The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-04-12
FROM INDIA
REV. FREASE AT THE FIRST
M. E CHURCH.
INTERESTING ADDRESS
An Appropriation of$6OO
to Aid His Work.

Rev. f. +. Frease, of Barods, Guja.
rat, India, who is in Canton, the guest
of his parents, Judge and Mrs. Jo-
seph Frease, of North Market street,
occupied the pulpit at the First M. e.
church, Sunday morning.
Rev. Frease came to America, as
delegate representing the Bombay con.
ference, to the general conference Of
the Methodist Episcopal church at Los
Angeles, which convenes in May, dur
ing which time Rev. Frease will be in
that city.
He spoke Interestingly of his chosen
work in the eastern field and said that
contrary to general belief the tide Of
Christianity is at higher ebb in In
dia at the present time than it has
been in years. One OF the greatest
obstacles to the furtherance Of the
work, however, is the lack of trained
missionaries, force twice as large
as that now available, being neces-
sary.
Since their return to India in 1898,
Rev. Frease and wife have been sta
toned in the province Of Gujarat, in
the northwestern portion of India.
They have introduced the gospel there
watching its influence, from the
growth of a Christian population of
60 to 100000. This province is part
of the Bombay conference, number
ing within it's limits ten million souls
and having force of but five minis.
ters engaged in the work. This OF
course has reference to the leaders
native local preachers and men and
woman missionaries being in charge
of circuits and sub-circuits.
| The natives are docile and eager to
learn. Whenever one shows special
promise he is taken in charge, taugh,
to read and write and the rudiments
of an ordinary education, after which
he becomes versed in the doctrines OF
Christianity and the teachings of the
bible, when he is sent out to labor
among his people as a missionary.
The most satisfactory results are
obtained by individual work among
the people and this is rracticed almos'
entirely doing away with former plan
greatest obstacles found by the mis-
sionaries, is the great variety of Ian
guages that are spoken within the
boundaries of one country. India
with its ninety millions of inhabitants
has as many derivations of the origI
nal Hindostan as the total number o.
languages spoken by the nations o.
Europe.
Another impediment not only in /;
spiritual but in material way is the
curse of caste. The members Of ont
caste keep strictly aloof from tina
of another and barrier is thus raised
between the natives that probabl,
never will be overcome. When thu
boys grow to manhood no matter wha
their preference may be, they arr
Obliged to follow the occupations tina
had been adopted by their fathers,
The members of the various caste
may not intermarry and as an illus
tration OF the rigid customs that ar,
enforced, the speaker said, that peopl
of one caste viii not design to use
glass IL water has been drank from
| IL NY utuiDtTS VI duOtHcI CdSte. Wv
ing TO this fact access to one class ha
the effect OF barring relations witt
the other.
The majority Of the people are Il
literate but under the auspices of tn
mission, day schools and in some in
stances night schools, have been OF
ganized in which the teacher of tn
gospel is also the teacher of tn
three RS. Rev. and Mrs. Frease ar
recognized as being among the mos
prominent workers In the field the
have undertaken.
At the close of the address, Rev. c
w. Holmes announced on behalf @
the congregation, that $500 would b
|. drawn from the Benevolence fun
raised by the church, to be presente
to Rev. Frease to be used In his worl
!. The fund amounts to about $2,100
,, , and goes into the general fund Of tn
Methodist Episcopal church to be Q,
pended for benevolent purposes. /.
: certain amount is required of. eac
church, the surplus over and abov
, that amount being used as the churc
,, , directs.