The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-24
THE CHURCHES.
THE NEEDS OF
THE NEW NORTH"
REV. DIR. MERRILL TELLS OF
WIDE FIELD IN MINNESOTA.
In the Northern Part of the State the
Population Is Growing So Fast That
Missionaries Must Depend on Out
side Aid to Pursue Work In It.

The Congregational Home Mission
airy magazine Of New York has in its
September number an article by Rev.
DIR. George r. Merrill, Of Minneapo-
Ills, superintendent of home missions
for Minnesota, on "The New North, -
nesota district on the east for funds.
He begins by writings:
Eastern friends of western home mis-
sionary work, find 1t hard to understand
why a state like Minnesota, after more
than fifty years Of generous aid, Is still
presenting an urgent plea for increased
help in it's evangelization;, especially since
neighboring states no more wealthy
prosperous and with smaller number of
strong and prominent churches have in
the same period attained to self support.
A very casual survey however, of the
conditions will make the situation intelli-
gible. For about thirty years G848-1872),
the work Of home missions in Minnesota
was in the region south Of Brainerd, the
central point Of the state, an area about
equal to that Of the state Of New York.
All this territory Is now covered by the
work Of strong and prosperous churches
and Is considerably more than self-sus-
tanning.
In the next twenty-five years (1S73-
$4,000, northern Minnesota was open, a dis
trtot $50 by 75 miles, larger than New
Hampshire and Vermont. In this field we
have already a dozen self-supporting
ichurches and about two score still need
ling missionary aid. Much Of this territory
IS still unsettled. but into 1t in the last
five years thousands Of new settlers have
come, among whom missionary work Is
greatly needed. Railroad extensions have
created thriving villages in which
churches ought to be established. If this
were all 1t would seem that with the ad-
united growth Of Minnesota In wealth,
the churches of the older part Of the
ha thaf Tofr
consecration and proved themselves not
unworthy Of the help that had been given
Hhem. by decreasing the amount of aid
required from the society, for this en-
largtng work, from $4,000 or $4,000 In
the early part Of the period to s14, 900 at
Abe close.
But with the beginning Of this century
new north began to make imperative
demands. For the ten years previous the
people had been quietly creeping into the
regions beyond the missionary outposts
until there have come tc be thousands of
people in this new NORTH" 250 miles
from east to west and 100 miles from
north to south. The railways have ad-
vanced into its southern portion from Be-
midi and Virginia north. and our mis-
sionary work following their advance has
been prosecuted as far as means would
allow from centers already established on
the Great Northern railway, end along the
line Of the Minnesota & International, by
Rev. Allen Clark, the general missionary
In closing, Mr.. Merrill adds
1t Is for this new north most Of all that
the churches of Minnesota, striving low
ally to bear the burden Of work in the
cities and In the still developing regions
that were northern Minnesota, need the
aid of the churches of the east And It
is because of this vet unmeasured oppor-
tunity of the new north that Minnesota
must still be named and for some years
to come, among the dependent states.