The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16
NEWS OF THE CHURCHES
PRESBYTERIANS AND BAPTISTS TO
MEET IN THE MONTH OF MAY.
Creed and Missions to BE the Chief
TOpics--work OF the Y. VI. c. a.
in Porto Rico and Cuba.
,lal to the Indianapolis Journal.

NEW YORK, Feb. 15.-The Presbyterian
General Assembly North will meet in the
Fifth-avenue Presbyterian Church. New
York, during the first three weeks of May.
Public interest will center in the report Of
the creed revision committee, but denomi-
national interest will be greatest in the
fifteenth anniversary of home missions,
which is to be celebrated. The social side
of Presbyterianism is to be emphasized,
the Presbyterian Union of New York hav-
ing already provided for grand reception,
to take place at the Waldorf-AstOria. The
late DIR. John Hall was long president Of
the board of home missions, and his
church used to give, before it went almost
to pieces after his death, $4,000 to SEC, 600
a year to this cause. Hence the fitness of
having the anniversary celebrated in what
used to be his church. When the invita-
ton was given last year the pastor was
the Rev. DR.. George T. Purves, but he has
since died and the pastor-host of the as
sembly will be the Rev. DR.. ]. Ross Steven
son, a young Mccormick Seminary profess
sor, whose advent to this great church in
the East pleases the Presbyterian West
immensely. A third matter to come before
the assembly will be the judicial commits
forts are making to have the Forthcoming
assembly the greatest in the history Of
American Presbyterianism.
Xxx
The declaratory statement which the
members of the Presbyterian creed revision
committee have unanimously agreed on,
was read in advance of it's publication to
a number of leading clergymen, and sew
eral of these gentlemen express the opin-
ion that the whole denomination will &C
cept the finding. The committee is satisfied
that only a unanimous report from it
stands any chance of being adopted by the
General Assembly. The declaratory state
ment does not, it is claimed, shelve the
Westminster Confession, but will stand
before the denomination as the official find
ing The report adopted by the assembly,
goes to the presbyteries, and until adopted
by a majority of the latter does not be-
come the official voice of the Presbyterian
Church. Ten years ago a report enthusi-
astically adopted by the assembly failed
to carry in the presbyteries in a single
overture, that upon election, which was
most emphatically Endorsed by the assem-
bly,, being the worst beaten of any over
ture in the presbyteries. On all sides, how
ever, it is stated that the present declara-
tory statement and other features of the
report will fare better. The statement re-
ceiyed in advance the Endorsement of the
Rev. DR. John Dewitt of Princeton, and
that insures it's acceptance by the con-
servatiVes, while the liberals regard any
advance as progress. The statement and
report is enthusiastically received by Pres
byterians of all shades
XXX
The Baptist anniversaries meet in the
First Baptist Church of st. Paul in May.
The feature of public interest. and of con-
Stunning denominatiOnal interest, is the re-
latiOn Of the benevolent societies TO each
other and the relation of all of them to
the churches. There is a proposition to
change the constitutions of these societies
to form uniform basis of membership.
Before Baptists interested in missions at
home and abroad there is a scheme to make
membership in the societies depend upon
election by local Baptist associations. Dis
cussion on this and similar points has been
going on for months, but the sentiment Of
the denomination seems to favor the vol
untary principle, continuing direct rela
tiOns between the societies and the
churches. The anniversary sermon this
year will be preached by the Rev. DIR. n.
G. Dixon, OF Boston.
Secretary Nillar. of the army and navy
department of the Young Mems Christian
Association, has just returned from a tour
of Cuba and Porto Rico. His trip was
taken 10 find out if army branches were
carrying out their original plans, or wheth-
er changes in men or measures are desir-
able. He expresses himself satisfied will
conditions as he found them, and says that
the work Of the association will be con,
tinued along present lines and extended
as rapidly as possible to posts not yet GOV
cred He found soldiers suffering from
inconsistencies, and perhaps for that reason
welcoming the meetings of the association
Especially do the men enjoy the lectures
and entertainments given with the aid of
the photograph and stereoptcon and one
result of Mr.. Milars trip will be the send
ing of additional equipments of those in
struments 10 Cuba and Porto Rico posi-
has been furnished by the auxiliary, of
which Miss Helen Gould and Mrs. Russell
Sage are principal members. 1t is planned
to have secretaries from the towns travel
to outlying army posts, spend a week o
more in each, and give entertainments
and hold religious services. This is a phase
of the work that had not heretofore beer
done.
At Ponce and Havana association
branches welcome the sailors. When Mr.
Millar was in Havana the North Atlantic
squadron arrived in the harbor. and each
man in the fleet received from the ASSOC
citation a circular giving information where
money could be exchanged, names and To-
cations of good restaurants and the loca-
planned to outlying points, and they were