Sunday
school teacher so goes the church..
In conclusion DR.. Hamill spoke of the
study circle of the Sunday school which
is a new movement wh;ch has taken a
strong hold upon the church. The first
years course of study consisting of
three bows were issue H. January
1902 and already there are 5000 study
circles enrolled and using these books.
DR.. Hamill is a most entertaining
speaker. His n is pleasing and
his thought strong and ~cfarrn'ngly *
pressed. He attracts mis- audience with
his first sentences and holds it until the
last. He is a man of big BRAIN and bis
heart and devoted entirely to his. work
for God M the churcn.
NOTES.
The following CONSTITUTE the commit
tee on public worship during confer.
ence: Clerical-R. B. John. j. N. Cole
j.. H. Hall and G.. r. Webster. Lay-W
B. Cooper and c.. c. G Slngton.
Yesterday morning when one of th'
young preachers made his report anC
spoke of the difficulties with which h,
had met and of the joys wh"h he haC
experienced in the work Bishop Smitl
said: THE heroic laws are not past
the spirit of martyrdom is in the churcl
today a the days Of old"