Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-20
At TodAy's Meeting of the State
Presbyterian
Synod.
CHURCHES ARE FEWER NOW
Than Forty Years Ago - Moderator
Logan Gives Rea-
sons.


and needs of the church in the home
mission field were ably presented by
the members of the synod. The mod
orator. Rev. DR.. Thomas d. Logan, pre-
sided, as chairman. while Rev Black.
of Bloomington, who is vice moderator.
acted as moderator during the confer
ence.
The report of the committees was
the first business of the conference.
and the following statistics were pre-
sented:
The Board - Missionaries. 1,1SO;
membeE1 61,S13; churches organized.
us; Sunday school scholars. 92,557;
added on profession, 1873; board re-
ceipts, sS2O.6O7.
Self-Sustaining Synods - Mission
aries, 1,O1G; members, S2,55S; church
es organized. Al; Sunday school schol-
ars. 112, 564; added on profession, s.
| 7S9. synodical receipts, $211.017.
| Grand total of receipts, S1,031 .624.
Synod of Illinois-For local home
mission work, $33,953; women's socis-
ties, S19.993; miscellaneous, $30,13G.
Total, $S4,OS2.
Churches Are Fewer.
| rev. Logan, III presenting IuG "OIh
of the home mission department in H.
| linois, stated that there are fewer Pres
| byterian churches in the state today
| than there were 40 years ago In this
connection he pointed out the reason
| for the decline of the home mission
churches. The state was very produc
| tive, and when the farmer gathered a
| little money he went to the larger cit
lies. and his church support went to
the city churches. The tenant of the
farm was generally a foreigner, and
one devoted to some other denOmina
ton. The result was that the church
could not support itself. DIR. Logan
urged that the base of supplies. as he
termed Illinois home mission field, be
| kept up and that the churches make a
stronger effort to sustain the home
mission work.
Greater Effort Urged
Rev. Edgar l.. Williams, of Peoria,
the home mission superintendent, fol
lowed with an eloquent appeal for
greater effort in the work. He closed
with the request that all of the mem
0ers of the synod who could do so de-
vote three days or a week to the work
| this coming year. Nearly all of the
members responded, and volunteered
| to give a week to the work, among the
| first to give their names to the super
intendent being Rev. w. S. Marquis.
| The plan of the campaign to be made
| is TO have revival meetings held
Throughout the state at the nome mis-
| sion churches. and to have these meet
| inGs conducted by the pastors who
| volunteer for the work. The meetings
will then be taken in charge by a
trained evangelist. In presenting his
suggestions Rev. Williams read sec
ton of New York mission report, in
which it was stated that there were
more villages in Illinois that had no
form of religious service than in any
other state in the union. The state
ment was discredited. but DR.. Williams
said that it was true that there were
a large number of places where the
/ Presbyterian denomination had no
/ form of service.
Better Pay For Ministers.
! In presenting his remarks DR.. Logan
/ told of an experience in which he had
given a list of the salaries paid for
home missionaries for publication in
the Chicago papers. The result was
| that he had been described as having
commenced a strike for higher wages
/ for the ministers. DR.. Logan said that
/ he merely wished TO see that the sal
aries of ministers were increased from
the grade of unskilled labor to that of
the mechanic who has learned his
trade. as the minister learns his. by
years of hard study. The home mis-
sion work of the synod during the COM
/ ing year will be taken up along new
lines. The ministers have been re-
Iquested 10 hand to Rev. Williams a list
of the good givers in their churches.
These persons will receive circulars
and literature at regular periods from
the mission board. This will do much
TO interest the laymen of the church
in the mission work. and TO supply the
necessary funds for the work.
Women Have Workers Conference.
The meeting of the Woman's Synod
ical society. which was held at the
same time as the conference of the
synod, was presided over by the pres
ident. Mrs c. W. Robinson. The main
feature of the morning was the work
ers' conference. presided over by Mrs.
y. S. Begger. The conference was de-
voted 10 discussion of the past work
of the society for home missions. and
lof the outlook for the future. Mrs
Mary E Holmes. who is a missionary
among the negroes. presented her
freedmen's report of the work along
this line. and urged further efforts by
the society. Mrs. Stafford presented the
contingent fund report. and the meet
ing was adjourned until this Afternoon,
when the session was devoted TO reg
ular business matters.
VIII Close Tonight.
This evenings session will close the