Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-10-19

sup 10 oJp, dDOul IL f2pSI cent lu
crease. The gain in the whole churcl
is 2Ie per cent. But we must remem
Der that one-third of the net increas,
in our membership is due TO the or
ganization of eight new churches, an,
not more than twothirds of the in
crease Is due to the work in old fields
An encouraging feature in the spir
itual condition of our churches an,
which has been noted in the narrativ,
report of more than Une presbytery
is the fact that a much larger number
of churches is reporting additions oi
profession of faith, which seems to in
dicate an increased earneslness ant
spirituality in the majority of th'
churches. To Illustrate, according Il
our last annual report, twenty-four o
our churches have received five per
sons or more into membership on pro
fession of faith, as compared with six
teen churches during the previous
year. Also, during the past year eigll
teen churches have received ten ol
more on profession of faith. whereas
the previous year only nine had re
ttlNtu lildl nulnUtT.
1t is with great pleasure and deeI
gratitude to God that We call atten
tion to the special work of grace thai
Is reported in connection with services
conducted at Libby by the Sabbath
school missionary, Mr.. James Ray
burn. For several years the Libby
church, which had been organized in
1896, had consisted of four faithful
women, who, under much discourage
ment, had maintained Sabbath
school. Through Gods blessing upon
Mr.. Rayburns work, the membership
now numbers "a, two-thirds OF the
new accessions being upon profession
of faith. A Christian Endeavor Soci
ETY. of 33 active members has been OF
ganized, and the organization OF tho
church has been completed by the
election and ordination of three eld
ers. During the past summer prop
erty has been secured and paid for
which is being nsed as church home
We do not know of another sucl
marked instance of III. revival of Z
weak home mission church in the his
tory of the synod.
Sabbath Schools.
We are glad to notice an Increase
OF over ten per cent in the member
ship of the Sabbath schools connected
with the churches of the synod. Tine
minutes of the general assembly give
this increase as i70-l70 in the Pres
bytery of Butte, and 1863 in the Pres
hyt Of Falls Tho Sahhat n
school membership of Helena Presby
terry remains about the same. The in
crease in the sunday school member
ship in the whole church is l.2 pei
cent.
Benevolence.
There Is a commendable increase
in the contributions to each of the
eight boards of the church, with the
exception of one. education. There Ii
a large increase in the offerings to the
Boards of Home Missions. Foreign Mis-
sions and the Relief Fund, because OF
the legacies given to these boards
through the Miles City church by the
late Elder j. w. Strevelle.
For some years there has been a
thoii ol pdit vi tlN
general assembly, synod. the Presby
teries and the standing committees 10
induce each church to make at least
one contribution annually to each ol
the eight boards. The churches oil
Helena Presbytery far surpass the
churches of the other two presbyter
les in the exercise of the grace OF
ptnt 10 atutnn nIrinu tho
year Is of our So churches have con
tributed to each board; nine of these
are connected with Helena presbytery
four are in Butte presbytery and five
in Great Falls presbylery.
AS the result of the consideration ol
the state Of religion within the bounds
of the synod for the past year your
committee would present the follow
ing recommendations for the consider
alton of the synod.
First. We urge our home mission
to build up the walls of Zion
by not forsaking the assembling oi
themselves together for mid-weeh
service of Christian fellowship and
prayer. We find that there are church
es enjoying the regular pastoral ser
vices OF a minister which do not main
tain the mid-week prayer service. In
what way can the pastor do more than
to feed the lambs and sheep Of the
flock? II might be urged that such
and nurture are more nee
essary to the weak than the strong
churches.
Second. We urge our home mission
aries TO do their full duty as pioneer
workers and evangelists. Some do not
seem TO realize the opportunities for
service on home mission fields. There
are destitute neighborhoods without
church privileges lying adjacent to the
home mission fields, which should re-
ceive more attention from our home
The salaries provided
are supposed 10 be sufficient TO meet
the expenses connected with this
work. Many of these outlying districts
must continue without gospel priv
ileges. unless they can De made out
stations of our organized churches.
Third. In reference TO the offerings
TO the boards. we would urge that II
there must be blanks in the reports
of our offerings, that the responsible.
ity for this failure 10 contribute
should rest upon the congregation and
not upon the session and minister. be.
cause they have failed TO give the
people an opportunity to contribute.
Your committee has never known a
case in which a Presbyterian cangre.
cation has failed TO respond when
they were asked to contribute to some
benevolent cause. Therefore, we are
that II all Of our sessions
and ministers will give their people
an opportunity to contribute to the
boards of our church, every blank will