Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-23
illinois Presbyterian Synod to
Help to Raise 81, 100000
for Educational Purposes.
CHURCHES WITHOUT PASTORS
Next Convention Of the State Body
to be Held at Rock
Island.

voting to meet in Rock Island year
hence.
The opening of the state fair on
Sunday was condemned in a resolu
ton adopted by the synod. y com
mittee was appointed to devise plan
for the erection of Il home for aged
Presbyterians.
committee was appointed to as
sist in the raising of 81 100000 for aid
ing different institutions of education
of the Presbyterian church. The
great decline in the number of candi-
dates for the ministry brought forth
much comment from all the delegates
present. The facts as presented yes
terday show that there is a woeful
scarcity Of ministers. In this connec-
ton the report of the committee on
aid for colleges was presented, and is
in part as follows:
The committee on education would
respectfully report that it has dill
gently inquired for those signs of
revived interest in this vital cause
which might naturally be looked for
as the result of the action taken by
the synod within the last few wears
The standard of comparison is the
year 1896. when the number of candi-
dates in the church at large was 1,50S
and the number under the board was
LOO. There has been since then
steady decline which has not yet been
arrested and the total number now
is 779, of which 612 are receiving aid
through the board. The number un-
der the board, however. shows an i'm
crease of 40 within the last year. OF
the whole number of candidates. there
is an increase of 81 in - synods. and
a decrease of So in Is synods. Our -
seminaries had last year CSC students,
a decline of 2S5 since 1896, and 155
graduates. decline of 1872 since 1896
In our synod the latest reports from
the presbyteries show SO candidate
an increase over last year of two. As
an offset to this great decline in the
number of candidates il may be noted
that the contributions of our church
eS show a much smaller decline, the
total for last year of S3.014 being only
800 less than in 1896, and at the same
time being 500 more than we needed
for the scholarships of the - candi-
dates who received the aid of the
Nilbl I'll NlilOuSll THO bOStlN.
Reasons Presented.
The reasons as given by the com
mittce are numerous. Some of them
are:
l. The claims of the ministry, as
against the attractions of a CONNER
cial or a professional life, and even
as against a life of christian activity
in some other sphere than the minis
try. The records show that number
of our candidates disappear from the
rolls because, having made good be-
ginning, they are overcome with the
attraction of some other life.
=. The imperfect distribution of
our working force in the ministry re-
suits in a congestion at the centers
and a restitution in the needy places
of the church. 1t is this congestion
which gives rise to the impression
that we have too many ministers. Va
cancies nearby the large cities are
eagerly sought after, and many dis
appointments arise in consequence.
Gray-haired men feel discouraged by
reason of their years, and the man of
moderate gifts begins to suspect that
there is no place for him in the
church. All of this. however, is due
to the unequal distribution of men.
3. The educational atmosphere of
the day vitality affects our young men.
The inclination for technical rather
than classical courses, the substitu-
ton of elective for required systems,
and the tendency to shorten the peri
cd of collegiate study manifest in
leading institutions like Harvard, all
have their influence upon the young
men who have before them the thor
ough course of study prescribed by
the church. More than this, the de
velopment of state institutions with
their fine equipment and social at
fractions has affected our young men,
and with this has come inevitably a
lowered interest in the ministry
The following recommendations
were made and adopted:
1. That pastors be requested, as
heretofore, to present the claims of
the ministry from their pulpits, and
to deal openly with the current objec-
tons thereto, and for the purpose OF
developing the interest of the people
2. That the presbyteries in the
bounds of which are located the vari-
Gus colleges and universities of the
state are requested to secure, if pos
sible, an opportunity to the students
of these colleges, especially on the
| day of prayer. 80 = a
3. That elders and pastors be urg-
ed to scan their congregations well to
discover, if possible, young men tic
whom the claims of the ministry may
1 L
who are evidently called of God to un-
dertake the work
Miss CIeland Secretary.
The Woman's Synodical Foreign
Missionary society, which met in con
junction with the synod, yesterday
elected officers. They are:
President Mrs. {. o. Brown
Springfield.
Corresponding Secretary-Mrs.S S. o
Loughbridge, Peoria.