Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-12
MISSIONARY WORK
Labor Of Professionals Among
the Filipinos.
DIVISION OF THE FIELD
METHoDIsTs PLAN FINE, LARGE
CHURCH IN MANILA.
Rev. Dr.. Rodgers Tells Of the Opera
lions Of the Presbyterians Through
out the Islands.
DIVISION OF THE FIELD
By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
/ Chicago Record Herald
MANILA. June 10. 1904.
By the allotment, Of the evangelical union.
which. divided the Philippine missionary
field among the several Protestant denomi-
nations to promote economy and avoid
friction and duplication. the Methodists
were made responsible for the northern
provinces Of Luzon. and the Presbyterians
for that part of the island south of Manila.
The latter also divide the work in the Wis.,
ayan field with the Baptists- The Congre-
gatiOnalists go farther south. There seems
to have been an extraordinary amount OF
energy and enterprise displayed by all OF
the mission boards. especially by the Meth
odfsts. who. after four years In an entirely
new field. where Protestant worship was
prohibited and the reading of the Bible was
forbidden up to four years ago. report a
total Of 1910 converts and 1000 members
and probationers in Manila alone.
In the city of Manila are three Protestant
churches. where service Is held as at home
in the English language. by the Eplscopa-
lians. the Method1sts and Presbyterians. l
wrote you about the work of the Episcopa-
ians the other day. The Methodists have
800. which Is ministered over by Rev. F. A.
McCari He has a congregation averaging
TIA In the morning and 100 in the evening.
chiefly Americans, DIR. Stuntz, the presid-
ing elder. thinks that the prospect juStifies
| a permanent church building. with cen
trail audience room. seating 500 or 600 peo-
pie, with a smaller room connecting, seat
ing 300. for Sunday schools. prayer meet
ings- and conference purposes, and he in
tends to carry out that plan at the earliest
possible date.
Prospects Among the Natives
But the good doctor is not only sanguine
but enthusiastic. over Methodist prospects
in the native field, and already has had
plans prepared to build big steel structure
| that will defy ants, earthquakes and ty-
phoons. on the site of the old Oriental
Theater. in the most denseIy populated por-
ton of the native town. The land belongs
to the government. and has been leased for
fifty years. The building will cost 10000,
and will be called the Knox Memorial
| Church. a--.-
The plans show a large auditorium seat
| ing 1JO0. with continuous gallery, open
! on all sides for ventilation. with six en-
| frances, choir that will accommodate a
| chorus of fifty. a pulpit platform that will
| seat twenty-five, and series of apartments
| for Sunday school. conference and enter
| tainment purposes. 1t Is to have a large
| pipe organ. specimens of the highest art OF
| stained glass, and everything that will
| make 1t attractive.
| The Presbyterians have been unfortunate
| in finding flaw In the title to the site
[ which they purchased In the new quarter
| of the city for an English church. and will
| take no further steps toward the erection
| Of building until IL Is corrected. They
have a comfortable little chapel now. which
| answers every purpose. and will probably
! accommodate their congregation for several
years to come.
| An Attractive Place of Worship.
| Over in the Tondo district of the native
| city. very near the open plaza where Senior
! Aglipay recently consecrated himself arch
bishop of the Independent Church Of the
Philippines, the Presbyterians have recently
/ completed one Of the neatest and most at
built Of Oregon pine shingles. at cost of
$40. 500. and resembles the churches you
| see at the, seashore,, and at the popular
watering places. 1t viii seat about 500 per-
sons "A the main addtorium. and has a
large Sunday school room seating 300 more
which can be thrown into the main hall by
opening the wide sliding doors 1t is bright.
cheerful and modern and altogether the
most attractive place. Of worship in the
T Philippine Islands ..
I''e This is to be the headquarters of Pres
byteran mission work among the natives
which is being carried on according to the
| thorough. conservative methods usually
adopted by that denomination
There work here began in April 1899 I'M
der the direction Of Rev. James F. Rodgers
who is still in charge, and has been purely
ing that OF training the native evangelists
| who are preaching, visiting and touring in
the smaller towns OF the neighborhood
where congregations are gradually being
established and chapels built.
Methods Of the Missionaries.
There has not been as spontaneous and
| rapid advance as we could wish" said DR..
Rodgers. but the prospects are now ex-
cellent for the rapid occupation of all the
towns in the Tagalog provinces, and we
are pushing out elsewhere as rapidly as
the men and the limited means at our dis
posal will permit. In Iloilo, where we be-
gan in 1899. work has assumed a different
aspect. There. as one of the missionaries
has said, the people go up to Jerusalem to
worship. and at the business centers we.
as We'll as our neighbOrs. the Baptists, have
been able to reach people from all over
| the Island of Panay. The poorer peasants
| come from all parts Of the islands over the
roads that converge at the large markets
IN lloilo. and are readily reached by the
preachers In the market places. Whole
barrios or counties have been reached and
baptized In this way without single visit
the evangelist The best results have fol-
lowed. however, In the places where those
Openings have been; followed up by per-
sonal visits, the missionaries moving from
place to place on foot or on horseback and
| receiving unexpected welcomes in unheard
OF barrios from people who have visited
| the towns and, heard their preaching.
Good Work of the Physicians.
"One Of the first missionaries Of the
| Pr esbytertan board is a physician, and,
through his ministrations to the bodies of
| the poor people. much good has been gained
and many have been brought to a knowl-
edge of Christ. A small hospital built with
local contributions has been the means of
administering to the wants of many peo-
pie. Even In this most Christian work the
physician has had to face trying exhibit
lions OF ignorance and superstition. At one
time everything American was looked upon
with suspicion and a man who was bring
ing home to his sick wife medicine for
| malaria was stopped by his neighbors and
compelled to drink 1t all In order to prove
that he was not poisoning the wells. We
find that the medical evangelist Ii the most
efficient kind OF a missionary we have.
Industrial Educational Work.
I'm Dumaguete we began with educa-
tonal work. DR.. Horace B. Stillman of
New York, early IN the history of the mis-
sion. gave $4,000 toward the founding of
an agricultural and mechanical school at
some place in the islands where young men
could be trained In the practical things of
life. to enable them to make better farmers